Dr. Lorne Sawula’s impact on volleyball in Canada is staggering, from the local club level to the most competitive matches on the international stage. He has been a coach, clinician, teacher, administrator and an author.

Lorne has coached over 600 international volleyball matches, including at the Olympics, the world championships, and the Pan Am Games. He has coached another 500 matches at the university and college level, both men’s and women’s, including at the University of Alberta where he led the Pandas to 4 of 6 consecutive CIS national championships. He has also coached at UBC, the University of Ottawa, Dalhousie University and NAIT. However, Lorne’s contributions go far beyond wins and losses.

As technical director for the Canadian Volleyball Association from 1977 to 1982, Lorne coordinated the first technical guidelines and wrote content for the original coaches instructor manuals. He was instrumental in bringing the sciences into volleyball education. Lorne has co-authored several books including Soviet Gold and Volleyball Coaches Diary, and has written numerous articles and papers promoting new ideas and helping to evolve the game. In his career, Lorne has taught over 2000 volleyball clinics in Alberta, Canada and internationally.

In 2007, Lorne started a volleyball sport school at Edmonton’s Vimy Ridge Academy and created Aspire Volleyball in 2010. Through Aspire Volleyball, he focused on transitioning young athletes and parents from club level through to national level competitions. Lorne always saw volleyball as a life-long endeavour and has been most proud of his athletes maintaining their involvement in sport when their athletic careers were over through coaching, refereeing, or administrative duties.

Todayville is proud to have produced the video profiles of this year’s Inductees.  Learn more about the 2018 inductees here.

Since it’s inception in 1957, hundreds of Albertans have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.  We invite everyone to join us in this celebration of both new Inductees and returning Honoured Members, and their lasting impact on sport in our province.  If you would like more information on the Induction Banquet or to order tickets, please call (403) 341-8614.

Read and watch more video profiles of the 2018 Alberta Sports Hall of Fame inductees:

Theoren Fleury

Dianne Finstad

Doug Barkley

Cindy Klassen