Forward.
Byline: Victor Gravili | Date: March 18, 2019
This letter was apart of the information package shared with all Team Canada hopefuls attending the 2019 Dodgeball Canada National Championship.
It’s no surprise Canadian dodgeball has been dominant over the past several years. We’ve shaped it. We’ve pioneered basic level thinking and strategy. We were one of the first to push the boundaries of the game to be something bigger and more competitive. Our history is a proud one, and it should define who we are.
When I took over Canada Men’s and Canada Women’s teams in 2016, I made one thing clear — the status quo wasn’t enough. To stay relevant, we needed real vision accompanied by a tangible plan. So we set the foundation that year. Building a successful program takes serious commitment, an abundance of hard work, and smart thinking. You have to ignore the outside noise, the naysayers, and not get caught up in the politics. It takes a lot of time, sacrifice, and discipline.
A lot of people freeze when I tell them that our goal hasn’t been to win a gold medal, but instead establishing a new era of Canadian dominance. A future state where Canada is always the favourite. Not because of where the team placed in the previous year, or who’s on the team, but because the Canadians have possessed a strong work ethic, identity, and brand that isn’t replicable. Where the fabric of Team Canada dodgeball is stitched with quality, sweat, pride, and authenticity.
That’s my mandate. That’s what fuels me to move forward. My north star.
Our success over the past few years isn’t just defined by results — not yet anyway. It’s defined by the boundaries our players are breaking. Moving them from working hard to working smart; from being passionate to dedicated; from being entitled to privileged; and finally from being a player to an athlete.
This year we continue on with our journey. We’re moving forward. Unlike 2016, the foundation is stronger and the transformation is well underway. Known for his work ethic, the legendary Joe Gibbs once famously said,
“You don’t win with X’s and O’s. What you win with is people.”
The people Team Canada needs are those who put in the time and work every day. People who are working towards concrete objectives and goals to achieve their larger aspirations. People who turn passion into action and translate pain into gain. People with a winning attitude fostered by sportsmanship and integrity. People who think, train and act like an athlete.
This evolution and change isn’t going to happen overnight, but it’s something that has already begun. My hope is that 2019 is not just a measuring stick on how far we’ve come, but a benchmark to see how close we are to where we want to be.
See you in Charlottetown, Canada.
Coach.
Victor Gravili is Canada’s leading dodgeball coach. With over a decade of head coaching experience in the sport of dodgeball, he has developed and leads one of the most accomplished National dodgeball programs in the world and the top collegiate program in Canada. Gravili is currently the head coach for Canada Men’s and Canada Women’s, as-well as Humber College (Lakeshore) and the Mavericks dodgeball club. He has led Canada to four medals internationally (WDBF) including a gold, two silver and one bronze.
