As previously announced, Australian company PlayHQ is responsible for developing the application for the new Belgian volleyball platform. To further accelerate the project and gain a better understanding of how volleyball operates in Belgium, the team visited the EuroVolleyCenter last week. Together with Volley Vlaanderen and our colleagues at Fédération de Volley Wallonie-Bruxelles (FVWB), many important aspects of the platform were discussed and clarified. Several representatives from the provincial volleyball associations (BLVV) and clubs also took part in these working groups. These groups remain active and maintain close contact with the developer. We'd like to give you a behind-the-scenes look.

From membership administration to international transfers
Work got underway straight away on Monday, November 2. There was no day off for the parties involved, but rather an extensive introduction to the administrative side of Belgian volleyball. Topics such as player registrations, requests for transfers between clubs and international transfers were discussed in detail.

PlayHQ also presented an initial version of the new platform, giving those present a first look at its features and further development.

Competition management in practice
Tuesday focused on the day-to-day organisation of competitions. Volley Vlaanderen and FVWB introduced the PlayHQ team to the different competition formats, highlighting the differences between youth and senior competitions and their respective rules.

Specific topics were also covered, such as rotation after three serves in categories including U13. The afternoon session focused on more complex matters, including youth player transfers, team player lists and the various sanctions applied in competition.

During this session, we also addressed all the questions we had already received through our communication channels, as well as feedback from experts representing various clubs. They provided PlayHQ with deeper insight into how they would like to use the digital tool.

Scoring systems and data migration
Wednesday was dedicated to scoring systems and data migration. Following demonstrations of VolleySpike and PlayHQ's e-scoring system, there was an opportunity to share feedback and discuss further alignment. Development of the digital features supporting a volleyball match will continue in the coming period, taking these discussions into account.

The new platform itself was also reviewed in greater detail. To complete the practical experience, the group then travelled to Aalst to attend the match against Antwerp. This provided an opportunity to go behind the scenes and learn more about the live administrative processes involved in running a volleyball match.

Building the future together
On Thursday, our colleagues at FVWB took charge of the programme. A further in-depth debriefing took place last Monday, providing an opportunity to address additional questions, exchange feedback and define concrete action points for the coming period.

The working visit marked an important step in the development of the new Belgian volleyball platform. By gaining first-hand insight into how volleyball operates in Belgium, PlayHQ can better tailor its application to the needs and day-to-day reality of our sport.

In the coming period, we will continue working on the development of the platform and its additional optional club features. These will already be presented to members during the General Assembly on November 25 and subsequently shared online.