Recently, Brodie Hofer from TWU was announced as the 2019 recipient of the Ray Lepp Scholarship!
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
- 2018-19 Volleyball Canada Jr. National Team
- 2019 U21 World Championships
- 2019 USPORT National Champion
- 2018 Canada West All-Rookie Team
- 2017 Team BC Canada Summer Games Bronze
We asked Brodie a few questions to get to know him beyond the volleyball court.
What faculty are you in?
Business Administration.
What was it like playing for Volleyball Canada?
It was a great honor. A unique challenge that not many kids my age get too experience – being a professional athlete for 4 months this summer. It’s every kids dream to represent the leaf, and I’m grateful I got to do that.
What was one of your favourite memories playing with Team BC?
The Canada Games experience. It was my first time being at a multi sport games, and to do it with the teammates we had, it was a ton of fun.
Name your favourite coach, trainer, or teammate from your time with Team BC.
A memorable coach from Team BC would have to be Brad Hudson. I really enjoyed his coaching style, and he challenged me on the mental side of the game which was a huge area of growth for me at that point.
What are some unique routines you have prior to playing your match, or even during the game?
This past summer with the Junior team, prior to matches I started going into a dark room to visualize my serve receive. I will replay each specific server. Then as a team, we would go through each of our skills we would have to perform.
What are some future volleyball-related goals for yourself?
I hope to be part of an Olympic cycle with the national team in 2024, or 2028.
How can people follow you on Instagram?
@brodie_hofer
You can check out Brodie and the Trinity Western Spartans as they take on the Grant MacEwan Griffins on Friday, November 1st at 8:00 pm and on Saturday, November 2nd at 7:00 pm, both at the Langley Events Centre.
About Ray Lepp
Ray Lepp was a founding member of Volleyball BC (formerly BC Volleyball Association) in 1965, and continued as a Board Member until 1978. He was the President and/or Vice President for 10 of his 22 years a Board of Director. In his early years Ray played volleyball in Estonia in a very strong school and club system. Having recognized that the profile of volleyball in Canada was lower he worked tirelessly to increase interest in the sport. Some of the major programs for the Association included recruiting international coaches to BC, the Winfield Volleyball Camp, and the Pacific Rim Championships.
Ray was certified as a National Official during the time of the Pacific Rim Championships and travelled to the tournament as head of delegation for the Pacific Rim program. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, Ray coached the UBC Men’s Volleyball Team for a total of 10 years. At one time, six players on the Canadian National Team had been coached by Ray at UBC.
In 1989, Ray helped to fundraise some money for the Estonia National Team, who was touring BC, and whose flight was suddenly stopped in Toronto. With the raised funds and Ray’s personal contribution, the team made it to BC. With Ray’s passing, he donated funds through his will to provide a permanent endowment that would support this scholarship in perpetuity.
More Information on the Ray Lepp Scholarship can be found on the Awards & Scholarships page.