– The club has developed organisationally – emphasises Jacek Łuczkowski. – We have a cadet, junior and senior team. At last, it looks as it should. We train young people so that they can later play in the first team, while our seniors achieve the best possible results.

What is more, BTS Bolesławiec also trains children from Gmina Bolesławiec. In Bożejowice, BTS vice-president Krzysztof Mosiądz is recruiting young volleyball players who will form a municipal youth team in the future. – On behalf of Gmina Bolesławiec, we warmly invite you – says the head of Bolesławieckie Towarzystwo Siatkarskie. Training will begin in September. Details on the BTS website.

League competitions will traditionally begin in autumn. The cadets and seniors will play their matches on Saturdays, while the juniors will play on Sundays. The seniors, with no changes here, will compete in the hall of I Liceum Ogólnokształcące in Bolesławiec (Tyrankiewiczów Street), while the cadets and juniors will play in the hall of Miejski Zespół Szkół No. 2 in Bolesławiec (Jana Pawła II Street).

A hot volleyball autumn!

The first league matches will take place as early as 26 September (we will report on each of them in our publication). The plans also include a tournament for cadets and juniors from the Lower Silesian and Lubusz voivodeships, co-financed by Powiat Bolesławiecki and scheduled for 12 September, as well as the International Seniors’ Tournament. The latter is planned for 3 October.

Coaches

The cadet team will be led by BTS Elektros senior-team player Damian Śliwiński. The junior team’s coach is Michał Sobczyszyn, while the senior team’s selector is his brother, Marcin Sobczyszyn. The group responsible for recruiting players at Primary School No. 4 is supervised by Rafał Kwieciński.

Local governments support volleyball

– BTS Bolesławiec cooperates with three local governments: Gmina Bolesławiec, Miasto Bolesławiec and Powiat Bolesławiecki – lists J. Łuczkowski. – The county provides us with the I LO hall and helps organise tournaments. The employees of Międzyszkolny Ośrodek Sportowy, which operates within Powiatowe Centrum Edukacji i Kształcenia Kadr, are also a major source of support. From Miasto Bolesławiec, we receive funding and the MZS No. 2 hall. Gmina Bolesławiec and its voivode, Andrzej Dutkowski, also help us a great deal.

Sponsors

– We will soon extend our agreement with our title sponsor, the Bolesławiec-based company Elektros – says the head of BTS. – Our cooperation is going very well. Next season, not only the senior team but also the cadets and juniors will compete under the BTS Elektros Bolesławiec name.

BTS has also received support from the KGHM Polska Miedź Foundation and has applied for funding from the Marshal’s Office of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. The club’s authorities are also in talks with a large insurance company and one of the banks. – We are constantly encouraging people to cooperate with us – stresses J. Łuczkowski. – We offer the possibility of displaying banners during matches, as well as advertising on our website.

Jacek Łuczkowski thanks the companies that support BTS, including Elektros, Pensjonat Antonina, Centrum Medyczne Stomadent POZ, Spółdzielnia STW in Bolesławiec, Zakład Ogólnobudowlany Artur Rogalski, Cer Art Jarosław Boczar, Skład Budowlany Jawa, Nantes, Stołówka Ewela, Zehnder, Tynki Maszynowe Listwan, Sklep Muzyczny Bart-Music, Viking Sport Socks, Piko Sport, Przewozy Osób Marian Mosiądz, Errea and Restauracja Pod Wiaduktem.

– I would like to extend special thanks to Elektros, our title sponsor; Antonina Kopała-Wdowiak, who provided our setter with accommodation at Pensjonat Antonina; and the owner of Cer Art, Jarek Boczar, for ensuring that our player from Zgorzelec could travel to training sessions – adds the head of BTS.

What about the seniors?

– The squad will be more or less the same as last season, although Mateusz Świerzewski is certainly a major reinforcement for the first team – says the president of Bolesławieckie Towarzystwo Siatkarskie. – He is a player with six years of experience on the second-league courts. He stands out as a middle blocker. He is a very positive person, both athletically and mentally.

– I am also very pleased with the promising juniors Piotr Filistyński and Przemysław Mszal – emphasises J. Łuczkowski.

He adds: – This year taught us humility. That is important, especially since tough competition in the third league is ahead. Oleśnica were relegated from the second league, while the team from Złotoryja did not get promoted. There will probably be around 18–20 teams in our league, divided into three groups. What is our goal? I cannot imagine us failing to progress from the group and make it into the group of teams fighting for the championship. We would be satisfied with finishing in the top two, which would give us the chance to compete in play-offs for promotion to the second league.