International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Instructor Julio Morales will today begin a one week stint at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
According to former national captain Ian Wills, today’s Volleyball Co-operation Programme is geared for young players and the intention is to facilitate their understanding of the game and its rules.
Wills said the week-long programme is being sponsored by the FIVB and hosted by the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVB).
The programme kicks off this morning from 10am at the CASH and ends September 10.
Meanwhile, national volleyball coach Levi Nedd said the ongoing training camp by local volleyball players is aimed towards getting the players match-ready and to further fine-tune their skills ahead of this month’s CSV Indoor tournament to be held in Brazil.
Nedd, during an interview with Stabroek Sports yesterday said that the camps in Berbice for the Berbicians and the Demerara camp at the National Gymnasium were synchronized in order to keep the players on the same page and produce similar results come tournament time.
Twenty one (21) of Guyana’s top volleyball players and a few new faces were encamped for roughly two weeks as they prepare to take on some of South America’s top teams, the likes of Argentina and hosts Brazil in an all-out battle of the best senior male neighboring teams in the tournament which spikes off September 27 and ends October 6.
Nedd explained that the camp embodies more training than coaching while more emphasis is being placed on specific positions in the team, more specifically the area of service reception, which he said was critical because it was important for players to be able to counterattack good serves from the opposition.
Some of the players currently encamped possess vast International and Regional skills required for this upcoming assignment and Nedd is happy with the support given by the senior players who assist in making the squad well balanced.
“We are working on all areas of concern, it will be a concern on how we perform and we have to encourage the guys. We will come out with a balanced team and we’re excited over the outcome because we have a lot of raw talent, some of the guys have overseas exposure an accounted for themselves in the past.”
Nedd pointed out that the team is expected to trim some of their players in the coming weeks but highlighted the respective positions that are to be filled both on the field and on the bench. He designated 2 setters, 4 middle-blockers, one libero specialist, a utility player and four outside attackers as the roles to be filled.
A selection panel is also working closely with the players and Nedd noted that the selectors have been given specific selection criteria to work along with.
“We have a selection committee who will be looking on certain criteria we will put to them and the contingent will have to have to specialize in areas such as specialist setters, middle-blockers a utility players among others”.
The team will continue their training today and will break camp tomorrow before resuming for a few more sessions during the new week which Nedd said they will conclude with a practice matches at the Guyana National Stadium from September 18 until they wing out on the 26th.
