12th August, 2015
Taiwo Adelu
The game of volleyball in Lagos State is expected to receive a big boost as a Non Governmental Organisation is coordinating a programme targeted at reviving the sport in the state.
The NGO, Youth Volleyball Mission of the Samaritan’s Feet International, with support from the Heart of America Region Volleyball Association and Club North Volleyball, a Junior Volleyball Development League, is expected to take off by September next year in Lagos.
In preparation for the league, training of youth players has since begun at two centres in the state. Kids within ages 8 to 14 years are currently being exposed to the rudiments of volleyball in Ikorodu and Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere.
According to the Coordinator of the programme, former national team chief coach, Suraj Olajide Onatuga a.k.a Mansu, the programme is spearheaded by one of his former players, an advocate for youth volleyball, who is currently the Master Trainer/Coach for Club North Volleyball, Kansas City.
“We had been having series of training for the Lagos youth since last year and this year, in the last three weeks, training is being held in preparation for the Junior Volleyball Development League which begins next year. The motive behind this programme is to give the kids a close exposure to volleyball at their tender age,” he said.
Onatuga said the plan is to train the players to the level of competition ahead of the league which will feature players in U-11, U-13 and U-15. Each of these categories will have between four to eight school teams in the boys and girls events.
“We are planning to start the league after the US regular volleyball league has ended in April so that some of the equipment used by some of the clubs will be taken down to Nigeria for our use. The plan is to bring from US junior leather balls, nets, poles, volleyball carts, jerseys, technical resource people to beef up the league when it begins. The league will be the local version of what is obtainable in the US volleyball,” the coach said.
He, however, said that the ongoing training at two centres in Lagos will end on Saturday with an exhibition programme at the Teslim Balogun Stadium where at least 150 youth players will showcase what they have been learning in the last three weeks.
“We have been training them on how to move with the ball, body control, moving with the feet to attack, biomechanical technique in volleyball, how to use maximum touch point and foundational technique in volleyball. All these will make them complete youth volleyball players before we start the league.
“I will only appeal to schools in Lagos State to prepare for what is coming as they stand to gain a lot from the programme. We are going to assist the schools to develop volleyball with resources at our disposal. There are plenty things in volleyball we are shipping from the US and these will be given out free of charge to develop the sport and more importantly take the proposed league to the next level. Our long term objective is to see these kids becoming superstars in the world of volleyball someday,” he said.
Onatuga disclosed that the American NGO plans to give outstanding players in the league scholarship awards both in the country and abroad, while also assisting them to develop their career in the game.