Dominica Amateur
Volleyball Association
We can develop volleyball even if we don't have the IDEAL elements
Written by Gustavo Meczyk – Fivb Instructor
Between the 5th to the 12th of July I was sent as a FIVB Instructor to make a VCP (Volleyball Cooperation Program) course in Dominica, a country in the .Caribbean
This course was made for young volleyball players between the ages of eighteen and twenty one, for both .men and women
I knew that the facilities for developing volleyball weren't the best. I knew that they had only one indoor court in the island and this court was a long way from .Roseau, the place the course was held
I knew that this course would be held outdoors.
What I want to put the accent on is that even with all these limits the volleyball association members did everything possible to help the participants do their .best
When we started the first day I told them that it would be important to organize a second outdoor court .because there were 27 participants
At the beginning they made an improvised court with a red rope, one end tied to one of the posts of the court and the other end they put on two garbage carts.
I thought that this solution was very creative and also very useful so the players could work in two courts .simultaneously
On the lunch break of the first day I suggested to the Volleyball Association members, to Mr. Rupert Sorhaindo the president and to Ms Lisa James and Mr. Marcus Blondel the assistant coaches, that it would be possible to have another post for another court if .someone built the base to put it in
My suggestion was to bring a rim of a wheel and then .put cement on it with a plastic tub inside
What I didn't imagine was that after a couple of hours the president of the Volleyball Association, Mr. Rupert Sorhaindo, arrived to the school with all the materials .and did the work himself
For the next day the second outdoor court was ready .to use
This gave me the possibility to develop a high level .course even though the conditions weren't ideal
I want to remark that even when you don't have all .the best conditions, you can find creative solutions
The participants looked at all these efforts, appreciated them and worked very hard themselves during the .course
They improved their individual technical and tactical skills and they learned how to play with discipline and .to play tactical team games
At the end of the course we organized a big tournament where the young teams beat some of the .senior teams from the island
Improvised court with a red rope, one end tied to one of the posts of the court and .the other end they put on two garbage carts
The president of the Volleyball Association, Mr. Rupert Sorhaindo, arrived to the school with all the materials and did the work himself.
The next day the second outdoor court was ready to .use
The group of young players during the course
Gustavo Meczyk is an International FIVB Instructor. He recently conducted a level .one coaches course here in Dominica