JAVA disappointed with turnout at coaching course

Going for a fundamental paradigm shift into how volleyball is played, coached and viewed locally, the Jamaica Volleyball Association (JAVA) will be looking to use its current Level One coaching seminar to enable new coaches to impart first world expertise and ultimately take the sport forward.

Training began with 12 participants on Monday at the Montego Bay Community College, and will run through to Friday.

The courses are being instructed by world-renowned Brazilian, Augusto Sabbatini, who will be in the island this month.

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The seminar underscores the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confede-ration's (NORCECA) advancement plan of sending highly rated coaches to help the development process of volleyball regionally.

JAVA development manager, Major Warrenton Dixon, says it is time to lift the profile of the sport.

"I am a little disappointed with the numbers so far. We (JAVA) were expecting 80 persons or so," he observed.

"We are really encouraging persons to get on board, we need them to get involved in volleyball," he said.

Registration is still open, at a cost of $1,000 per participant.

On Friday, a graduation ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. for the newly certified.

The seminar will move to Kingston next week at the Mico Teachers College, located on Marescaux Road. It will begin Tuesday and climax on Friday.

"We (JAVA) have long recognised that we need to lift coaching competences of our coaches and increase the reservoir of knowledge of those involved in the process," Dixon continued.

He credited the primary schools programme for "substantial improvement to the quality of play in average youth players".

"Even in Trinidad, we (Jamaica) are being looked on and praised as having the potential to go places in volleyball. We really have to mean business," he stated, while issuing a call for more resources.

"JAVA keeps sending out proposals, hoping corporate Jamaica adopts volleyball, noting that Jamaica has great talent, which with investment could make the country into a regional powerhouse in the sport," he underlined.