The UWI St. Augustine Volleyball Team travelled to St. Lucia from the 24-30 May, 2012 with three objectives; to initiate a volleyball exchange programme, to develop their volleyball knowledge and skills and to conduct an outreach programme.
The tour was well received by officials from the Ministry of Sport, the St. Lucia Volleyball Association and the Ministry of Education.
The team visited Morne Fortune, one of the principal battle grounds between the French and the British for possession of St. Lucia and the remains of Fort Charlotte, where the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College is now.
Following the sightseeing day there was an early morning coaching exchange session at the Beausejour Indoor Facility with former St. Lucia national coach Terry Verdant and his team, Dig Set Point. Mr. Ali and Mr. Verdant coached the combined teams for two hours. This gave both teams an opportunity to experience different coaching styles as well as to mingle and get acquainted.
The UWI team played two games during their stay in St. Lucia but rain washed out the third. The first game was at the Vigie Sports Complex in Castries, against Jetsetters Volleyball Men’s and Women’s Teams. The women won their game 3-0 and the men lost 3-2. The second game was at the Sir Ira Simmons Secondary School against Le Club Volleyball Men’s and Women’s Teams. The women lost 3-2 and the men won 3-0.
To enhance their theoretical knowledge of the game, a FIVB Game Rules Seminar was facilitated by a local FIVB International Referee, Wendell Baptiste.
One of the highlights was the Kids Clinic facilitated by the UWI team at a basketball court in the Mabouya Valley for primary school students from five different schools in the Mabouya Valley and Ciceron area. Approximately 70 children attended the clinic, which lasted four hours. They had never been exposed to volleyball before, as this sport is only played in the urban areas of the island.
Two of our UWI Volleyball athletes, Lee Leon and Kervin Jean, both St. Lucia citizens, must be acknowledged for their hard work in making the arrangements in St. Lucia for this tour. The majority of this tour was funded by personal funds of the athletes, donation cards from the Sport and Physical Education Centre (SPEC) and corporate sponsorships that were all solicited by the athletes themselves with the assistance of SPEC.
The team was accompanied by their Coach, Macsood Ali and Sports Coordinator, Karen Wickham. Photos of the tour can be found on the UWI SPEC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/UWISPEC |
