Jamaica goes on with U-13 program

KINGSTON, Jamaica, April 13, 2013 - The Jamaica Volleyball Association (JaVA) will bring together its five National Under-13 Parish Squads for an Inter-Parish Competition at the Herbert Morrison High School in Montego Bay on Saturday 13 April 2013.

The aim of the Association is to assess the development of the children since the launch of the Parish-level Training Centres in December 2012, to facilitate interaction and integration and to start identify teams for competition against teams from overseas.

Major Warrenton Dixon, President of JaVA, highlighted the importance of the children from the various Parish Squads realizing that they are part of a bigger National Programme. He also stated that the Association has had to make significant sacrifices to pull together the logistics involved in organizing the competition.

"Sustaining the Developmental Programme in the absence of financial support was always going to be a challenge," Dixon explained. "We launched the Programme because we believe it is a significant corner stone to securing future national teams that will provide Jamaica with the kinds of results that will feed our athletic pride as a country.

“We have not been able to secure sponsorship for the Programme but there are some actions that we realize we must take if we are to achieve our objectives. These activities will require significant sacrifices and innovativeness in the absence of funding support but inaction is not an option. We are very thankful for the parents, coaches and administrators who have absorbed a lot of the financial burden to keep the Programme going and hope that the results will reward their investment."

Squads from the Training Centres in St Thomas, Kingston, St Ann, Westmoreland and St James will compete against each other between 10 am and 3 pm for the prizes on offer and for bragging rights.

Children who display the best gasp of the volleyball skill sets will be integrated into two boys and two girls team for an All Star competition. The All Star competition is aimed at helping JaVA to identify final teams to compete against visiting teams from overseas, which is currently being negotiated.