By Neto Baptiste
The coordinator of schools volleyball and former national player, Rosely Lewis, believes the system being used to groom the country’s next crop of national players is effective and there is no need for coaches to “force” young players into high pressure situations within a senior set-up.
Her assessment follows remarks made by the coach of the country’s senior women’s team, Fitzroy Benjamin, who said veteran players must know when to make room for young players within the squad.
Lewis believes that once done the correct way, young players could gain the knowledge and experience needed within the system.
“First of all, at the end of the schools league which finishes in the second term, I try to do a tour in the third term and they will see the level of volleyball being played and they would push themselves. At that level you also have an under-15 for female [and an] under-16 for male in the juniors; so we have to bring our juniors up to a level where we can compete and win. Then you have under-18 female, under-19 male again, so I am saying that there is a natural progression where the young ones are trained to become national players from an early age, like 15,” she said.
Lewis, who also coaches at the junior national level, said coaches also have the responsibility to ensure that players are fully prepared to make that leap when they are called upon.
“What makes me feel good is to see people who I teach volleyball reach the level of national [selection] and they can perform and I can say that I had something to do with that, so you could say to yourself that I helped to make that person. If they are not there [ready for that level] then you are throwing them under the bus because they are going to go there [and] embarrass themselves, and you’re going to make them feel as if the loss was on them,” the official said.
Antigua and Barbuda finished third in the ECVA Senior Women’s Championships held recently in St Maarten.
