Volleyball Yukon is already planning for the 2021 Canada Summer Games.
The sport’s governing body has introduced a new program for players under 13 years of age - players who could represent Yukon at the 2021 Games in Ontario.
“It’s amazing, really. There are a lot of young athletes that are passionate about volleyball, and are keen to get better,” said Volleyball Yukon president Peter Grundmanis. “We have decided to invest time and effort into these players because they are the age group eligible to represent Yukon at the 2021 Canada Winter Games. We know it is a long way off still, but we wanted to get kids excited about volleyball, and all that it has to offer. We will concentrate on intensive training in a few years. We are just trying to build our base.”
The new program currently has 55 players taking part in two two-hour training sessions a week followed by co-ed play on Sundays at the Canada Games Centre. The players are split into seven co-ed teams for non-competitive play with parent volunteers reffing, coaching and score-keeping.
Volleyball Yukon plans to send three girls teams and two boys team to the U13 B.C. Volleyball Championships in May.
“It’s not about winning, at this point,” said Grundmanis. “We are sending equal teams, and getting equal playing time. We want all the players to experience a large tournament and enjoy the atmosphere. Hopefully they will want to continue playing.”
More information can be found at www.volleyballyukon.com.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com