When I was 14, my coach told me I was ready to play. Everybody dreams of playing with the national team… I couldn’t believe it, I was a kid, but I wasn’t scared and I said yes. I was a kid and, of course, I was very happy to receive that call. I learned a lot from that experience and I came back to the Cuban league much stronger, scored many points and the senior national team coach decided to call me up despite my young age. I played for the second time in an international tournament although it was a disaster and we finished 13th. In the junior team I trained really hard. So they said yes and reminded me that I had to stay there alone because I’m from Santiago de Cuba, which is more than one hour away by plane. My parents sat down with me, asked me if I really wanted that and I told them that the biggest dream for an athlete was to represent his nation and go to the Olympic Games. I was very young and some people questioned if it was the right age. They offered me to train in Havana, in the National Sport Centre which is home to the best athletes in the country. In Cuba, I managed to win six consecutive national tournaments in different age classes and that gave me the chance to be noticed by coaches of the junior national team. We won that tournament and I was able to play well and stand out. How did you manage to make your debut in the Cuban national team aged only 14?Īt nine years old, I started to train with other male athletes of more or less my age, I started to train with proper balls, I competed in local tournaments and then when I was 11 I represented Cuba for the first time in a tournament abroad, in Venezuela, in 2005 or 2006. I was six or seven years old and I thought it was a good opportunity to meet older kids. My mum (Alina Venero Boza) used to be a volleyball player and decided to talk with her former coach and she took me to train with a women’s team. They realised they needed to find a way to wear me down a bit.
The Lady Cats are looking to improve upon their season previously and are hitting the reps hard to make that happen.I was a very active kid, I loved to play, I didn’t live a sedentary life like I do now! Both my parents were working and every time they came home, they saw I still had a lot of energy to play and do other things. The scrimmage carried on for almost an hour and it was safe to say the team got in their reps in as no one was dry from the intense play on the court.
Learning their skill level and helping them to improve is the most enjoyable.” Once they have a position we can then begin working on more specific skill sets.” he went on to explain what makes this enjoyable for him. “We are trying to evaluate the players and determine what position they would best play. While observing Jones gave a little insight into how he was going to integrate the new group. What started off slow, turned into a riveting rally affair as no one was willing to let a play go. The busy chatter began as new and veteran mingled and it didn’t take long for smiles to follow. The excitement hit a new high when Jones split them up into groups of six, signifying the scrimmage was about to begin. “Also the new players get to meet the older players and develop new friendships” “Everyone is working hard and helping each other.” He added. The experience disparity didn’t seem to stop anyone as veteran players could be seen aiding others with basic hitting during the drills. Vets on the team were well polished and sent snappy shots over the net, but with a wave of newcomers, struggles are bound to exist.
Some have a lot of experience playing and some have never played competitive volleyball.” Coach Jones elaborates on the team composition. “The current group of players is a good mix of young and older players. New and old alike, the zeal for the game was not lost on this crew. They excitedly dug into the basket and snatched balls to begin spiking. “Don’t drop that elbow.” Head Coach Russell Jones reminded the team.
The team’s faces lit up as he explained how they were going to run the hitting drills. He called the girls to the basket and described what he had planned. The summer workouts have helped with evaluating each player’s skill sets and trying to help them develop.” Jones told the Independent. “Some of the freshmen and first year players are getting experience with the summer workout program. Hobbton’s volleyball program has come back to life with a youthful and highly energized team. The summer is an exciting time as new players roll in adding depth to the Cats. The monotonous drills that preceded the team scrimmage did little to settle the antsy squad. The Lady Wildcats were hard at work during their training that evening, prepping for the season ahead. Kenny Bass court was loud on Monday with the hollow slaps of the volleyball echoed throughout.
Volleyball spike training driver#
Cassie Driver sends spike past two front blockers.Īnthony McConnaughey|Sampson Independent ❮ ❯
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