International beach volleyball course commences in Tobago

The Trinidad and Tobago Volleyball Federation (TT VF) commenced its five-day international beach volleyball coaching course at the Courland Beach Sports Facility in Black Rock, Tobago on Sunday, as the organization continues the groundwork towards their goal of future Olympic qualification for the sport.

With 30 participants in attendance, including a pair of scholarship students from Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines, a TT VF release said the course will go a long way in establishing the development work needed for achieving the desired goals of the organization.

In Sunday’s opening ceremony, the participants were addressed by TT VF president Daymian Stewart, former National Association of Athletics Administrations (NAAA) president Ephraim Serrette, and Vancouver Island University’s Rick Bevis.

The latter was assigned by the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) as the head instructor for the coaching course, and he expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to expand the knowledge of the coaches in the program.

At the ceremony, Stewart stressed the importance of the program in the execution of the TT VF’s strategic plan, which has identified 2032 Olympic qualification as a "major milestone" for TT’s volleyball teams, the TT VF release said.

The release also mentioned that the TT VF is already in talks with the TT Olympic Committee (TTOC) concerning a future development project for under-19 athletes in the region.

On March 28, the course will come to an end with the participants expected to complete a written and practical examination. Minister of Sport and Community Development, Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, is scheduled to deliver an address at the closing ceremony.