GVF, Ministry of Education holds Mini-Volleyball Festival for Primary Schools in NA, Canje

On Thursday the Physical Education Department of Allied Arts Unit of the Ministry of Education conducted a Mini- Volleyball Festival for Primary Schools in the New Amsterdam – Canje District at the Berbice High School Auditorium.
The event is as a result of an initiative of the Guyana Volleyball Federation (GVF) in its efforts to promote volleyball at all levels. Last year, the GVF submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Education to have Mini-Volleyball introduced in Primary Schools after having received support from the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), in the form of finance, special volleyballs for kids, volleyballs and volleyball manuals.

Students and teachers pose with their volleyball equipment. Nicholas Fraser is at extreme left and Arnold Sukhraj at extreme right.

Coordinator of the festival, Mr. Nicholas Fraser, who is the Head of the Physical Education Department of the Allied Arts Unit and the Secretary of the GVF explained that Mini-Volleyball aims to provide primary school children 9 – 13 years old, with opportunities to enjoy sport, learn new skills, acquire habits of self-discipline, learn to co-operate, make new friends, compete fairly and have fun in a motivating atmosphere.
He said Mini-Volleyball is played by four players with a softer and lighter ball on a smaller court with the net at a lower height. Mr. Fraser also said that Mini-Volleyball Festivals were previously held in Linden, Region 2, Region 3, and Georgetown, and will continue in other districts in the new school year.
The festival at Berbice High School attracted students from Sandvoort Primary, All Saints Primary, St. Therese Primary, Fort Ordnance Primary, St. Aloysius Primary and New Amsterdam Primary. The main facilitators were Nicholas Fraser, Arnold Sukhraj and Akani Dorris of the Allied Arts Unit and they were ably assisted by Tamela Felix, Cynthia Harris and Kathleen Victor of the Berbice Volleyball Association (BVA).
At the conclusion of the festival the teachers and students of the participating schools said they had learnt a lot and had lots of fun. Each school received two volleyballs and a net from the coordinator who took the opportunity to thank them for participating and also expressed thanks to the Department of Education Region 6, the Principal of Berbice High School and the Berbice Volleyball Association.
He also presented a quantity of balls and nets to the President of the BVA for use in other festivals in Berbice during the new school year.