The calendars for the end-quarter of 2021 and 2022 were forged in a fruitful meeting/workshop among concerned Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) officials and national team coaches on Saturday (September 11) at the Aquamarine Events Center in Lipa City, Batangas.
Brazilian consultant-coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito and national coaches Odjie Mamon (women), Dante Alinsunurin (men) and Dong dela Cruz (men) took part in the proceedings that set in motion the future of the national team program.
PNVF President Ramon “Tats” Suzara presided over the workshop that also had in attendance PNVF Secretary General Don Caringal, Deputy Secretary General for International Affairs Ricky Palou and National Team Commission chairman Tonyboy Liao.
With a busy next two years, Souza de Brito unveiled an action plan for 2022 and 2023 to develop and improve the quality of the country’s volleyball teams.
In view of the pandemic situation and taking into account the country’s current talent depth, Souza de Brito proposed an action plan that emcompasses physical, technical, tactical, psychological and structure of the national team program.
“Physical – To focus on the development of taller and younger athletes and preferably who are available to serve the national team with the main objective of representing the country in international competitions and improving their performance for the service of the team, volleyball and country. Develop physical work so they can support a progressive workload,” Souza de Brito told the coaches and PNVF officials.
“Technical – Search for quality training that can be replicated in the smaller categories and that is in accordance with what has been carried out in the national teams both in the Asian continent and abroad. Use parameters of international championships and measure the domestic and regional championships on behalf of the PNVF, in order to form a database and use it as a basis in the search for the performance of our teams.”
“Tactics and Psychology – I put these two actions together because sporting maturity in high-level competitive sports comes from participating in high-level games and not just the number of games. The tactical growth provided and maturing in the athletes’ decision-making after good level games (preferably against schools other than Asian).”
“Structure – Maintenance, improvement and expansion of the technical staff, as well as physical installations that can work continuously and sequentially, often in two courts to optimize time, with a gym located in or near the complex.”
A sport that requires strength, agility and dexterity, Souza de Brito said that a good volleyball player needs to have strong shoulders, strong legs, strong core, good jumping, height, anticipation, understanding, high speed and a lot of explosion definitely.
“Volleyball is a business and as such needs to be thought of in the medium and long term,” Souza de Brito said.
The national teams for men and women are competing in the Asian Women’s Club Volleyball Championship and Asian Men’s Club Volleyball Championship next month in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.
Next year, the country will have a heavy international season for both genders.
The 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games, which was originally scheduled last December but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, is tentatively set in March—pending confirmation by the organizers.
The 21st Asian Senior Women’s Volleyball Championship, which was initially set from August 29 to September 5 in Pampanga, will be played on May 15 and 22 in the same province.
The 19th Hangzhou Asian Games, on the other hand, is set from September 10 to 25.
For the men, the eight-nation Philippine leg of the Volleyball Nations League (VNL) will be held from June 20 to 26.
It will also be a busy domestic league season with the Premier Volleyball League holding two conferences in February and October, as well as the PNVF Champions League, which will have two tournaments in April and December.
The men and women national team set training camp at the Aquamarine Events Center before they leave for Thailand for the Asian Club Championships.
