Juniors to sharpen skills in Brazil

The Jamaica Under-19 volleyball beach teams will depart the island today for a one-week camp in Brazil, to further their preparation towards the World Championships next month.

The boys' and girls' teams, as well as coach Oneil Ebanks, are expected to return to Jamaica on July 6. The boys' pair is Rojey Hutchinson and Shavar Bryan, both of Ocho Rios High School, and the girls' team comprises St Jago High School students Lissane Roofe and Eiona Graham.

"Preparation has been going well. At the moment, they are in school, so we only had them on weekends. This camp in Brazil will be valuable to the players," Ebanks told The Gleaner when contacted yesterday.

"I can say, based on where they were they have improved a lot, especially the boys' team. The basic skill is what we want them to garner. The boys have less work to do. This camp will be very important," he added.

Follow-up to visit

With regards to the World Championships, which will run from July 11-14 in Porto, Portugal, the coach said: "I told them that I want them to be competitive, play well and maintain their composure."

The trip to Brazil is a follow-up to the visit to Jamaica by former Olympic champion and current coach of Brazil's junior team, Jackie Silva, who was here from May 30 to June 6.

Silva identified the lack of high level competitive exposure as one of the deficiencies of the teams. The trip to Brazil is aimed at helping to close this gap, as the team will have an opportunity to play friendly matches in the South American country.

The visit is made possible through the collaborative efforts of the Jamaica Volleyball Association, Jamaica Olympic Association, Brazil Olympic Committee, Brazil Embassy in Jamaica, and Silva.