Boost for school’s volleyball
Volleyball is a popular sport at Napier Girls’ High School.
More than 50 students play, with some competing and achieving at a national level. Outdated equipment was making it difficult for the school’s teams to train at the correct competition height until NZCT (New Zealand Community Trust) recently approved a grant of $8000 towards a new post and winch system.
Jo Owen is the Head of Sport at Napier Girls, a school with more than 1000 students and a long and proud tradition of excellence in sport.
“Volleyball is a growing sport both regionally and nationally. Every year we see more girls join our school teams,” Jo says.
“The posts and nets we currently use for volleyball training are not able to be set at the correct height or cross-court distance for the junior and senior girls. Having the professional set installed will mean our coach can better prepare the players for actual games. This system will also be more stable, and safer.”
The school benefits from having a parent who is a national-level coach.
“It will mean better training opportunities for our girls. This will lead to greater skill development and a more enjoyable playing experience. Combine this with the coaching we have available at the school, and they have every chance at future achievement and success in the sport,” says Jo. NZCT is a supporter of sports at Napier Girls’ High School and has helped students attend recent regional and national tournaments in basketball, waka ama and swimming.
“We are very grateful that our application has been approved by NZCT. The equipment is an investment in the growth in volleyball that we are seeing at the school and will allow our teams to achieve nationally. It will also encourage future players to join the sport,” says Jo.