Junior volleyball league aims to teach kids Year 6 to 8

The Stratford Junior Volleyball League has started.

Committee member and coach Jane Tobin says the junior league has run for the past five years.

“The idea is to train the children up while they’re young so they get into the game early so they can advance to the winter and spring leagues.”

Volleyball runs from April to December, she says. The winter league runs for 16 weeks and the spring league for 10.

“We want children to keep moving up in the game, rather than having to wait for them to reach high school age to join. Our winter and spring leagues are open to anyone, regardless of skillset and age. We have three grades to accommodate everyone from social to competitive.”

The junior league aims to teach Year 6-8 children how to play volleyball while getting them involved in the sport, says Jane.

“Although it’s aimed at Year 6-8 pupils, Year 4-5 is welcome as well. It’s about getting children involved in

the sport, teaching them how to play, having fun and giving volleyball a crack.”

The junior league takes place on a Wednesday afternoon to accommodate children who may have other sporting commitments.

“We wanted to run the league on a day where there isn’t any other major sport taking place.”

Volleyball is a fun sport to play, she says, and teaches hand-eye coordination. “It’s really good for fine motor skills and a great, fun way to exercise. I know some children don’t want to play any of the major sports such as rugby or netball, or they want to give something else a go, and volleyball is a fun sport to get involved with.”