10 graduate from FIVB Level I coaching

Ten completed the first Federation Internationale de Volleyball Level I Coaching Course Wednesday, learning skills and getting pointers which will help bring development in the sport in the Commonwealth.

The successful coaches/players who each received a FIVB Level I Coach certificate from FIVB instructor and 10-time Australian Men’s National Team coach Tomas Santamaria were Mili Saki, Russ Quinn, Laurie Peterka, Mark McDonald, Joe Taijeron, Tamiko Winkfield, Christopher Shepherd, Gabriel White, and Kim Peterson.

Saiki and Peterson coach teams at Saipan International School, while Winkfield and McDonald teach physical education at Saipan Community School and Marianas High School, respectively. Taijeron is also into coaching, volunteering his services to Mt. Carmel School.

Quinn was the coach of the CNMI Beach Volleyball Team which played in last year’s Pacific Games in Samoa, while Shepherd came all the way from Guam to get certified. Shephered is the athletics director of St. John School in Tumon.

Peterka is the president of the Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association, which applied for the inclusion of the CNMI under FIVB’s Volleyball Cooperation Program.

The program conducts coaching seminars to various volleyball federations outside Europe. The CNMI was the sixth island-nation in the Pacific which benefited from the program this year. Papua New Guinea will be FIVB’s last stop in the Pacific.

The Level I Coaching Course here ran from Aug. 20 to 27 at the Marianas High School Gymnasium from 3pm to 9pm.

“Our course included the fundamentals of both playing and teaching indoor volleyball. The essentials of the playing the game are serving, receiving (or digging), setting, spiking and blocking. We learned how to teach these essentials by using a variety of drills for beginners to juniors to advanced players. We also covered team tactics and strategies. Additionally, we covered subjects such as conditioning and a little bit about mental preparations, team cooperation, etc.,” Peterka said.

Quinn said through the course, they learned how to make volleyball more appealing to the youth.

“I learned to make the sport fun for the youth. We worked on beginner drills and games which will create interest for kids thinking about playing,” said Quinn, who spent more time in beach volleyball, but is now excited in developing his coaching skills in indoor volleyball.

Quinn and Peterka had praises to Santamaria for sharing his deep knowledge about the sport.

“Mr. Santamaria was very good in getting to know each participant individually and provide individual attention and guidance. Several of us have played volleyball for years, but collectively, we agreed that there is a Santamaria-magic that has improved each of us both in our coaching abilities and in our own games,” Peterka said.

Santamaria said the CNMI can apply for other courses, such as refereeing, under FIVB’s program, but he hopes that when the world governing body in volleyball returns here, there will be more participants this time.

The coaching course started with 17 participants. NMIVA sent 65 invitations and received inquiries from about 30 interested participants.

“NMIVA did its best to make this course available for anyone and everyone in the CNMI. We also reached out to Guam. It was a challenge to organize and re-organize the dates and schedules with FIVB to receive this program. However, commitment dwindled just days prior to the course,” Peterka said.

The NMIVA president is hoping CNMI players/coaches will take advantage of future FIVB courses.

“FIVB offers several other courses that we can apply for annually. NMIVA is willing to make applications for these programs. They include refereeing, teachers, and players courses. Courses require a minimum of 15 persons up to a maximum of 30. If we struggle to meet the minimum number of participants, FIVB will not come,” she added.

Peterka thanked participants of the weeklong course, McDonald for securing the venue of the event, and students under the Safe Heaven Program.