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Local volleyball gets a boost: FIVB facilitates course to help grow and develop the sport locally

FIVB Level 2 Instructor Aaron Alsop (far left)
andrew@samoanews.com

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Local volleyball coaches last week received a boost not only in their coaching strategies, but also in their knowledge of sports psychology and sports medical treatment in a course coordinated by the Federation Internationalé de Volleyball (FIVB), the world governing body of the sport.

In an exclusive interview with course facilitator Aaron Alsop, he stated that the purpose of this trip was to work directly with the American Samoa Volleyball Association (ASVBA) to assist the development of their coaches and learn about the systems and structures they have in place to help grow and develop volleyball in the Territory.

“I have been working with the ASVBA president and coaches to identify appropriate strategies that would enable them to start to prepare for the 2025 Pacific Mini Games in Palau,” he said. “FIVB is committed to take every opportunity to provide good coaching programs, to prepare national volleyball associations in the Pacific region for international competitions.”

Alsop is currently based in Samoa and is a certified FIVB Level 2 Instructor in both Indoor and Beach Volleyball. He has been contracted by FIVB to conduct theory and practical courses for coaches and players in the Pacific region for the last 13 years.

He has worked full-time for five and a half years in Papua New Guinea, six months in Vanuatu, a year in Samoa previously, preparing them for the 2019 Pacific Games, Tuvalu, then spent four and a half years in the Solomon Islands setting up their National Institute of Sports.

During his one-year stint in Samoa, Alsop was the head coach for the Samoa Beach Volleyball team and that year, he took the team to the Arafura Games in Darwin where they beat Australia for the gold medal.

“It’s a great opportunity to see how other countries are developing their volleyball programs and try and assist in sharing knowledge around how to develop coaches and talent ID programs to recruit younger athletes into the sport,” said Alsop.

Three months ago, Alsop whose wife is Samoan moved back with his family and has been involved in helping local teams in their development.

“The aim of these courses is to ensure that the coaching practices we do is developing good athletes that are preparing for international competitions whether it’s the Pacific Mini Games, Pacific Games, Oceania Championships or other tournaments that we go to in the region.”

"I've known about American Samoa volleyball since I first came to the Pacific," Alsop revealed. "I remember in 2015 when I was working in Papua New Guinea at the time, and the American Samoa national women's team won the gold medal in Indoor and Beach volleyball.

"The PNG national men's team won gold in Beach and fourth in Indoor volleyball. It was a very tough competition and it was clear to see that American Samoa had a very strong base of athletes, we know that there's a lot of athletes that are off-shore as well.

Referring to his latest FIVB assignment, he explained that it was geared to lift the level of coaching for local players so they can be on par with their off-island counterparts.

 

“We worked on how to strengthen the domestic local program they have to complement those athletes that are off-shore, so they can identify the best possible coaches and athletes for the Territory at whatever tournament it is that they're going to,” he said.

"ASVBA can then coordinate regular domestic competitions critical for these young athletes to get the chance to develop and test them by competing in meets with teams in Samoa and other neighboring islands if possible."

He also pointed out that this was a good opportunity to promote and develop Beach Volleyball.

"During the course, we worked on a curriculum about building their overall knowledge as coaches with the opportunity then for coaches on my next visit next month, to be able to observe them as they're coaching to give feedback about their coaching practices," he stated.

"Through that process, we'll also have an opportunity to identify young talent that the ASVBA can start to look at preparing for next year's Pacific Mini Games and obviously for the 2027 Pacific Games in Tahiti."

Alsop shared that he was originally from Queensland which has got a very strong history in volleyball success, and has worked in setting up High Performance Units in the Pacific countries and territories he is assigned to by FIVB.

"So predominantly my role has been to work with governments in the Pacific to help them establish High Performance Programs that help identify and develop their talented athletes and coaches for international competitions," he said.

Young players learning to play Beach Volleyball as part of a volleyball coaching course that took place last week at the Beach Volleyball Association field at Ottoville. [photo: Asi A. Fa'asau]

 

"So I work at the moment across 30 to 35 different sports really trying to help governments put in structures and systems with the federations and olympic committees, to ensure that when teams go overseas to compete, they are the best prepared teams that they possibly can have.

"So that starts with talent ID with younger athletes, working with coaches, focusing on athlete well-being so that we're supporting the athletes holistically in their development. We also ensure that the government investment, whether it's into infrastructure or into programs and services, really have a strategic objective not just putting money into ad hoc programs that we don't see sustainably producing results long term."

He stated that this is the ultimate goal for American Samoa, but that can only be attained after the initial requirements which are targeted in the courses that FIVB will coordinate for the Territory.

Alsop also wished American Samoa all the best in its bid to host the 2029 Pacific Mini Games pointing out that this would be a wonderful boost and an injection into the lifeline of sports in the Territory.

"I think the opportunity to have that event is something that draws everybody together, so I really hope everyone gets onboard and supports the Mini Games bid because it's gonna create a lot of positive outcomes for the Territory not just sport but the other tangible benefits that we see, having worked at previous Pacific Games," he concluded.

ASVBA President Ben Sauvao stated that the course has been very helpful in keeping local coaches up to par in their coaching skills and he looks forward to the continuation of last week's course.