As volleyball rises to new heights, its long-term future commands a greater focus in the Cayman Islands.
All of the top local players are amateurs who balance training with work and other commitments. Whether Cayman can produce the talent to continue making greater strides on these shores and abroad remains to be seen.
Cristin Alexander, 25, is arguably the face of beach volleyball in Cayman and states it is not an easy discipline to take up.
“The difficulty is a lot of teams are full-time athletes,” Alexander said. “We have jobs and are being involved in other commitments. I’ve always believed being a well-rounded person is incredibly important. But it gets taxing, you’re expected to play up to a certain level.
“We sort of play the hand we’re dealt. We’re willing to do our best and try hard. In spite of our circumstances, we’re committed.”
Alexander and Jennifer Bily recently teamed up to place fifth on the seventh stop of the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation tour. They advanced to the quarterfinals against 11 other teams representing nine nations. The duo made history in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico by becoming the first Cayman team to finish in the top five at a NORCECA circuit event.
Both figure to be among the players taking part in two major indoor tournaments at the University College of the Cayman Islands. The 2014 World Championship Men’s Qualifier takes place 6-7 October at the Sir Vassel Johnson Hall. Four male Caribbean teams, representing Cayman, Aruba, Barbados and Suriname, will be competing for a spot at the World Championships in Poland in 2014.
The annual Cayman Airways Spikefest competition runs 9-11 November with Cayman challenging teams from Jamaica, Bahamas, the US and Barbados.
Cayman Islands Volleyball Federation Public Relations Officer Carl Brown states there is an impetus to cultivate local talent.
“It puts pressure on us to get a plan for athletes to become raised in the sport and become elite athletes,” Brown said. “The value is there and the cost-benefit is very good.
“Right now, for example, Olney ‘OT’ Thompson runs a rental car company, Shervin Rankin is a furniture designer, Jennifer runs a fitness company and Cristin works in marketing. They all play at the national level plus mentor youngsters and potential players.”
The federation recently got a boost from NORCECA instructor Juan Cartagena. The Puerto Rican came to Cayman twice this year to work with junior and senior players and is credited for Cayman’s recent success in Mayaguez. The level five Fédération Internationale de Volleyball coach stated while the future of beach volleyball here is promising, the indoor scene needs greater development.
Interestingly, federation president Noel Williams sees more success for the likes of Alexander and Bily in the current structure.
“With more time, training and dedication, the results can get better,” Williams said. “In the next year, we can finish fourth or third (on the NORCECA tour), get on the podium and get a medal.”
To their credit, the federation has done much to encourage junior players. There have been youth clinics throughout the year, a Canadian camp in Madawaska and a clear focus to develop a national team ahead of the 2013 Island Games in Bermuda.
For the likes of Bily, whose fitness company is called Life Extensions Sport and Fitness, the real test is growing the local male talent.
“There is a strong committed group that trains at the beach several times a week,” Bily said. “The men possess a lot of talent and great athletisic. They are versatile, have a passion for the game and they really love to compete.
“I am frequently impressed with their practice games and we got an opportunity to watch Richard Campbell and OT play in Jamaica. It was a new partnership and they were very close to medalling, they had some great blocking and defence.
“In beach volleyball, athletes usually peak later and improve with more experience. But, just as with the girls, we need more young local male talent to come out to the beach.”
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