As junior volleyball players in London continue to improve, Little Giants Juniors will compete in the U16 league this season.
Teenagers in South London will get the opportunity to compete against the national volleyball elite, as Little Giants have taken the decision to form both a girls’ and boys’ league team for this season. With some weekend sessions attracting as many as 24 players in September, the teams give developing players the chance to hone their skills in a game environment regularly.
“We are very pleased with how London’s next generation has taken to volleyball. Last weekend’s session was at full capacity, and the players attending the more advanced Saturday sessions are improving quickly. We felt that to challenge them and give them a chance to grow as athletes, playing the league was the natural next step. We are creating the conditions for children to try the game in the just-for-fun after school clubs, but also to take it more seriously if they want to,” Cisel Ormanci, the club’s chair, says.
The two U16 teams will compete at national junior level. Players will be selected from the Saturday sessions, which are invite-only and geared towards the needs of improved players. Ormanci hopes that as the year goes on, more players from the after school and Sunday sessions will progress towards making the league team.
“Hopefully the ongoing volleyball European and World Championship, and the Volleyball Champions League coming to London, our young players can see the opportunity volleyball offers to fulfil their athletic potential,” Ormanci adds. “In the last 10 years, Team GB has put Olympic and Paralympic teams on the court. British beach stars played at the Commonwealth Games and made the podium in international tournaments this summer. There’s no reason why the next British volleyball stars couldn’t come from Brixton or Clapham.
Little Giants Volleyball now offer sessions for all abilities and ages almost every day of the week across Clapham, Wandsworth and Brixton. To find out more about the sessions and how to take part, please visit https://www.volleyballevents.org/juniorvolleyball
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