Pupils from across Estonia enjoy first experience with Volleyball

In January, the Estonian Volleyball Federation (EVF) and Rakvere Volleyball Club visited the Vasta and Aseri schools as the Baltic country continues to inspire the next generation of Volleyball players with the help of the CEV School Project ‘Play Volleyball – Grow with it’.

Mehis Täpp, the head coach of Rakvere Volleyball Club’s first league team, and player Elia Lulla shared their knowledge of the sport with the students of Vasta and Aseri schools with as many as 50 kids participating in the session.

As usual, the EVF brought volleyballs to the schools as a gift, and teachers were also given textbooks with a personal greeting from local star Kert Toobal. In the lessons, under the guidance of Rakvere players, the children were taught the technique of passing from above and below and were given advice on how to get through the exercises. In addition to signing autographs, the classes ended with asking questions.

According to Vasta school’s physical education teacher Pekka Laidinen and Aseri sports pedagogue Aleksander Bobrov, the visit of the EVF delegation brought a pleasant excitement to the school and gave them new tricks to diversify the programme of their classes. “You do not always believe what a teacher says, you need a visit from such specialists,” said Laidinen. “Could you visit us again soon? Girls from older classes watched this lesson and would like to participate as well,” Bobrov invited EVF for another visit.

Mehis Täpp and Elia Lulla, who conducted the training, were very satisfied with the experience and promised to participate in such an event again if possible. “A very necessary undertaking. A good impression was made by how actively the children participated, at first, they could not get away with it, and then they could not keep up,” Täpp and Lulla admired. “Such visits are crucial for small schools, which often lack equipment and balls, but the children have a lot of interest in Volleyball,” added Lulla. EVF’s visits to various schools in Estonia will continue.

On January 27, a huge Volleyball Day in the capital city Tallinn was held with Estonia’s youth volleyball sponsor Super Skypark. About 250 kids aged 7 to 9 from 15 different schools participated. During the whole day they played a 6v6 modified volleyball game called Ball Battle - which includes overhead passing and catching the ball. For most youngsters, it was the first experience of competition. The organiser Laura Milk said:

Participating schools also got new balls and Mikasa bands to be better equipped to teach Volleyball at the grass-roots level. The same kind of event will be held in Tartu in February.