Participants learn more than just v’ball

Three of the participants of Dr. Christian Kroger’s teachers training course said they learned more than just playing volleyball, making them appreciate the sport more and giving them new techniques to teach the sport to younger kids.

Dr. Christian Kroger, second right, demonstrates the proper way of receiving the ball in one of the sessions of his six-day teachers training course.
(Jon Perez)

Marianas High School intern M.C. Tipingeni, Marianas Baptist Academy principal Rev. Ramir Trinidad, and Garapan Elementary School teacher Joy Yumul said learning various techniques from Kroger would help them in introducing volleyball to kids.

Tipingeni said playing volleyball for close to 20 years and being an active member of the Northern Mariana Islands Volleyball Association made him think that he knows the sport very well.

“It was a great experience. I thought that being involved in volleyball for quite some time made me think that I know the sport pretty well. It turns out that there’s a lot more difference on the sport than just returning or hitting the ball,” said Tipingeni.

“One thing that stuck in my mind is volleyball is not an easy sport. It evolves and you must not only play in one area. There are various techniques that Dr. Kroger taught us like how to interact inside the court.”

Trinidad, on the other hand, said what Kroger taught them was the basic foundation of how to teach volleyball to kids, different movements inside the court, proper attacking, ways of playing, and other techniques that can be used in other sport.

“It starts with the proper body posture, how to work as a team, and how to develop individual skills in a very competitive way,” said Trinidad, who has been a school administrator for 28 years.

“We can incorporate these techniques when training the youth, especially those who just started playing,” added the former professor and sports coordinator at the Philippine Merchant Marine School.

Yumul, a second grade teacher at GES, said Kroger also taught them various games that can be played by kids even with limited sports equipment.

“Aside from coaching and teaching the kids, we learned of different kinds of ball games, not just only for volleyball. And how to discipline and talk to kids, rules that are designed to them according to their age, and safety procedures.”

“There are a lot of alternative events that would teach them about the values of team play, teamwork, and to live healthy,” added Yumul, the wife of Rep. Ralph Yumul (Ind-Saipan).

Mollie Atinisom, Linda Anastacio, Alvin Borja, Vitorette Camacho, Armi Cucal, Mark Dela Cruz, James Feger, Nick Gross, Amie McRoberts, Leora Ngirablosch, Ronald Olopai, Edwin Orilla, Brendon Perez, Laurie Peterka, Mili Saiki, Jonathan San Nicolas, Kristina Springer, Abner Venus, and Darcy Wylie are the others who participated in the six-day teachers training course.

Kroger is an International Federation of Volleyball instructor and coach who designed the Volleyball Cooperation Program, formerly Sports Aid Program, which included classroom sessions and practical applications where participants do some drills.