Enthusiastic Annand aims to spike interest in Galway Volleyball Club

GALWAY Volleyball Club is growing. That is the message from Club Secretary and South African native Lee Annand, who is looking to further promote the sport and, hopefully, acquisition facilities where by they can set down permanent roots in the city and county.

At present, Galway VC is a transient affair, flitting between a plethora of venues including Our Lady’s College on Presentation Road in the city and Calasanctius College in Oranmore, where their women’s and men’s adult teams play their home games in the Premier League and Division 1 respectively. The men’s team is a new addition this season.

It reflects though the growing demand locally for the sport, which particularly resonates with the Continental Europeans who have made Galway their home, be it temporarily as a student at NUI Galway or GMIT or be it through permanent residence.

“Definitely, there is a big demand for it,” says Annand in his dulcet Southern Hemisphere accent over a cup of green tea in Food for Thought in Galway City. “The thing is, there are so many international people in Galway now and all these people have played volleyball at some stage of their lives.

“A lot of these would have played in Europe but, unfortunately, when they come to Galway, if they are not in the university, they won’t play the sport again. So, there are people in their mid-20s, mid-30s and mid-40s who have played the game who want to get back into it.”

To this end, Annand, who coaches the men’s and women’s teams on Tuesdays and Thursdays, decided to set up a social volleyball club in Our Lady’s College on a Wednesday evening. “My aim was to develop and organise a social club which is currently happening in Our Lady’s College on a Wednesday from 7pm to 9pm and the cost is €5.

“The training is basic. It is all skill-based with a little bit of fitness but the main aim is to enjoy the game. So, to bring back all the people who used to play this game and to have fun! Depending on the development of the players in the social volleyball club on the Wednesday, they could eventually move up to the Premier team with the women or the senior men’s team in Division 1.”

Galway Volleyball Club has also a junior team based in Loughrea, under the tuition of Conor Flood, and Annand remarks, between the three teams, the club has almost 40 members playing at a competitive level. “So, it is good,” he enthuses.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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