The National Primary School Volleyball Championship was held today at the City Center in Belize City. Boys and Girls teams from all six districts converged on the city centre at 8:30 am for a full day of games. For the city kids it was just a quick ride but children from Toledo and Stann Creek were up well before dawn for their trip into town. And they came to win. Sports Director Anthony Michael told us why the event is important.

Anthony Michael, Sports Director
“This is like what you call champions of champions where we have all the champions from all the different districts coming here today to participate in a one day event. So from all the way to Punta Gorda, Corozal, San Ignacio – everybody both male and female, at the primary school level, they are here to participate today.

Different people mature differently and when you are looking at some of the kids from down south and watching them participate, how they finger, how they sprite at a primary school level. It is a little bit concerned to the other local Belize City teams.

It will be eye opening, I must say though that the Belize City teams and some of the teams that I saw out in the other districts are well coached and well disciplined and in team sport that is one of the most important factor, their discipline and their maturity at this level.

Sports is a universal language. Even here in Belize people from Cayo meet different students from Corozal, different people from down south. The city people learn to hear some Spanish that are being communicated. The interaction in some cases like this, they make friends, exchange emails and little text messages and stuff.”

Jules Vasquez,
“Why all these kids are champions, some of them, most of them are going home as losers.”

Anthony Michael,
“In order to be a champion, sometimes it helps for you to lose. I have lost several sporting events in my time. I have lost some political elections in my time and sometimes it is a humbling experience. Sometimes you learn from your mistakes; you sit back, you analyze and sometimes it makes you a better person for the next time around.”

At the end of the day, the national volleyball champs were, for boys, Bishop Martin San Ignacio and for girls, Punta Gorda Christian Academy.