02/04/2015 10:00
Darwin’s Danish Volleyball evolution: from Kids Volley to national team members
2015 CEV U19 Volleyball European Championship - Men
Copenhagen, Denmark, April 2, 2015. Almost 12 years ago the Danish Volleyball Federation invented a kid friendly version of Volleyball called Kids Volley. Now, the Danish U19 men’s national team has qualified for the Final Round of the 2015 CEV Volleyball European Championship as the first Danish side ever to achieve such feat in any age group. All the players on the national team have one thing in common: they all started their career in the same way, i.e. with Kids Volley, before moving on to the Talent Centres managed by the Danish Volleyball Federation.
The 12 guys on the roster of the national team are all dedicated to Volleyball and all of them began their Volleyball career in the same place – Kids Volley, a simplified and kid friendly version of Volleyball.
The Danish Volleyball Federation created Kids Volley at the beginning of the last decade to make Volleyball more attractive and easier to play for kids. And the coach of the men’s U19 national team, Thomas Skifter Bertelsen, is very clear in his evaluation of Kids Volley.
“I think it is brilliant. With Kids Volley the children get the opportunity to learn the basics and play their way into the game at a very early age. The kids may not be aware of it, but they are learning a lot of Volleyball techniques,” he says.
A good beginning
The captain of the Danish national team, Oscar Møllgaard (pictured above in the blue shirt), also believes that Kids Volley is a great way to enter the world of Volleyball.
“Kids Volley is a good start to learn how to play Volleyball. Many think that Volleyball is a fun sport, but it can also be a bit difficult when it come to the technical skills it requires. With Kids Volley you learn how to make the right moves before you start to play real Volleyball. It is a good introduction,” he says.
”You learn a lot of the basic techniques. The different throws you make in Kids Volley are all part of the foundation for the real sets and defence you use in Volleyball. I am sure that Kids Volley is part of the reason why we have qualified for the European Championship,” says Anders Bay Als, setter of the Danish national team that will be playing in Turkey.
Denmark was assigned by the Drawing of Lots to Pool I in Kocaeli together with France, Italy, Poland, Russia and Serbia. Even though the group seems incredibly strong for the Danish rookies, Oscar Møllgaard strives to make a result.
”I believe we have a chance to win a set and maybe a match or two. I expect us to win at least one match,” he says.
Coach Thomas Skifter Bertelsen keeps his feet on the ground in revealing his expectations: “I expect us to improve from match to match and perform at the highest level possible in every game. Then we have to see where that leads to in terms of results.”
Click here for further information on the upcoming Final Round of the 2015 CEV U19 Volleyball European Championship – Men
|