THE Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) has tapped volleyball superstar Alyssa Valdez to spearhead its plan for a nationwide training camp for aspiring volleyball players.
Entering a new chapter in Philippine volleyball under president Tonyboy Liao, the PNVF has teamed up with Valdez and former Ateneo de Manila University coach Roger Gorayeb for the youth camps.
“During our last PNVF board meeting, we decided to hold youth camps in the regions. I suggested to the board members from the different regions that we have camps in the regions,” Liao said.
“So, I decided to talk to Alyssa Valdez, since she’s the face of Philippine volleyball. I told her that if we bring her to these areas, people will likely flock to join. She even said it would be a total hit.”
By holding the Alas Pilipinas youth camp in different regions, the federation aims to decentralize its grassroots development program, Liao said.
The 32-year-old Valdez became a household name during her college years at Ateneo in the UAAP, fueling the sport’s massive growth while leading the Lady Eagles to two championships and securing three Most Valuable Player (MVP) titles.
The Creamline star has been running an ongoing volleyball camp since 2016 called the “Alyssa Valdez Skills Camp.”
“But the problem is, I think they stopped last year. I don’t know for what reason. But yesterday, I had a meeting with her, along with coach Roger, and she told me, ‘our camp is still pushing through’, but it’s only in Metro Manila. It’s just in Pasig, Makati, Quezon City, Marikina and Parañaque — so only five areas,” the PNVF president said.
The PNVF camp, set to begin this summer, is expected to have 100 to 150 participants per leg and the federation will also coordinate with the local government units, Liao said.