LVPI to form pool for Philippine international stints

MANILA, Philippines - The Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas Inc. (LVPI) will soon form a national pool that will keep the members focused on representing the country in various international competitions.

Once included in the pool, the players will be restricted from playing in too many tournaments other than those where they represent their respective schools.

Peter Cayco, LVPI vice president, graced yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s Malate to talk about the plan recently hatched by the LVPI board.

“We noticed that during the last SEA Games, our players were already burned out because of too many tournaments prior to the SEA Games,” said Cayco.

“Some of them nursed injuries,” added Cayco, who was joined at the forum by LVPI coaches commission chairman Atty. Ramon Malinao and coach Louie Hugo.

Cayco noted that since the players have multiple teams to play for, they spend so much time on the court, practicing twice a day with barely little time to rest.

“Burned out,” said Cayco.

“When they join the national pool, they will only play for their schools and then the national team will be their club,” Cayco said.

The LVPI will look for additional sponsors so the players in the national pool can enjoy benefits as if they are playing for club teams.

“It will not be a big income but at least you’re playing for the country,” Cayco added.

Jose Romasanta, LVPI president, said the plan is patterned after the cadet program of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, which maintains a pool of players.

“The quality of performance of our players suffer when they are over-exposed. Based on experience in the SEA Games, some of them got there with injuries,” said Romasanta.

“They play in too many tournaments, including guest appearances in beach volley tournaments when they are not beach volley players,” he said.

The LVPI board will soon sit down to prepare for the implementation of the national pool program starting next year.