Angus and Dundee District Volleyball Association has made a firm commitment to support the development of junior players for the coming season. As a central strand of its current three year Development Plan, the Association acknowledges that junior players are the future of the sport in the city. The need to encourage junior players is a task which every sport and local and national agency is facing at present but the Association is keen to ensure that opportunities exist for local youngsters to be introduced to the sport.

There are positive indicators for the development of junior volleyball in Dundee: last season Dundee entered its first ever teams into the Junior National League and both boys and girls groups competed with distinction; three Dundee juniors were selected for the Scottish girls team which finished third in the World Youth Games in London in July; Baldragon Academy senior girls team were victorious for a second year in succession in the National Schools Volleyball Festival in March, while St Johns High School were runners up in the boys event. Added to this is the encouraging progress of junior players breaking into senior competition with Dundee’s national league representative teams. Much of this success with junior volleyball can be attributed to the excellent work carried out by local Physical Education teachers in Dundee Schools.

This season the girls team will play in Div. 2 of the District League, providing them with additional playing opportunities. In addition both boys and girls now train at the same venue and time enabling greater integration between the two groups. Financial assistance local company Nexxus UK Ltd, has provided additional support to junior volleyball for the second year in succession. All in all, the future is looking increasingly positive for junior volleyball in Angus and Dundee!