Cork volleyball club rallies round new arrival from Ukraine and discovers 'a star in the making'
Vika (centre, front row) with her new clubmates at a Net Force Volleyball Club training session in Cork along with her twin brother and their mother (centre, middle row). The family fled Ukraine just three weeks ago.
A volleyball club has opened its arms and its courts to a talented Ukrainian teenager who was forced to flee the war with her family.
And after her first training session with Net Force Volleyball Club in Cork, Vika’s new teammates say she's a star in the making.
Seeing the joy on her face as she got to play again the sport she loves was a great reward, team manager, Alfredo Aloi, said:
Vika played volleyball at her secondary school in Ukraine, training up to twice a day before the Russian invasion forced her to flee along with her twin brother and their mother, about three weeks ago.
They fled to Poland, and from there to Ireland, where they have extended family connections.
They are staying in a city centre hotel pending placement in longer-term accommodation. A relative suggested that Vika link in with Net Force Volleyball Club which trains in Riverstick, and which fields a senior men’s and women’s team in the national league first division.
Mr Aloi collected Vika and her family, and their relative to help translate, so she could attend her first training session with the club on Wednesday. She hopes to watch her first club game this weekend.
Volleyball Ireland announced a raft of measures last week to welcome Ukrainian refugees and to support their integration into local communities.
It has waived player, coach and referee licence fees so they can participate and officiate in the sport, the association is covering the cost of associated club registration and participation fees for Ukrainian refugees, and it is providing any required training wear and other equipment to get them involved.
Volleyball Ireland are putting in place a number of measures to help #UkrainianRefugees integrate into the Irish Volleyball community, including waiving of all club & competition fees.
— Volleyball Ireland (@VolleyballIRL) March 15, 2022
More information can be found here > https://t.co/VTmv7Nk1Qi@jackfchambers @sportireland pic.twitter.com/SJuB5oENBJ
Gary Stewart, the chief executive of Volleyball Ireland, said: “In the grand scheme of things, it’s a small thing, but if it helps kids settle into their new community, that can only be a good thing, and we want to do our bit to help."
And given how popular volleyball is in Ukraine, he said he expects to see more young Ukrainians joining Irish clubs over the coming weeks.
“The Dalkey Devils in Dublin had a 12-year-old Ukrainian training with them this week and expect a 14-year-old to join them next week. We are going to see more of this, and we want to encourage it," he said.
There are around 1,500 licensed volleyball players in Ireland, with about 70% from 60 countries, but Mr Stewart said the number actually playing the game is probably double that.
There are just over 923 school volleyball teams around the country. The Mongolian community in Dublin has its own league.
The Ukrainian Men’s Beach Volleyball team visited Bettystown in 2019 to compete at the CEV Continental Cup, taking the silver medal after wins over Ireland and Scotland. And Volleyball Ireland has also been promoting Beach Volleyball in Ireland.
Meanwhile, Nenagh AFC plans to welcome a number of Ukrainian refugees who are staying in a local hotel to its training sessions this weekend.
The club is offering free membership to all refugee children until the end of the season, and free registration to its Easter soccer camp.
Club spokesman Declan McGee said they will do all they can to get as many involved as possible.
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