LEARNING THE ART OF MOPPING

Tijuana, Mexico, September 8, 2015 - Helping at a World Championship is always a great experience and young players participating in the State Athletics Programme in Baja California have always been keen to collaborate with the organising committees at events like the NORCECA Confederation Championships and Pan American Cups.

The 2015 edition of the FIVB Volleyball Men's U23 World Championship is also a great challenge for many of the young volunteers, who have been practising their skills for several weeks. 

The volunteers include young volleyball players who have participated in the National Junior Olympic Championships in Mexico and elementary school students, who have participated in clinics and training sessions. “It is very important for them to focus and watch how to move on the court,” said Hilda Alcaraz, a physical education teacher who has also worked as a coach with the junior and youth teams in the state progamme.

The volunteers include moppers and ball retrievers. “They have to see and have to know how to move the ball from one part of the court to another,” said Alcaraz.

“Don’t bounce the ball, just let it roll,” she recommends during a rehearsal. “Mopping seems so simple, but it requires synchronization. The boys and girls must be concentrated and move together.

“We have to work for hours and hours. In previous editions of World Championships and international tournaments, we have been evaluated in a positive way, so this time we must be even better.”