LATROBE Leisure Churchill will offer another taste of elite international sport from Saturday when it hosts the Volleyball Australia women’s annual high performance training camp for the third consecutive year.
The national senior team will train alongside the Australian juniors and youth players looking to break into the top level in a series of sessions running through to next Thursday.
A handful of local athletes from the Gippsland Academy Volleyball program, including the region’s first Australian representative in 20 years, Phoebe Trembath from Morwell, have been asked to participate.
Local volleyballers will have the opportunity to learn from the best in the business on Sunday when the top players and coaches take time out to run a free clinic from 3pm with support from Latrobe City Council.
Clinic organiser Danny Anderson said hosting the training camp had proved beneficial throughout its Churchill tenure, and had opened pathways for local talent.
“We’ve prospered from it for the last three years; we’ve got two females and two males who have been invited to this camp (this year),” he said.
“It’s supplying them a pathway through to the national program.”
The region’s coaches will also get the chance to learn some new skills as they will be privy to the national team’s training modules.
Latrobe City Mayor Sandy Kam said she was delighted to see the high profile camp return this year.
“We are proud to have developed this relationship over the last couple of years to the point where Volleyball Australia looks forward to the annual camp, knowing that the support from the community is there,” Kam said.
“Sport is such an important part of community life, and we are looking forward to hosting all three team camps here in Latrobe. Local residents will have a chance to see world class athletes in action as well as getting a look at the future big names of the sport.”
Sunday’s clinic is open to all players of any age and ability from 3pm at Latrobe Leisure Churchill.
Further details of scheduled activities including times, venues and ticket information will be available at
www.latrobe.vic.gov.au/events
