Filipino Volleyball Star Hopes To Inspire Future Players With Grassroots Program

In the island nation of the Philippines, basketball remains the top sport and has produced internationally recognized players–many of whom have taken their talents overseas to further their own careers.

However, one of the local scene's biggest volleyball names is keen on developing the next wave of players to grace the court.

From March 24 to 26, Alyssa Valdez held the first-ever Alyssa Valdez Youth Volleyball Camp in coordination with Philippines-based life insurance company Allianz PNB Life and the Pasig City local government in an effort to give aspirants a shot at making their dreams come true.

According to the official press release acquired by the International Business Times, Valdez and other professional-level coaches worked with 80 young players aged 9 to 12 who attended the camp.

"My ultimate dream is to help children and the youth get into sports, but to accomplish this there is a gap that needs to be filled. We must provide equal opportunities to underprivileged children, so that they, too, can achieve their dreams of becoming professional players," Valdez said.

Valdez, 29, is widely viewed as one of the cornerstones of the sport during the mid-2010s as she helped lead her alma mater, the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, to their first-ever volleyball title in Season 76 of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP). which was held between 2013-14.

Nicknamed the "Phenom" by local sports media, Valdez would go on to further her legacy in the collegiate volleyball scene by guiding the Blue Eagles to a second-straight title in Season 77 while claiming Finals MVP honors–a season after winning the MVP award in the eliminations.

Now in the middle of her pro career, the outside striker for Premier Volleyball League (PVL) team Creamline Cool Smashers has also won five titles–three in the open conference and two in the reinforced conference.

"This is our first step in establishing a continuing sports program that will serve as their window to upskill and train. It is our hope that those who will excel can one day be scouted for scholarships or grants to kickstart their own journeys," she later added about the program.

Though she may be an absolute beast on the court, her off-court personality is anything but that as she has endeared herself to the fans with her bubbly demeanor, evidenced by her 2.1 million followers on Instagram.

As volleyball continues to gain prominence throughout the country, Allianz PNB Life chief marketing officer Gino Riola is hoping that their partnership with Valdez inspires more children to take up sports.

"The partnership is also well aligned with our sustainability advocacy for physical and mental wellness, which allows us to pursue efforts that facilitate access and offer opportunities for the young people to become and stay active," Riola noted.