Tonight, two members of Belize's Volleyball Association, two of whom have been star athletes on the Belize national team have officially accepted full scholarships to play the sport they love while pursuing Bachelors degrees at Indiana's Calumet College of St. Joseph.
Our News team attended their virtual scholarship signing this afternoon where we got to meet volleyball players and soon-to-be U.S.-based freshmen Francis Hauze and Edgar Martinez. Here's that story.
It was a virtual signing for Francis Hauze and Edgar Martinez as the two young athletes tapped to play Volleyball at Indiana's Calumet College of St. Joseph were formally accepted in a pandemic time press conference.
Still, it was a proud moment for the two young men with their new coach praising both their hard work and their character, albeit from the other side of a computer screen.
And later we spoke with both young men about the journey and what it means to have guaranteed themselves a good education.
Edgar Martinez, Universal Player
"From I was 14 and I just got a ball started to pay then you had a coach named Mr. Leon Leslie that brought me into the sport and from there I began to love the sport and I wasn't expecting to receive a scholarship but when Jess reached out to me we worked on it and that's how we've ended up at this point. I'm really ready for the move to go to another school outside of Belize and develop my game and get a good degree."
Francis Hauze, Outside Hitters
"I started when I was 15 which was my first national team and then after that my coach, coach Humes and coach shaw told me to come train with the senior team and then I got a chance with the senior team and then it just continued after that."
"We're waiting on the coach because they are supposed to come and hold a training with the national team and then we'll work on the dates and then we'll leave with them."
And as the players signed their contracts this morning they were joined by Volleyball Association President Allan Sharp who stood by like a proud father figure and gave us some background on the formation of these now successful players.
Allan Sharp, BVA President
"These two gentlemen can be the prime examples of working hard and to also transcend what you believe you can be, when Francis started he made his first national team, the senior national team at 16, he was the youngest player ever to make the senior national team in the men and he started, he was a starting player then he lost his position and he worked very, very, very hard to come back and become one of the star players."
"Edgar told you about one injury, Edgar has suffered numerous injuries and each time, I must say, many people have told him to look just rest, take his time and Edgar can, he worked extremely hard, he shared some videos with the national team group where he was working even at the beginning of COVID doing some strength training and endurance, so both these gentlemen have worked extremely hard, I cannot overemphasize to any young player anybody looking out here. It's no magic pill these guys are working very very hard to make sure that they get these opportunities or to be ready when the opportunity shows."
But It's an opportunity that they may never have gotten without the support of Bryton Codd and his BK foundation. Codd was also present at the signing and as a college player himself he had some words of advice about playing and studying abroad
Bryton Codd, Member, BK foundation
"Certainly my advice would be to remain true to who you are as an athlete, don't be afraid to adjust to the environment, the faster you adjust to the environment the better it is for you and to make friends, get acquainted with your teammates build a relationship and build rapport with your coach and also the other people from your University or your college and since both of them are going to the same college, support each other because it's gonna be necessary being away from home."
Far from home but for the love of their sport. Edgar and Francis are two more passionate players making Belize and Belizeans part of the international conversation.
And in speaking of young Belizean volleyball players BVA president Allan Sharp says quote there's a lot of interest. Francis and Hauze are the third and fourth students to be signed by international schools this year and Sharp tells us that quote: "one Belizean young lady has up to 5 schools interested in her game." End quote.
