PADS organizes free volleyball clinic for PWDs

CEBU, Philippines — With its vision to lookout for talents and build a volleyball team of persons with disabilities, the Philippine Accessible Disability Services (PADS) Inc.  conducted a free three-day volleyball and sitting volleyball clinic yesterday at the Aznar Coliseum.

PADS founder John Paul Maunes said that they are establishing a program in sitting volleyball for PWD's with the goal to develop potential athletes and to form a team that would eventually represent the country in various national and international competitions.

“The goal is to set up a sports program for PWDs. We have partnered with institutions like Southwestern University-Phinma because they have a strong volleyball culture,” said Maunes. “From this clinic, we will do a selection and identification of talents or potential athletes.”

PADS' through the U.S. Embassy Sports Diplomacy Program partnered with USA volleyball coach and US Sports Envoy Eric Hodgson in conducting the free clinic yesterday.

"I was here a few years ago and got to work with JP  and he gave us this great opportunity to go out to the community and we got to work with a lot of PWD folks and they seem really love it so I came back this year and we have a three-day clinic going on now," said Hodgson.

As a sports envoy, Hodgson travels overseas to lead programs and hold sports clinics.