Against the backdrop of the recently concluded Eastern Caribbean Volleyball Association (ECVA) Under-20 Beach Volleyball Championships, a landmark series of professional development courses for coaches and referees delivered tangible growth for emerging volleyball talent across the region. Hosted in St Kitts & Nevis at the Frigate Bay Marriott Hotel, the four integrated training programs—an FIVB foundational beach volleyball coaches course, an advanced coaching certification, a national referee course, and an international continental referee course—drew participants from across member territories, with five representatives from Saint Lucia earning new credentials and advanced qualifications.
Among the Saint Lucian cohort was Terry Verdant, head coach of Saint Lucia’s medal-winning youth beach volleyball squad, which claimed gold in the men’s competition and bronze in the women’s tournament at the same Frigate Bay championship event. Verdant successfully completed the rigorous advanced coaching course, while three other Saint Lucian participants—Reala Montoute, Utilla Prosper-Charles, and Fedel Aurelise—graduated as newly certified coaches, expanding Volleyball Saint Lucia’s pool of qualified technical leadership.
The five-day intensive training program brought together 25 total regional participants for a curriculum that blended classroom instruction, hands-on on-court practice, and physical conditioning, all led by Mark Kontopoulos, a veteran FIVB instructor and international coach educator with more than a quarter-century of experience spanning both indoor and beach volleyball. Under Kontopoulos’ guidance, attendees mastered modern evidence-based coaching methodologies and deepened their technical and tactical mastery of the fast-growing sport of beach volleyball. Instructor Rick Bevis also supported course delivery, while key regional sports leaders including ECVA president Glenn Quinlan and Dennis “Freddie” Knight, President of the St Kitts and Nevis National Olympic Committee and PanAm Sports Executive Board member, were in attendance to highlight the long-term value of the initiative.
While no candidates from Saint Lucia completed the national referee certification course, Saint Lucia’s own Keam Charlery served as one of just two facilitators for the program, which was coordinated by Reginald Willemsberg. All participants earned official completion certificates after combining academic learning with live practical experience gained during the ongoing Under-20 championship, putting new skills into practice in a real competitive setting.
In remarks during the event, Quinlan emphasized that grassroots professional development remains a core priority for the regional governing body. “Development will always remain at the heart of ECVA’s mission. By investing in our coaches, we invest directly in our athletes and the future of volleyball in the Eastern Caribbean,” he said, framing the training initiative as a critical step toward lifting the competitive standard of beach and indoor volleyball across all Eastern Caribbean member territories.