Welcome to the web-page of the Norwood Volleyball Club's inaugurate exchange visit to Japan.
The 2008 South Australian State League Champions, the Norwood 'Bears' Volleyball Club, is sending a group of 14 players (male and female) and officials to compete in a series of matches in Japan from 7 - 18 October 2008. Recipients of a grant from the Australia-Japan Foundation to inaugurate a community-based exchange with an amateur Japanese side, we will play a series of matches and participate in numerous cultural and community activities whilst in Japan.
The Norwood 'Bears' are in the midst of a year that has significantly enhanced its reputation for excellence in the Australian volleyball community. Winners of both the State League Men's and Reserve Men's titles as well as two girl's junior divisions, the club also won seven out of the nine men's individual awards at the annual Volleyball South Australia Awards evening a fortnight ago. In 2008, the club was successfully in luring 2004 Athens Olympian Travis Moran back to the club, and recruited 2000 Sydney Olympian Beatrice Daly to fill the role of senior women's team coach. The club, long renowned for its ability to produce elite-level athletes, has established a recipe for success that will hold the club in good stead in the foreseeable future.
The exchange with a Japanese club, Neo-Zeon of Muika-machi, adds another dimension to the club's activities. Volleyball is a massive global sport, with more registered participants in the world than any other sport, and the Norwood 'Bears' are keen to use the sport as a vehicle to promote cultural understanding for its membership. This inaugural trip is expected to set the foundation for an ongoing exchange program will provide a unique experience for the participants, and give something for the young generation coming through the junior ranks something to aim for in the coming years.
We are very grateful of those parties and organisations that have supported this exchange program. We would like to thank the Australia-Japan Foundation, an arm of DFAT, for their generous support, and Deborah Peterson in particular. The Council of Yuzawa City, set at the foot of the Japanese Alps and a popular destination due to the plethora of quality hot-springs (onsens) and ski resorts, has also lent its generous support to the program. Education Adelaide has also identified the merit of the program, and has given its support. The Norwood players will participate in English conversation lessons in several educational institutions whilst in Japan, such as Hakkai High School and the International University of Japan to name but two, as a means of making a contribution to the local community. AMP has also matched the money raised at the Quiz Night that the club ran in August to raise funds for the trip, making a significant contribution to the exchange's budget. Without the support of these companies the exchange would not have been possible. Please see our links page to find out more about these organisations and institutions.
We believe in the value of cultural exchange, and are grateful that the global reach of our beautiful sport has built a bridge by which we can reach out to our new Japanese friends. Through this website, we offer you the opportunity to participate in this crossing. We welcome any comments from those involved, or from those who are looking on from the outside. The Norwood players welcome any emails, as we value the ongoing friendships that will be born out of this program.
Mata ato de!!
The Norwood Bears.