Top High School Athletes to Compete in Upcoming National Volleyball Tournament of Champions.

Tue, Nov 10th 2015, 05:34 PM

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in conjunction with the Bahamas Volleyball Federation (BVF), will present the third annual "National Tournament of Champions," sponsored by J.S. Johnson Insurance Agents and Brokers Limited on November 19 - 21, 2015.

Fourteen teams, seven male and seven female, from across the country, will compete for the titles this year. The four high school sporting associations that will take part in the tournament are; the Bahamas Association of Independent Secondary Schools (BAISS), the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association (GSSSA), the Bahamas Scholastic Association (BSA) in New Providence and the Grand Bahamas Secondary Schools Athletic Association (GBSSAA). The tournament will once again feature a round robin format in the preliminary round with the top teams advancing to the playoffs.

Robert Bartlett, Senior Manager of J.S. Johnson Insurance Ltd., opened the press conference by stating that, "sports is a discipline that helps students focus and become better citizens." He went further to state that, "it is a privilege and pleasure, therefore to be sponsoring this tournament for the third year in a row and [he wishes] the team's success in the upcoming tournaments."

Barrett McDonald, Executive Director of J.S. Johnson Insurance. Ltd., reiterated the sentiments of Mr. Bartlett and also emphasized that the "health of the nation is very important and therefore [J.S. Johnson] wants to invest in our young people because they are our future." Sports, Mr. McDonald claimed is a very important ingredient to maintaining the health of our nation.

Jason Saunders, Tournament Director, thanked the corporate sponsors for their involvement and stated that their contribution last year resulted in a five year scholarship to Charlotte, North Carolina for Janell Curtis. Mr. Saunders noted Michelle Moss, current student of Saint Augustine's College, as "someone to watch" this year and credited her as being "the best all around volleyball player in the country." He stated that "among the young women, competition will be especially fierce this year."  In general, he noted that the competition will be "tougher than it has been in the past" and he looks forward to an exciting and competitive tournament. Mr. Saunders predicts that "no later than 2024, we will have a male or female team playing at the Olympic level."

Evon R. Wisdom, the head of the sports unit, remarked that he "hoped to see more young men and young women go off to school because of the scholarships that result from the tournament." He went further to state that, "J.S. Johnson has set a perfect example of how corporate partnerships help to develop our young people." Mr. Wisdom noted that the teams selected to compete meet the "highest standard and level of play" and he ended by thanking two other corporate sponsors, Bahamas Air and SunFun Beach Resort, who will transport and lodge students coming from the family islands, respectively.

Saint Augustine's College (B.A.I.S.S.) and C.V. Bethel (G.A.A.A.) were last year's tournament champions and with such collaboration between the public and private spheres, it can be expected that the tournament will achieve a greater level of success this year.


For the third year in a row, J.S. Johnson Insurance Ltd., representatives present a cheque to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for the launch of the "National Tournament of Champions" in high school volleyball. Pictured l-r are: Jason Saunders, Tournament Organizer; Evon R. Wisdom, Head of the Sports Unit, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology; Barrett McDonald, Executive Director, J.S. Johnson Insurance Ltd.; Stephanie Hanna, Public Relations and Administrations Manager, J.S. Johnson Insurance Ltd.; Robert Bartlett, Senior Manager,  J.S. Johnson Insurance Ltd.


Last year's G.A.A.A., "National Tournament of Champions" winning team, C.V. Bethel, pose on the staircase, just outside J.S. Johnson Insurance Ltd. This is the third year that J.S. Johnson has sponsored the tournament. Pictured l-r are: Robert Bartlett, Senior Manager, J.S. Johnson Insurance Ltd.; Stephanie Hanna, Public Relations and Administrations Manager, J.S. Johnson Insurance Ltd; Evon R. Wisdom, Head of the Sports Unit, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and the C.V. Bethel Volleyball team along with their coach, Kevin Edgecombe [Photos: Edgar Arnette].

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