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| Above photos all courtesy of U.S. State Department |
(Sept. 30, 2011) - A group of Palestinian youth volleyball players enjoyed a memorable trip to the United States as part of the U.S. State Department's "Sports Visitors" diplomacy initiative that included time at the Northern Virginia Volleyball Association sparkling facilities in Sterling and practice and fun with the Loudoun Valley High School girls team.
The Palestinians made several visits to the NVVA facilities during their trip which was part of the U.S. State Department's SportsUnited program which includes the Sports Visitors.
According to the State Department: "Sports Visitors are youth and coaches who travel to the United States for an exchange. Sports Visitor programs give young people an opportunity to discover how success in athletics can be translated into the development of life skills and achievement in the classroom. Since 2003, SportsUnited has brought more than 700 young athletes from more than 50 countries to the United States to participate in Sports Visitor programs.
Sports Diplomacy helps transcend cultural differences and bring people together. Participating in sports teaches leadership, teamwork, respect for rules and respect for one another. To succeed in sports requires practice, discipline and determination; important skills that help young people succeed in all areas of their lives. Sports diplomacy also provides an opening for increased dialogue and greater cultural understanding."
More photos: http://vivaloudoun.smugmug.com/Volleyball/Volleyball-Feature-at-NVVA/19245357_7gf7Mc
More on SportsUnited including a video of the Palestinian groups visit can be found on their Facebook page.
As part of their training at NVVA, the Palestinian volleyball players learned about paralympic volleyball which is played sitting and follows the same rules as its non-disabled counterpart with a few modifications to accommodate the various disabilities.
