Updates

Travel and Tournament Prep

Posted on by mergevolleyball

After the camps concluded, we spent two days traveling to a new location and getting to enjoy a boat ride to lunch (2 hrs) and then back to the hotel right by the water for a relaxing day to debrief.

Many of us took turns taking naps on the ride to and from lunch on the boat. The next day, we took a longer journey to the next location, where we hosted a tournament this past weekend for locals to experience a 4 v 4 beach volleyball tournament. We were so excited and had a relaxing day before the competition started.

The views and the beach were beautiful, and we couldn’t wait to meet all of the players we would be playing with!

For more updates, follow our Instagram and Facebook!

Camps

Posted on by mergevolleyball

Here is another recap straight from one of our team members!

“For three days, we spent time running a camp in the early morning from 7-9 am, getting to share the sport with those who knew little volleyball.

Later in the afternoons, we then ran a second camp from 4-6 pm with those who never had experienced volleyball.

Both of these groups included children ages 8-18 years old who were engaging with a new sport but were more experienced in basketball. Being eager to learn, they were able to experience volleyball for the first time and learned the basic skills of passing, setting, hitting, and serving over the course of the three days of the camps.

We were happy to see the athletes pick up the skills and see improvement throughout the camp.”

For more photos and updates, make sure to follow our Instagram and Facebook!

Sport and Culture

Posted on by mergevolleyball

Today’s post mostly consists of photos, as that seems to be the best way to describe so many of the amazing things that we have seen and done while in South Asia.

We are still building connections with various students in the area, working with multiple ages and skill levels. It’s been fun to be able to build some coaching experience, especially for our college athletes on the trip. Thankfully, the weather has cooperated enough that we have been able to stick with our general idea for the trip, and we’ve been able to play so much volleyball.

Along with playing volleyball every day, we’ve also been able to explore the town in which we’re staying by doing some shopping, trying new food, and getting immersed in nature!

Competitions

Posted on by mergevolleyball

Here is an update from a few team members!

For the last two days, we have been able to share volleyball with the community and a local volleyball school. We were able to convey the love of the game by helping teach several kids at an orphanage how to play.

Then we headed to the beach. Once we arrived, we were able to locate a volleyball net where we intermingled and played with the locals.

Close to the end of the night, the locals challenged us to a game of volleyball before the sun was completely gone. We won, but both teams had fun during the game.

The next day, we were able to experience some of the local culture in the morning and do some shopping before heading to a volleyball academy. The weather was unsure at times, with rain falling on and off. However, when we arrived, the rain stopped and then started up again by the time we left.

At the academy, we were able to integrate with the younger students for a game of 6 v 6 volleyball. After that game, the Varisty high school team at the academy challenged us to a game.

This game went three sets, with us winning in three sets. This volleyball was high level, although it felt like a mud bath at times with the condition that the court was in.

Overall, these past few days have been full of numerous connections through playing a game that we love and desire to share.

For more updates, make sure to follow our Instagram and Facebook!

Getting Settled

Posted on by mergevolleyball

Our team has officially made it back to South Asia and is enjoying some time settling in before working on all things volleyball! Unfortunately, the weather is going to play a big part in how camps, tournaments, and more happen, so we’re keeping our fingers crossed that the rain holds off while here.

For now though, we have been able to play a bit of basketball with some local kids, and we have been trying so much new (and delicious!) food.

We’re excited to see what the next couple of weeks bring as we get connected with new people and can help grow the love of volleyball in this place.

Make sure to follow our Instagram and Facebook for more!

We’re Going Back to South Asia!

Posted on by mergevolleyball

Hi, y’all! Long time, no update. We’ve been back at home base for a couple months, planning our NEXT trip to South Asia, which is officially happening next week.

We have a team of 14 heading back, made up of staff and college volleyball athletes, and they are currently in prep mode, getting everything planned out and put together.

The goal for this trip is to continue planting roots for what the team accomplished during their trips in February and December. Each person on this trip is passionate about volleyball, and they want to continue to grow that sport in each city they visit.

Working with some well-known athletes in South Asia, Merge plans to host a fun pop-up tournament, complete with a dinner the night before and prizes for the winning teams! Merge wants to build exposure, and we believe that this is a great way to do that.

This next week before the trip is going to fly by, and before we know it, Merge will be on a plane to South Asia. We are so excited about this tour and cannot wait to see all that happens over there!

Make sure to follow our Facebook and Instagram for more updates and photos!

South Asia Final Update

Posted on by mergevolleyball

Our entire team is officially back in the States, which is so bittersweet! We are so honored to have been able to spend the month in South Asia planting seeds there for our Merge program and cannot wait to get back into planning now that we are back in the US. Not only did we make memories that will last forever, but also we got to see how the sport of volleyball can impact the lives of the people we met and worked with.

We are not sure what the future holds yet in terms of how we proceed with Merge in South Asia, but we were able to connect with some big people in the sport of volleyball, so we hope that our next trip over there will help grow the foundation that we set during our February trip.

We are so excited to continue growing this program and hope that you will follow along with us!

Don’t forget to follow our Instagram and Facebook for more photo and video updates:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mergevolleyball/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mergevolleyball/

South Asia Week 3

Posted on by mergevolleyball

Our trip to SA is quickly coming to a close (but we’re not fully thinking about it yet)! Two of our teammates left a few days ago to head back to the States; we were so blessed to be able to have them join us for a few weeks as we met new people and played the game of volleyball. We got to explore the area, eat amazing food, and simply spend time building and growing relationships with those around us.

To give one more official update from a team member:

“This morning, we went back to the school we have been doing clinics at, and we had about 50 kids show up-the most so far! Afterward, the coach we have been working with took us on a tour of a local neighborhood where many of the kids at the school live. It is a fishing community, and most of the homes are on the water. We walked about half a mile on a narrow pathway, where there was water on each side, to see houses across the lake. It was a humbling and unique experience! The people we met were so welcoming and one woman invited us into her home for juice and a snack.

This trip was worth it because we deepened the relationships with people established in December, and there were several divine appointments with key people in the sports and business world.

I would love to say we are walking away with a clear strategic plan of what is next, but that is not the case. However, what I can encourage you with is that there are wide open doors to use sport to impact lives.”

South Asia Week 2

Posted on by mergevolleyball

Week 2 in South Asia brought some fun surprises and opportunities for our team! We had the opportunity to travel to another city to attend a pro volleyball tournament. We also got to meet the CEO of the company hosting the tournament, which was so awesome and insightful for us.

An update right from one of our teammates said,

“Things are going well and doors are continuing to open to meet new people in sport and building relationships with people the group in December met.

A couple of highlights, we visited a school that is a special school for kids to train in volleyball and the arts. We were greeted with open arms and there are open doors to go back with another group in the future to do more clinics and training.

We also have been invited by several families to have dinner in their homes. It has been such a blessing to be welcomed with such love.”

South Asia Week 1

Posted on by mergevolleyball

The first week in South Asia has been full of readjustment, great food, relaxation, and of course, volleyball! The team has started going to various schools during the day, working with students and teaching them the game of volleyball. From teaching basic skills to playing fun scrimmages, the students have been great to work with. The weather has also been great; we love not having to wear winter coats!

We’ve taken so many photos during the first few days we’ve been in South Asia; here are some of our favorites!

We are also on Facebook now, if you would like to follow us there for more consistent updates. You can find us at https://www.facebook.com/mergevolleyball.

Thanks for following along on this journey with us!