In 1990, Jamaica participated in the CAC Games in Mexico. We were represented by our senior men’s team and finished eighth of eight teams.
For the first time, we were exposed to the levels of play of other teams in the North, Central American and Caribbean (NORCECA) region.
It was quickly realized that we were quite a distance behind our neighbours. It was time to compete on a regular basis with teams at our level.
In 1991, Surinam’s male team visited and three matches were played. We lost the series 2–1. Plans for the staging of a Caribbean championship were
discussed.Suriname was to be the first host. The championship was not well supported; in fact, only the Netherlands Antilles went to Suriname.
1992 saw the birth of the Caribbean Championships here in Jamaica. There were five male teams, Barbados, St. Lucia.
The Cayman Islands, the Bahamas and Jamaica and four female teams: Barbados, the Bahamas, Cayman Islands and Jamaica.
Barbados male and the Bahamas females were the first champions. Jamaica finished 2nd and 3rd in the male and female categories respectively.
The success of the Championships spawned region wide interest and in 1993, the Championships saw the participation of ten male and eight female teams.
Within the local volleyball administration, a number of significant changes were made over the period 1993 – 1994. With the international
rules relating to amateur status being relaxed and the Olympics opened up to professional participation, our local constitution was revised.
The name The Jamaica Amateur Volleyball Association (J. A. V. A.) was changed to The Jamaica Volleyball Association (Ja. V. A.) to allow all players, amateurand professional to be covered under the association’s umbrella.
Transfer of players between clubs now attracted transfer fees with national representatives
attracting the highest prices. The constitution also saw changes to the administrative structure in an effort to keep pace with the changing state of local
volleyball.In 1997, the first Caribbean Junior Championships were held in Barbados and have been held in alternate years with the senior championships.
The national junior programme has continued ever since with regular participation in the Caribbean Junior Championships and in 2000
participation in the NORCECA Junior Championships in Cuba. In 1999, The Jamaica Volleyball Association celebrated its 40th anniversary
with the staging of the second Caribbean Junior Championships. In that same year, the senior men’s team entered the NORCECA Championships in Monterey, Mexico.
The team had to first travel to the Dominican Republic to play in a best of three qualification series for a final spot in the championships.
We lost the series two games to nil. One week before the championships, the Dominican Republic withdrew and Jamaica was invited to participate.
The team finished eighth of eight teams but brought back a wealth of experience on playing styles and training techniques. Most importantly, the need to
develop the jump serve as a point-scoring tool and as a means to improve our response to opponents jump serves was realized.
In 2001, Jamaica for the first time participated in the World Championships qualification series with the first round being held in Aruba.
The female team won their competition and went on to the Dominican Republic for the second round of qualification. The team failed to advance
but the effort marked the first time that our females were to gain exposure at this level.
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