BELIZE CITY, Tues. Mar. 23, 2021– Two young Belizean volleyball players have accepted full scholarships to be student-athletes at Calumet College of St. Joseph, located in Indiana. The two young men, Edgar Martinez, a universal player, and Francis Hauze, an outside hitter, are both members of the Belize Volleyball Association and the Belize National Volleyball Team and have worked their way up the ranks from rookies to two of the most formidable forces in Belizean male volleyball.
They were at center stage in their virtual scholarship signing on Tuesday, March 23, and spoke to local media about their accomplishments.
Martinez shared that he started playing the game at the age of 14 and fell in love with the sport. He said that he hopes to continue to develop his game and to gain further academic qualifications through study at an international university.
Francis Hauze made the senior national team at the age of 16. He said that he started to play volleyball at the age of 15 on a junior national team and was soon recruited to the senior team. He has since participated in various tournaments in both beach and indoor volleyball venues regionally.
Also present at the scholarship signing was president of the Belize Volleyball Association, Allan Sharp. He said that both young men are perfect examples of the results of hard work and persistence. He told young players that there is no “magic pill” to excellence, and that the only secret is hard work and being ready for opportunities when they present themselves.
According to reports, Martinez and Hauze are the 3rd and 4th Belizean volleyball student players to receive scholarships so far this year. One Belizean female volleyball player currently has 5 schools interested in recruiting her.
Amandala congratulates the young men and wishes them all the best in their athletic and educational endeavors. God speed!