WITH the Island Games coming up next year the Bermuda Volleyball Association have been holding tryouts for both the women's and men's teams at Mount St. Agnes gym.

Alex Hunter, who is the team manager for the women's team and is also trying out for the men's team, said interest in the sport increases when the island Games are coming up.

"We first competed in the Island Games in Guernsey in 2003 and then Shetland in 2005 and at the last Island Games in Rhodes. We send both men's and women's teams and in Shetland the men won the silver medal while in Rhodes the women made the bronze medal game. But we think we have a better women's team this time around so we are excited about that."

Hunter said that volleyball has to compete with the many sports in Bermuda to get the youth involved.

"It is not played as much as we would like in the schools," he said. "We do have people helping to coach in the schools but there is a lot of competition in sports here ¿ football, cricket and basketball which is very big in the schools. We would like to get volleyball played more in the schools especially since Bermuda will be hosting the Island Games in 2013 ¿ it would be nice to have a young squad ¿ a squad with a lot of Bermudians in it.

"Right now the game is popular with the expats ¿ especially the Americans and Canadians ¿ but we want to get more Bermudians involved. We have a youth programme which just started up and the Bermuda Volleyball Association sponsor young people to go to a camp every year."

And Hunter said that colleges in the United States are always on the lookout for players.

"University scholarships are out there," he said.

This year the association have two young Bermudians trying out for the Island Games men's team. "We have been approached by universities to see if there are any young players they can sign up. We hope that in three to five years' time Bermuda can have some young volleyball players on college scholarships."

The tryouts for the national women's team were held a few weeks ago and the men's tryouts were held last weekend at Mount St. Agnes Gym.

"Now we will start training," he said.

Hunter also wanted to see more players who compete in the beach volleyball season in the summer come out for the indoor teams.

"Obviously beach volleyball in the summer is a lot of fun and a lot of people come out to play. The indoor game is different. Most people who play the indoor game also play the beach game but not the other way round. We want to encourage those who play the beach game to compete in the indoor game which is more technical."

To get ready for the Island Games in Alan, Finland next summer Hunter said the women will travel to the US for two or three tournaments.

"We are hoping to go to the US Nationals which is divided into different leagues and also to Boston for the Boston Bean tournament in May. The men will try and bring in a few teams from the US. The national teams really need to play against foreign opposition ¿ you can play here (among local opposition) until you are blue in the face but it is playing against teams from abroad where you find out where you are and how to get better. You need national exposure."