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Schools interested in obtaining new balls were asked to apply. The volleyballs were donated to schools whose boys’ and girls’ teams from Grades 4-6 compete in at least the preliminaries of the regional Super Skypark Mini-League.

Arko Kurtmann, a member of the management board of Coop Pank, says the initiative will help keep the schoolchildren healthy and active and contribute to young people’s development in general.

“Playing sport at a young age paves the way for success not only in your chosen field, but in life as a whole,” he remarked. “The ability to set yourself ambitious goals and consistently train to achieve them and enjoying the fruits of your labour are valuable experiences that can be applied in any area later in life.”

Kert Toobal, the director of sports at the Estonian Volleyball Federation, describes Coop Pank as a great partner to and supporter of volleyball and its development. “In order for Estonian volleyball to do well at the highest level, which is to say our national teams, it has to be played at the grassroots level as well, in schools,” he said. “The broader the foundations of the sport, the more professional players it will produce. Thanks to our cooperation with Coop Bank we can take another step forward on that front, helping to promote volleyball in schools and encouraging more children to take it up. In sports it’s also important that you have quality equipment, and these Mikasa balls will definitely make playing volleyball more enjoyable for the kids.”

To mark the donating of the balls to the schools and to inspire youngsters, demonstration training sessions were held in three Viljandi schools at the end of November.

Margit Keerutaja-Must, the coach who supervised the sessions, got not only the students at the Jakobson school playing, but also the school’s principal, the director of sports from the Volleyball Federation and a representative of Coop Pank.

Principal Tauno Tilk says that it might seem unusual for him to train alongside his students were it not for the fact that he plays volleyball once a week with teachers from his school. “We try to get involved in as many projects as we can, because the students need equipment,” he explained. “It’s great when you find companies who are willing to do their bit to support you.”

Kadri Kuusik, the school’s PE teacher, told the Sakala newspaper that the new volleyballs will see good use, as the sport has become increasingly popular among Jakobson’s students over the years.

Arko Kurtmann says he is delighted to see volleyball growing in popularity. “When we were looking for a way of supporting kids’ sport, we chose volleyball because Coop Pank is the main sponsor of the Estonian men’s and women’s teams,” he explained. “We’re also one of the sponsors of the Youth Volleyball Championships.”