Students bring the energy to school district’s Special Athletes Day
Students with special needs showcased their athleticism at Arnold High School during Bay District Schools’ Special Athletes Day on March 13.
- North Bay Haven hosted and won the first ever boys’ FHSAA-sanctioned volleyball game in Bay County history, defeating Choctawhatchee 3-2.
- The Buccaneers’ roster is made up of students from various schools in the area, including Arnold, AMIkids Maritime Academy, and homeschooled students.
- Coach Emersonn Cabatu stressed the importance of teaching the game to his players, many of whom are new to volleyball.
- Cabatu hopes to grow the sport of boys’ volleyball in the area, where opportunities to play are limited.
North Bay Haven held tryouts for the inaugural boys’ volleyball season on Feb. 18. Less than a month later, with the squad selected, the Buccaneers hosted the first-ever match against Choctawhatchee.
The matchup is the first FHSAA-sanctioned game to be played in Bay County, and it can usher in and set the foundation for a new wave of high-flying boys’ volleyball players.
“It is pride in my team and the community to bring this wonderful sport to the boys side, so many of them have been wanting to do this,” North Bay Haven head coach Emersonn Cabatu said.
As you might expect, out of the 18 players chosen for the roster, eight are from North Bay, while others come from local schools like Arnold and AMIkids Maritime Academy, with two members even being homeschooled.”I see the kids for who they are, young men wanting to learn and play volleyball, it doesn’t matter what school they attend, just that they are unified as a team,” Cabatu said.
The Buccaneers showed a little bit of everything, winning the first set 25-18 and in the following set, after falling behind 23-19 came back and won 26-24.
There were numerous instances where players were still learning the rules and nuances, such as when a back-row player attempted to attack the ball in front of the 10-foot line. In those moments, Coach Cabatu remained a constant guide, always ready to teach.
“You have to remember you are a teacher first, you have to train, teach, evolve and cultivate,” Cabatu said. “The delivery is different in boys volleyball because it is more direct, because regardless of gender, how you coach up a player affects the response you will get from the individual.”
Volleyball is an unpredictable game, with Choctaw surging back to take the next two sets 25-20 and 25-14. Few moments capture the excitement of the sport quite like a winner-takes-all fifth set.North Bay Haven had the home crowd behind them as they won 15-12 and defeated Choctaw (3-2) for the first ever boys volleyball victory in Bay County.
“My ultimate goal is to grow the game and the opportunity for more boys to play,” Cabatu said. “Being here in the south, the opportunities are few and far between so expanding the game for girls and now boys is the main goal.”
North Bay Haven (1-1) travels to Choctawhatchee (0-4) on April 17.
Banji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at [email protected] or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiBamide1.
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