Last week, the Legacy Scholarship Program (LSP) held its third inter-regional volleyball tournament under the theme “sport as a tool for mentoring.”

It was a one-of-a-kind tournament that saw students from LSP’s Pader and Gulu program areas converging onto one pitch. The students displayed skill, talent, determination and perseverance as they battled it out to win the trophies.

Gulu Central High School and Sacred Heart School scored the most points, taking the boy’s and girl’s trophies respectively. For the Sacred Heart team, this was a special win: it was their third time winning the tournament, meaning they took the trophy for keeps.

“I started playing volleyball when I was in senior four, it’s then I released I wanted to take it on in the future,” said Geoffrey, an LSP beneficiary who was awarded best player in the boys category. “Volleyball has never interfered with my academics, in fact it helps me be fresh before reading my books.”

Sports may be viewed by some as a waste of time, but is indeed part and parcel of an individual’s growth – physically, mentally or socially. The LSP mentors believe that sports teach discipline and build a strong connection between students as they learn sportsmanship and cheer on their teams.

The LSP is encouraging extra curricular activities like sports to be given time in schools, producing well-rounded and healthy scholars.

-Germina