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Post by Laulena14 on Mar 31, 2004 10:41:06 GMT -5
Kim has asked the President of the FPV for advice on how she can play for the Puerto Rico National Team. She has indicated that she wishes to live and remain in Puerto Rico. She will first need the permission of USA.
The article is in spanish,
:ohttp://www.primerahora.com/noticia.asp?guid=F260F215A55247349B9721C147BA2D76
It's the best that I can provide right now.
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Post by eastcoaster on Mar 31, 2004 10:45:01 GMT -5
WOW
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Post by roofed! on Mar 31, 2004 10:45:37 GMT -5
Wow, that would provide a 1-2 OH combo for Puerto Rico in Kim and Aury, and helps to elevate that team a notch higher in international competitions. I guess she must have fallen for the lifestyles in PR.
Maybe they could agree to a trade-off (after all, Greichaly switched to the US team).
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Post by rayb_14 on Mar 31, 2004 10:50:03 GMT -5
uuum... not to sound like an @sshole... but...
why would she want to play for Puerto Rico (even though there's NOTHING wrong with playing for Puerto Rico), when she could have the opportunity to play for one of the best coaches in the world and on one of the top 5 teams in the world??
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Post by GatorVball on Mar 31, 2004 11:18:22 GMT -5
I hope she does and I hope it happens before the final chance qualifying tournament. I'd love to see PR qualify for the Olympics.
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Post by USAFAN on Mar 31, 2004 11:23:07 GMT -5
I think it would be a bit awkward. While Kim would definitely elevate the level of the Puerto Rican team tremendously it just doesn't seem right. Kim isn't of Puerto Rican ancestry, like say Shannon Torregrosa who is American but from Puerto Rican heritage. Kim has only been there for such a short period of time that its not like she has lived there for so long that it makes more sense to play for PR than USA. Also if she swtiches federations, is it a possibility to switch back?? While Kim would definitely see more playing time on the PR team, she would get a whole lot better with team USA.
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Post by hwy101 on Mar 31, 2004 11:27:07 GMT -5
While it is true that adding Kim will up the level of PR women's volleyball, her addition alone won't make them a top 5 team in the world.
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Post by StanfordFan on Mar 31, 2004 12:21:10 GMT -5
While I think Kim should do whatever is best for her professionally and personally, I think this decision is short-sighted. In the long run, she's more likely to improve training with the U.S. team. And I have no doubt there would eventually be a place for her on the U.S. team if she keeps up her current work ethic, or even adds to it.
Personally, I don't know what the rule is with respect to switching national teams, and then switching back, but if she does join Puerto Rico's national team, I'd be absolutely opposed to letting her return to the U.S. team later (if that were something she'd even want). I think it would just create a really bad precedent for letting people hop all over from national team to national team to suit their particular needs at the time.
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Post by roofed! on Mar 31, 2004 12:41:48 GMT -5
Well, athletes changing nationalities is a growing norm nowadays. Many Kenyan-born and -raised (and from other African countries) long distance runners are running for western countries, even the US (I believe the US top male marathon runner comes from Morocco or something like that). Also, in several of the earlier threads, someone stated about russian vball players switching to play for other european national teams.
Kim definitely has to consider what is best for her, both professionally and personally. I am sure she knows that playing for PR could cut her off from the US national team. Who knows, maybe she does not want to play for the US team in the first place after spurning OTC (despite promising to turn up in January) for PR league.
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Post by StanfordFan on Mar 31, 2004 12:47:11 GMT -5
I'm not opposed in principle to changing nationalities. Once, or maybe twice given extraordinary circumstances. What I don't want is people switching around to suit their whims. Not to suggest that people will do it willy nilly, or that it would even be that easy to do, but I don't want to see an athlete miss the cut on one team and then switch around multiple times just to play. Well, athletes changing nationalities is a growing norm nowadays. Many Kenyan-born and -raised (and from other African countries) long distance runners are running for western countries, even the US (I believe the US top male marathon runner comes from Morocco or something like that). Also, in several of the earlier threads, someone stated about russian vball players switching to play for other european national teams. Kim definitely has to consider what is best for her, both professionally and personally. I am sure she knows that playing for PR could cut her off from the US national team. Who knows, maybe she does not want to play for the US team in the first place after spurning OTC (despite promising to turn up in January) for PR league. |
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Post by cbrown1709 on Mar 31, 2004 12:53:46 GMT -5
I guess this whole thing has caught me by surprise. Last year, after the final four Kim talked about the national team being her dream for about 15 straight at a press conference. If all this is true, I'm a little dissappointed in her decision. I guess its the whole support your country thing. Its that what the olympics are about.?
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Post by beachman on Mar 31, 2004 13:11:08 GMT -5
Why am I NOT surprised by this......I think that Kim has a little different perspective on life than many people think.......more about lifestyle I think than anything else.
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Post by IdahoBoy on Mar 31, 2004 13:29:57 GMT -5
I'll see about giving Kim a call and find out what's going on here. I think that you all are looking way too much into this though!
Kim has always been one to keep her options open. She is an amazing athlete and volleyball player, which you all already know. She probably is just keeping as many options open as she can.
First things first though, the article says she will need a release from USA Volleyball before they can even talk about it.
The last line says something about the call didn't surprise Beltran (commissioner guy) much because they have had others love it there and want to stay (like Kristee Porter).
There is something about this whole thing that just doesn't make sense to me though.
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Post by IdahoBoy on Mar 31, 2004 13:54:11 GMT -5
The babelfish translation was actually decent. But it didn't answer my questions, so I took a few minutes and translated the article myself:
7.5 years of Spanish isn't entirely for naught!!
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The American "reinforcement" of Creoles of Caguas, Kim Willoughby, has interest to remain live in Puerto Rico and a future to comprise of the National Team of women’s volleyball.
Her interest is so genuine that she herself called Monday to the president of the Puerto Rican Federation of Volleyball (FPV), Carlos J. Beltrán, to receive instructions on the proceedings that it would have to make to represent Puerto Rico in international competitions.
"She (Willoughby) called to me to ask me about the procedure and I told her about her opportunities as an American citizen", Beltrán to FIRST HOUR declared. "Her problem is that she belongs to ' USA Volleyball' because she has their permission to play here. The first step would be to request a release to him from ' USA Volleyball' and that I see is going to be difficult.”
"No player can be forced to belong to a team that they do not want, but the decision is their’s. In one case, we gave permission to Jonathan Acosta and Gerson Rivera to play with the United States. She (Willoughby) has never played with the United States but to play here she needs the permission of 'USA Volleyball', because she belongs to the national team program," explained Beltrán, talking about how Willoughby was invited to "tryouts" of the American women’s National Team for the Olympic Games of Athens 2004, but when not selected decided to play in Puerto Rico.
"The first step would be to request the permission to the ' USA Volleyball' as it were the case of Javier Gaspar and Jose ' Kenó Gándara who played in the United States and played here as native but they needed a permission to play with our National Team", Beltrán remembered.
"Its call (Willoughby) surprised me, but not much, because there is an endless number of “reinforcements” that have shown their interest to remain in Puerto Rico, like Kristee Porter,” concluded Beltrán.
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Post by cbrown1709 on Mar 31, 2004 14:00:00 GMT -5
I hope u find something out because I agree that something just doesn't seem right!
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