NU BREED Volleyball isn’t staying silent any more and it’s inviting volleyball clubs not to stay silent as well.
The local club is hosting Tribal Gathering ’25, a competitive volleyball tournament open to all clubs that will honor Indigenous athletes and provide a platform to raise awareness about the alarming rate of missing Indigenous girls and women.
The tournament will be held for 10 and under and 12 and under teams on March 8 and 9 and 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under teams March 15-16 at Lindsay’s McDermont X.
The club states by coming together their stories can be amplified and efforts to bring justice and safety to communities can be supported. The club states it’s holding the tournament to stand united and ensure every voice is heard, every story is told and every life is valued. It’s inviting all volleyball clubs to participate in making a difference.
The club states the tournament will be an event in which the spirit of volleyball merges with the rich tapestry of indigenous cultures.
NU BREED director Job Lara said he knows for top volleyball clubs to be attracted to the event it must be a highly competitive tournament and it promises to be one. Many of the South Valley’s top clubs will compete in the tournament and the tournament will have teams from all over the Valley, including from Bakersfield, Fresno and Clovis.
The tournament will also have one team from Arizona and teams from Southern California. So NU BREED Volleyball stated the event promises to be a hot spot for scouting.
In addition as part of the tournament the event will feature cultural storytelling and an education activity about indigenous history and contributions to sports. “It’s not just volleyball,” NU BREED states.
Lara said teams competing will be asked to have at least one player wear a Red hand print on their uniform but of course teams could choose to have all their players wear a Red hand print. The Red Hand Print over an indigenous female’s face symbolizes the story of the struggle among the Indigenous community.
And of course the tournament will also be a showcase for Indigenous athletes. NU BREED has a number of players from the Indigenous community, including those form the Tule River Reservation.
NU Breed is referring to this tournament as a groundbreaking event. And what separates this tournament from others is all of the line judges, scorekeepers and officials will be supplied which isn’t done at most tournaments.
“Our tournament in that sense is unique,” Lara said. Lara credited his daughter, Janae Lara, for organizing all the tournament’s logistics.
Cost per team to participate in the tournament is $450. Deadline to register is February 27 for 10 and under and 12 and under teams and March 4 for 14 and under, 16 and under and 18 and under teams. To register visit www.nubreedvbc.org
