2 Volleyball Players Get Athletic Scholarships to Study in Canada

Two volleyball athletes attached to the Belize National Team are receiving an opportunity of a lifetime. Twenty-three-year-old Bryton Codd and team captain Karym Coleman have been handpicked by a Canadian coach and awarded full athletics scholarships to Briercrest in Saskatchewan, Canada. Today inside the conference room at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex, both athletes signed off on the athletics scholarship. News Five spoke with Coleman and Codd about the achievement and the inspiration it provides to other athletes.

Bryton Codd

Bryton Codd, Recipient, Briercrest Athletics Scholarship

“I started playing volleyball at a very late age; I started in 2014. That was when I made my first national team and so from then it’s been constant hard work. Sometimes I am on the court two times for the day, three hours for the day and then I also had to make time for gym and also had to balance that with school. So it is really hard to pursue athletics in Belize and try to maintain a GPA that is acceptable internationally. So I think over the years I learned how to manage my time properly and my parents are very supportive and so that really pushed me along with the association and the help that I received from Coach Allan Sharp and my various coaches across the country. I think they have really motivated me to excel beyond what I thought I could reach.”

Karym Coleman

Karym Coleman, Recipient, Briercrest Athletics Scholarship

“It’s been much a dream come true, to say the least. Every athlete when pick up a ball, no matter what sport it is, dreams of making it big. They don’t just want to play where they are; they want to make it out of here. And for me to get this opportunity to go and further my studies while playing the sport that I love is pretty much just a dream. I am living my dream. It’s gonna take some time but it is not impossible; you just gotta put in the work and do it the right way. And when you do things the right way, people will notice. And don’t give up; even when it gets hard, don’t give up. All the long hours that you have to do outside of the real training, it is going to pay off for you in the long run.”

Codd will be studying a masters of arts in leadership and management with a specialization in polarity management and government design, while Coleman will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree in law.