Serving it up for Jamaica Former Mac star Offer pursued dual citizenship to play for national team

May 16, 2009
Larry Moko
The Hamilton Spectator
(May 16, 2009)

The volleyball career of McMaster University graduate Parrish Offer has taken him from Kingston, Ont., to Kingston, Jamaica.

The former Marauders captain was scheduled to leave this week for the Jamaican capital, where he'll play for that country's national team.

Offer was born in Kingston, Ontario, 24 years ago. And before beginning his outstanding career with the OUA champion Marauders, he played in Kingston for the provincial AAA high school champion Regiopolis-Notre Dame Panthers.

"My mom, Patricia, was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica," said Offer, earlier this week, in explaining his route to the national-team level.

Offer said that last year he took the advice of McMaster men's volleyball coach Dave Preston, who suggested he pursue dual citizenship. Offer then researched the matter and got in touch with Jamaica Volleyball Association boss, Wayne Robinson.

"I just found out three weeks ago that my citizenship has gone through and that I was eligible to play in the world championship qualifier."

The six countries competing in Group D from May 20-24 at the National Indoor Sports Centre are Jamaica, Mexico, St. Lucia, Haiti, Bahamas and the Cayman Islands.

A potential showdown with Canada could come in later rounds.

The North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confed- eration (NORCECA) is one of five continental confederations with the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). The next FIVB world championships take place in 2010 in Italy.

"I'm excited to be going," Offer said. "There's a whole side of my family like my grandmother, aunts and uncles, that still lives in Jamaica. They have only seen me play through video or pictures from my mom.

"Most of them live on the other side of the island, but they're going to try and make the trip. It will be special for them that I have a Jamaican flag on my jersey."

Jamaica is ranked No. 66 in the world.

Offer played professionally last season in Denmark. His Elite Division squad was comprised of Danes, three Canadians, a Brazilian and a Norwegian. Their coach was Japanese.

"That was a fantastic experience," he said. "The blocking is bigger and stronger and the serving is tougher, but I adjusted to it."

The former OUA first-team all-star will also serve as an assistant coach of Ontario's under-18 team this summer.

Offer has been joined for recent workouts at the Burridge Gym by Josh Lichty of the Marauders. The St. Catharines native - a former CIS all-rookie team selection - is scheduled to be in Winnipeg June 14 to participate in a three-day Canadian junior national team tryout camp.

The selected players will travel to Pune, India, July 31-Aug. 9, for the world championships.

"There are a few new faces, but I'm hoping they stick with the majority of the squad from last year," said Lichty, who played for the junior national squad, which finished second at the 2008 NORCECA qualifying tournament in El Salvador.

Offer and Lichty were McMaster teammates in 2007-08.

"Josh is a phenomenal athlete," said Offer. "I kind of look up to him, actually. He's the future of McMaster volleyball. And if that's the future, good things are going to happen."

McMaster middle blocker Nathan Groenveld - a former OUA player of the year - also attended the senior national team's recent tryout in Winnipeg. The world championship qualifying tournament will be Aug. 7-12 in Cuba.