Before 1971 San Pedro enjoyed sports like baseball, football and basketball. Volleyball was unknown to San Pedro until Mr. Harry Guinn, a U.S. visitor to San Pedro and friend of San Pedro High brought the first set of volleyball equipment to include balls, net and whistles. And exactly where did San Pedro High set up its volleyball court? In the sandy yard of the community center, which had been transformed into San Pedro High School.
It was here that young kids like Omar “Kanasi” Guerrero, Pedro “Sony” Vasquez, Mito Paz, James Azueta and Efrain Guerrero got their first training in volleyball under the guidance of Sponsor Harry Guinn and Teacher Fidel Ancona. Because there was no official court, the game was played on the sand; thus unknowingly it was San Pedro High School back in 1973/74 that introduced Beach Volleyball to San Pedro.
After that volleyball exploded in San Pedro with annual tournaments at Friendship Park and Central Park to include great athletes like Billy, Gerald, and Martin Leslie, Nicolas Varela, Omar Guerrero, Gilberto Paz, Martin McCorkle, Jason Nuñez, Santiago Vasquez, Mito, Cholo Nuñez among many others. And let us not forget great volleyball athletes from Caye Caulker that joined us in our annual tournaments.
Click Here for More Flashback Pictures on Ambergris Today Online
Send us your flashback pictures of Old San Pedro. Email them to us: ambergristoday@yahoo.com
