To understand the meaning , you need to understand the origins of the name. The origins will tell you the meaning, the meaning will tell you the value and the value will tell you how much are associated with it. Growing up as a youth in Lami, the sport volleyball has always been associated with the lower socio-economic group and often referred to as a grass root sport. The sport has always been played by mostly un-employed youths or a social game played in communities and churches alike. In this regard, volleyball was mostly played pre-dominantly in the Vugalei settlement before it found itself into Suvavou village in my neighborhood. At that time , there was only one court which youths from neighboring communities would flock and play a game. And so historically the Toba team has been about territory and over the years we have had youth from Suvavou, Wainidinu and Vugalei form a team to what is known today as the Toba volleyball club. In essence the Toba team spirit has been about an attitude of winning not only in the volleyball court but also in other sport, at work and everything youth do in life. It is a positive empathy towards the volleyball sport, to life, to families and an attitude of neighborhood camaraderie and a respect for the neighborhood as a community. For youth this means looking after the brotherhood as the vodaphone ads campaign makes it, welcome
to the H O O D !! The Toba volleyball team, I have always supported owing to my view that our youths need to be understood, supported to live a life of hope and be treated with dignity and respect. The TOBA spirit , is a free spirit and a health movement that is premised on working together as a community, valuing our family origins and embracing our individual diversities through playing a sport like volleyball.
