DISCIPLINE plays a very crucial role if you want to succeed in sports.
That's the message former national volleyball rep Alifereti Naqeleca wants to share with our young sports people.
Naqeleca has retired from playing competitive volleyball but still works hard behind the scenes in trying to help rebuild volleyball in Raiwai.
Naqeleca was part of the history making Raiwai team which ruled the local volleyball circle for ten years from 1989-1998.
But the 45 year-old said the key to that winning run by the Raiwai team was discipline.
"Yes we had some very good players that time but it was the discipline among the players that helped us through those ten years," Naqeleca said.
"For me personally I believe discipline helped me a lot in my sporting life and it has helped me a lot in my life after leaving the sport."
"Discipline also helped changed my life and especially when it corrected me from following the wrong path early on in my life."
"I was fortunate that I managed to instill discipline into my life when I started playing volleyball. And it has helped me a lot."
"It has really made a lot of difference to my life."
Naqeleca's son Esava was a former national soccer youth captain and later played in the national team.
"Discipline also helped alot in moulding Esava into what he is today," Naqeleca said.
"When he (Esava) was young I had instilled in him what I learnt and it has also helped him a lot in his sport."
"I had wanted him to follow in my footsteps and play volleyball but when I asked him what sport he wanted to play he said he wanted to play soccer."
"But he (Esava) followed everything I had taught him and he continued to improve his game and it has also seen him travel overseas."
"So my message to all young people out there who wants to take part in sport, is to have discipline and it will take you a long way."
Naqeleca also played rugby for Lomaiviti and had a stint playing rugby in Australia.
Naqeleca a powerful left hand spiker during his playing days also played soccer.
"Currently I'm playing for Samabula in the Suva club competition."
In 2008 Naqeleca was called by the Suva officials to help train the Whites but a year later he was selected to manage the team.
"In all my sporting life from volleyball, rugby and soccer, discipline has helped me achieve a lot."
Recently Naqeleca together with some former Raiwai players came together to try and help rebuild Raiwai volleyball.
"I personally used almost $10,000 to buy the teams uniform and this include the players canvas."
"We have started to see an improvement in the performance of the Raiwai team and if they continue on this same path we will be able to reach our goal very shortly."
"For the first time in the history of Raiwai volleyball, Naqeleca pays each player $5 for every day of training."
"This way I'm helping some of these players who are unemployed have something in their pocket when it comes to the weekend."
On his view of the sport in the country, Naqeleca said a lot more work is needed to help improve the game of volleyball.
"The current officials leading the sport are doing a good job but we can still improve and lift the sport to another level," Naqeleca said.
"But we need to work together with discipline to achieve this."