Sitting Final Four and Grand Prix 6 preview: Aveh back from surgery for finals bid

As a soldier in the army, the 45-year-old served on the front line in Afghanistan, where he was shot and wounded. 

Having played football and volleyball in his younger days, he was introduced to sitting via the Invictus Games 2014, held in London, as a means of getting back active. 

Frank quickly discovered that playing not only benefited him physically, but it also helped him address the mental scars and trauma inflicted as a result of what had happened to him while serving. 

He now turns out regularly for Help For Heroes A in the Volleyball England Sitting Grand Prix Series – and says he gets a lot out of the experience. 

“After I was injured I had some mental health problems and I took a lot of pity on myself. I didn’t want to go out of the home and just wanted to stay at home,” said Frank. 

“It was then that a friend of mind suggested I might look to get involved with the Invictus Games and after going along and registering, I was selected for sitting volleyball. 

“I used to play standing (volleyball) for my army regiment, so I had a bit of knowledge about the sport, even if not specifically about sitting. 

“I soon realised that it was a great support to be involved with, because it was a way to stay active, albeit in a slightly different way. 

“I ended up going to two more Invictus Games, in the US (Orlando) and Canada (Toronto) and I also started playing with the Help For Heroes team.

“It’s been particularly helpful for me to get involved with this group, because a lot of them are ex-military and have an injury, so they know what you have gone through. We can talk about it and motivate each other.” 

Frank grew up in Ghana, West Africa before coming to the UK and now lives in Leeds. 

The Help For Heroes squad regularly get together for training ahead of a Grand Prix – usually the day before – so they can travel from their respective hosts to centrally-located Kettering. 

It has been and up and down 2023-24 season, with a spell spent in Tier 2, but they have battled back to regain their Tier 1 status and clinch the fourth and final qualifying spot for the Final Four. 

That will take place at the National Volleyball Centre this Sunday (17th March) along with the sixth and final Grand Prix of the season for the other competing teams. 

Frank said: “A number of our players have missed spells, myself included, because of surgery and that has had an effect on our results and meant we haven’t always done as well as we’d hoped. 

“The good thing is that we have a B team who play in Tier 2 and some of their players were able to move into the A team and get us through that period. 

“We have still managed to get in the top four and now we will have to see how we get on in this.” 

Also through to the final 4 are reigning champions Sitting Bucks, who are going for a third successive overall title, South Hants A and Salisbury Spitfires. 

The top two teams after a series of round-robin matches will go through to Cup Finals Weekend 2024, where 22 teams from across the age groups will come together to bid to become national champions. 

“I have only recently had my surgery, so I think I will be able to play a part in games, but maybe not the full games,” said Frank. 

“We have been to the finals before, but not won it, so it would be great to go that extra step this time, 

We perhaps will be seen as the underdogs, but with players now coming back, we are hopeful this time we can go one step further.”

Click here to view the Sitting Volleyball Grand Prix Series home page. 

Follow all the Volleyball across our social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.