SHAUNAVON — Â鶹´«Ã½AVwest Saskatchewan has always been a bit of a hotbed for volleyball.
And that interest has only grown with the establishment of new club volleyball programs in the area.
The Â鶹´«Ã½AVwest Raiders were originally formed in Fox Valley, but this season, they expanded to include Eastend and surrounding areas as a "sister" location.
This expansion was made possible by a group of individuals, including Josie and Mike Koolen, Sara and Darby Delorme, and Pam Sullivan, who wanted to provide a local option for volleyball players.
According to Sullivan, coach of the 14U team and one of the founders of the Eastend location, the group decided to form a base in Eastend to keep players from this corner of the province closer to home.
"There is a ton of talent in the Â鶹´«Ã½AVwest, and it's not always easy to get to the city if you are hoping to play club volleyball," explained Sullivan.
Organizers launched the program last fall and were overwhelmed by the response.
Forty-seven girls showed up for tryouts and the Eastend-based group was ultimately able to establish teams in the U14, U15 and U17 age groups.
The Eastend teams are led by experienced coaches. They include Haley Wagner and Emma Arndt (15U), Kendall Pavicic and Montana Graham (17U), and Pam Sullivan, Sara Delorme and Heidi Topham (14U).
The teams have an average of 9-10 players and practice at least twice a week.
Sullivan highlighted that the teams are made up of players from all over the region, including Maple Creek, Consul, Frontier, Gull Lake, Cabri, Shaunavon and Eastend.
The program's success is also attributed to the support of their sponsors and the Eastend school, which provides the teams with free use of the gym.
The 14U and 15U teams are unique in that they are "fair play" teams, ensuring equal play time for all players.
In contrast, the 17U team does not have this structure.
The Â鶹´«Ã½AVwest Raiders play against teams from across the province and must participate in at least two-thirds of Sask Volleyball Cup events to qualify for provincials.
Right now there are hopes to continue the program next season, with organizers expected to send out a call for players at schools across the district in the fall. Club teams are expected to be formed after the school volleyball year (usually the end of November).
Ultimately, coach Sullivan believes that the best part of the program is that the girls enjoy the competitiveness, development, and bonding, and notes that it's really about "doing it for the kids."
