INNISFAIL – The junior girls' volleyball team at Innisfail High School has started the season in the win column.
“We’re very excited about the season,” said Dean Woroniuk, athletic director and one of three volleyball coaches. “We started practising here at the beginning of September.”
This year the team joined the City A league, a Tier 1 league that female volleyball players belonged to about five years ago, said Woroniuk, noting the league consists of four schools from Red Deer, one from Sylvan Lake and one from Innisfail.
“We’ve had two exhibition games so far and we have five league games (in the regular season),” he said. “We’ve already had two home games and we are 2-0 in the league so far.
“We’re off to a really good start.”
Woroniuk noted some reasons behind their early success.
“This is a group of girls who are very dedicated. The girls are coming to practice and they’re eager to learn,” he said, adding they practise two or three times a week.
The team has 12 players this year, including two Grade 8 students and 10 Grade 9 students. In addition to Woroniuk, Jannette Charlton and Bob Klatt co-coach the team.
Woroniuk said the school does not have a senior girls' team this year due to a lack of players. They joined the City A league this year to help build up the volleyball program at the school.
“The very last tournament is the Central West Alberta Junior High Athletic Association (CWAJHAA) in mid-November. If we’re good enough and I think we will be, we’ll qualify for that last (CWAJHAA) tournament.”
Success is not always about skills and technique, he noted.
“The very first thing we are trying to develop with all these kids is self-esteem and confidence,” said Woroniuk. “Our goal is definitely to win. We’re a competitive team, but it’s also important to make sure their self-esteem and confidence are developed.”
Teamwork is also important, he said.
“You support each other, encourage each other and you do your absolute best for each other,” he added. “Skills come with practice.”
Woroniuk said another goal is to improve as a team throughout the season.
“Were they a solid team by the end of the year? That’s going to be our measurement of success,” he said.
“This is a young team, just starting their volleyball careers. We are hoping to continue that and inspire them to continue all the way up to Grade 12 and even further,” Woroniuk concluded.
