St. Marguerite Bourgeoys School Grade 7 students Tyler Watt and Janelle Agot are preparing to defend their first-place finishes in the upcoming Chinook's Edge Northern Athletic Association (CENAA) tournament in Sylvan Lake.
The gymnasium at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys is busy these days with the sights and sounds of enthusiastic badminton smashes, serves, volleys and drop shots. Grades 6 to 9 students have been practising since early March for the short badminton season and participated in the St. Francis of Assisi Middle School Invitational tournament held in Red Deer from April 14 to 22.
“We have good participation from our students,” said Grade 7 badminton coach Steve Jackson. “Of the 100 eligible students in our school, 50 have joined the badminton teams and competed once already.”
Coach Eric Tetreau is impressed with the students of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys.
“They are passionate on court and seem to thrive while playing badminton,” said Tetreau. “Every player enjoys the game immensely and it is good to see them on court so absorbed in game action.”
Jackson noted all St. Marguerite players were part of the St. Francis of Assisi Middle School Invitational but competed on different days.
“The Grade 6 kids played on April 14, Grade 7 kids on April 15, and Grade 8 students on April 16, while the Grade 9 team played on April 22,” said Jackson. “We did well as a team and had two first-place finishers, Tyler Watt, 12, and Janelle Agot, 13. Both won Grade 7 singles, boys and girls respectively.”
He said the next tournament is the CENAA event, which will run May 3 at Sylvan Lake's Ecole Fox Run and H J Cody schools with grades 7 to 9 participating, while the Grade 6 team will join Red Deer Catholic schools May 5 and 6 for their playoffs.
“Pending the results of CENAA, if any of our athletes take first or second, they will move on to the Central Western Alberta Junior High Athletic Association tournament on May 10, which will be hosted in Sylvan Lake,” added Jackson.
Team coaches Jen Volk (Grade 6), Steve Jackson (Grade 7), John Groenen (Grade 8) and Eric Tetreau (Grade 9) have prepared their athletes for success, holding practices before school, at lunchtime and after school depending on what other school events are scheduled.
“This last week was tougher for practices,” said Jackson. “We had Easter week, and this week we have parent-teacher interviews, and hopefully by next week we will be back to normal so we can prepare for CENAA and beyond.”
