Congratulations to the Duchess Park senior boys volleyball team for winning the double-A provincial championship over the weekend in Victoria.
For these players, the B.C. title is the pinnacle of a career that began in elementary school and playing club volleyball. Thousands of hours of practice, games and travel, as well as the time and financial support of devoted parents, went into that successful deciding match.
All Prince George high school teams put in the same kind of effort but only the fortunate few get to celebrate a provincial championship and see a banner hoisted in their school gymnasium as a permanent record of that accomplishment. So equal congratulations go out to the College Heights senior boys team for finishing fifth in B.C. in the same tournament, the Cedars boys team for finishing third in the single-A senior boys provincial and all of the high school volleyball teams for another great season.
Champions or not, every player on every team is creating special memories and learning valuable lessons that will benefit them in all aspects of their lives going forward. Some players will be fortunate enough to earn post-secondary athletic scholarships and continue to play and develop.
Basketball now takes over the winter high school sports schedule.
If it’s been years or decades since you’ve stepped into a high school gym, treat yourself in the new year and go support a local team during an upcoming tournament. You’ll be impressed by the skills, speed, determination, and sportsmanship. And bring some earplugs. As the volume and the energy inside a gym hosting a tournament shows, the players, coaches, families and friends take these efforts seriously.
You don’t even need to be a sports fan to get caught up in the excitement and to feel proud of Prince George’s young sports ambassadors.
Editor-in-chief Neil Godbout
