Members on the Team Alberta U16 volleyball squad won't soon forget this year's North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) after bringing home the silver medal.
Comprised of players from First Nations communities across the province, including Kehewin, Goodfish (Whitefish) Lake, and Kehewin, they touched down in Toronto, ON on July 16.
“We didn't really know what to think when we got there. We didn't really know how good teams were. I almost started thinking, ‘what have I gotten myself into?'” said head coach Lorne Cuthand.
The team would play a fast -paced, double round robin style tournament. They had to be in top physical form to keep up with the 10 matches in a four-day schedule.
It didn't take long for the squad to settle in, as they handled their first three games with ease.
“Once we got on the court and started beating teams, I was like ‘oh, okay, we're actually doing pretty good.' We won all of our matches against the Yukon, Ontario, and Manitoba without dropping a set,” explained Cuthand.
The team would drop their final match of the first round robin to an undefeated Saskatchewan side.
Day two of round robin play mirrored the opening day. Again Team Alberta made short work of the rest of the field, before dropping their final match to Team Saskatchewan 2-1.
“I knew they were going to be tough competition for us. I had a friend who played with them and said they were amazing volleyball players,” said team captain Samson Houle, of Whitefish Lake.
Second place finishes on both of the first two days were enough to secure the Alberta team a spot in the semi finals against Ontario.
After dispatching the host province for a third and final time 2-0, the team faced a final showdown with a determined Team Saskatchewan.
In what ended up being a defensive battle, Saskatchewan once again proved victorious.
“They beat us in straight sets, but I think the one game was 30-28. That was one of the most exciting moments of the games. With all the defence and pickups, fans were screaming and yelling. It was an awesome experience,” exclaimed Cuthand.
Proud of what they had done, there were no sad faces on the Alberta sideline when they lined up for their silver medals.
“It means the world to me, this was my goal. My friend Mason and I were the only ones from our reserve (Whitefish Lake) to bring back medals. It's a big accomplishment we are really proud of,” said Houle.
Before they were Team Alberta, Cuthand entered the group into league play, under the name Treaty Six Volleyball Club (TSVC).
Originally Cuthand started coaching the team to get First Nations youth involved in volleyball. He later realized joining the league turned into the best way to prepare for the NAIG.
“I think us being together as a team for all those months got us ready for these games,” said Cuthand. “We're the only First Nations club volleyball team in Alberta. That's a big reason why we started this; you didn't see a lot of First Nations in the club system before.”
The team will stick together next year, entering into the U17 division in league play. If all goes according to plan, Cuthand hopes to keep the group together through U18, and then into the next NAIG.
“I'm a really firm believer in the power of sport, because I believe it can take our youth places. My goal is for a lot of them to play club, hopefully get scouted and take it to the next level. As for the TSVC, our goal is NAIG 2020.”
