Forty-two young athletes attended Arcola Volleyball Camp IX on Aug. 29 and 30 at Arcola School, featuring instructors Dan Frazer of Saskatoon and Arcola's Eric Brown coaching participants from Arcola, Bellegarde, Carlyle, Estevan, Lampman, Redvers and Wawota.
Frazer, a former member of Team Saskatchewan, has played in the Western Canada Games and at the national level. Brown's experience as both a player and a coach is extensive and he has played on championship-winning teams in both the Southeast Saskatchewan Division and the Southeast Saskatchewan District as well as playing at the provincial and regional level, where he earned a silver medal.
Organizer Eugene Brown of Arcola says, “ There's been lots of interest and the camp was waitlisted. It's definitely about the young athletes, but it's also about volleyball as a sport.”
First-time participants Lillawhin Lay-Street and Faith Englot, both of Lampman say they would return to the camp.
“I've learned a lot,” says Lay-Street. “It's been really good and I've learned the proper way to do things.”
Adds Englot: “It's very helpful. You learn a lot. They're really great instructors and it's a really good camp.”
“It's great to see the beginners become enthusiastic about the game as they start to learn the fundamentals,” says Dan Frazer. “As instructors, both Eric and I come from volleyball backgrounds and we want to be supportive, but we also want to push them in a positive way towards their potential.”
“It's great for us to see the growth in players we've coached here before and to see the progress we've made.”
Insructor Eric Brown adds, “The kids are having fun; the instructors are having fun and we welcome players of any skill level.”
“It's really gratifying to see them learn more about the game and to enjoy the game. That's really what it's all about.”
