Lancers game for school sports

Bishop Lloyd Lancers boys and girls volleyball teams are gearing up for city-wide championships this Saturday at College Park School following Saskatchewan School Sports Week. From left: players Jory Wagner, Konlon Topp, coach Brad Holfeld, Daryl Levitsky and Lindsay Randall. Geoff Lee Meridian Source

 

Some players on the Lancers boys’ and girls’ volleyball teams at Bishop Lloyd Middle School are heading to the city championships this Saturday knowing winning isn’t everything.

That point was voiced during some interviews with players during this year’s Saskatchewan School Sport Week in advance of the playoffs to be held at College Park School on Oct. 22.

For players like Daryl Levitsky on the girls’ team, school sports mean the world.

“You go out there, have fun, leave it on the court. It’s a great way to have fun, communicate, meet new people get out of your shell a little,” she said in the school gym.

Levitsky is also hoping the Lancers can do well against teams from the public and Catholic school divisions and Onion Lake First Nation having won the districts last year.

“I’m getting really hyped. It’s going to be a good, good team, good sportsmanship. It’s going to be a great way to end the volleyball season,” said Levitsky. 

“I’d say we got a good chance, probably three and a half out of four. I think we can do it,” she said.

Jory Wagner on the boys’ team is also optimistic about going into the city championships.

“We’ve got a really good chance of winning,” said Wagner.

He also plays badminton and for him, school sports are a great way to interact with friends and improve your game skills and social skills.

“It’s a great way to meet other people,” he said, noting he also gets to travel with the volleyball team. 

“It’s fun meeting other teams.”

Phys-ed teacher and volleyball coach Brad Holfeld also chimed in about the value of school sports with volleyball, cross county running in full swing and basketball to start in November.

Holfeld thinks school sports are a huge part of the learning experience for his Grades 7-9 students.

“It gets them active and helps them to stay within the school and gives them something to strive for and not just being an academic student,” he said.

“It keeps their brains focused on different tasks at hand.”

His aim in the gym is to teach kids the basics and also learn about winning and losing with the school’s A volleyball team being more competitive than the B.

“It’s about being a teammate and learning the processes of sports,” he said.

He says sports aren’t necessarily just about participation.

“I enjoy watching the kids succeed and when they learn new skills and see the look on their faces when they’ve finally done it or when you win that championship and the time you’ve put in is a rewarding factor,” said Holfeld.

The Grade 9 athletes can also participate at the provincials in events like county country and track and field.

When he was a schoolboy, Holfeld played volleyball, basketball, badminton and some track.

These days, aside from teaching and coaching school sports, he also refs local hockey games.

His passion for sports is shared by student-athlete Konlon Topp.

“I love volleyball. It’s been my main sport for a couple of years now,” he said.

“It’s been really competitive and it’s been really fun and I’m enjoying the school season a lot.” 

Topp also thinks the boys’ Lancers have a good shot to claim the championships.

“We have a very good team this year, lots of talent,” he said.

This year Lindsay Randall is playing girls’ volleyball after playing basketball and badminton a year ago, and she loves all the school sports.

“It means a lot to me. It’s really good for social interaction with other friends, especially Grade 7 and 8s,” said Randall.

“It’s really nice to get out and get active and meet other people from other schools as well.”

author avatar
Geoff Lee
Add a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *