The coaches

A great day watching Kalyn and Kalissa coach their U18 girls' volleyball team! So fun to see both of them in this role after watching them play together for years in the Academy Club Team and at SFU. When they played on the club team, they won the Canadian Championship in 2017, and it's awesome that they're now giving back to the club as coaches. Some of the parents had travelled over to the island to watch, and they had such positive comments about them. All said how much their daughters are enjoying playing for them and how much they're learning. So good to hear!
We were very impressed with the skill level of the girls on their team and on all the teams. As former athletes, coaches, and supporters of the young athletes in the family, G, Renata and I were in our element!  We and cousins DoogieVanIsle and Impy added numbers and noise ( plenty of noise!) to the fan section. The team played 4 matches, won the first, lost the next two, and had to play a 4th to decide whether they would stay in the top division at the upcoming provincial tournament. In that crucial match, they won the first set, lost the second, then convincingly won the third. Phew! 
A long day for us. We left home at 7:10am and got home at 9:45 pm, so we were tired. We could have made the 7:00 pm ferry but knew we wouldn't feel like cooking when we got home, so we stopped to pick up pizza and enjoyed a picnic in the car while waiting for the 9:00 pm.We're not going in today to watch the rest of the tournament, but Kalyn will let us know how the team does. I'm posting this on Sunday morning. We're looking forward to a relaxing day today.  :-)
I've included two extras of Kalyn and Kalissa, the first from 2016 and the second from 2017 that Renata had sent us when they were on trips with the Academy Club. Lucky she had them handy on her phone so I didn't have to search my files. Those two great friends and teammates are still gooofy!  
The tournament was held at Brentwood College School, a private school (Grades 8-12)in Mill Bay on Vancouver Island. The athletic facilities, indoor and outdoor, are incredible, far out of the reach of public schools in the province. There were 4 volleyball courts in the gym with plenty of room in between each for fans. I'm a staunch supporter of our public education system and had a short experience of 2 years teaching in another elite private school in Victoria that I did not enjoy at all. I could rant, but I won't!  Check out the tuition fees for 2024/25 at this school, obviously unaffordable for ordinary families! (from the school website)
Summary of Tuition Fees 2024/25
Please note that fees are subject to increase for the 2025/26 school year
All fees are in Canadian funds (CAD)
Tuition Fees & Payment Options 
Grade 8 Day $32,000
Day Student $37,000
BC Boarding  $68,000
Canadian Boarding (from other provinces) $69,000
U.S. Boarding $84,000
International Boarding $96,300