Standing on the podium at the national volleyball championships in Edmonton on May 17, with silver medals hanging from their necks, the girls of the U15 Kodiaks had come a long way since the start of the season.
Their organization, the Cochrane Volleyball Club, did not exist 12 months prior. In its first year of operation, the Kodiaks, which were founded to give local talent a team to play for, keeping them in the community instead of seeing them head off to Calgary, exceeded all expectations that its co-founder and coach had set for them.
“We definitely wanted the girls to compete at a high level, but the biggest thing we wanted was for the kids to have fun and play hard,” said Kodiaks coach Chelsea Stedford, who founded the Cochrane Volleyball Club with her husband Ivo. “In the end, medals come and go, but the experiences they get from working hard and having fun will last a lifetime.”
Over three days the Kodiaks played nine matches, culminating in a gruelling playoff schedule. A quarter-final win over BC’s North Shore Stars and a semi-final victory against the Vermillion Rustlers set up a gold medal match against a team from Victoria.
Match wins and silver medals aside, Stedford said the foundation of the Kodiaks club is simple; the club is trying to meet the needs of the community. Stedford added she is passionate about kids and volleyball, and her and her husband wanted to have a program that Cochrane could call its own.
Although the Kodiaks may be a new organization, the team itself has had years to develop. Stedford has been coaching the same group of girls for three years, and the silver medal win was more of a culmination of years of built-up camaraderie than pure luck.
As is the case with more community-oriented club team athletics, the Cochrane Volleyball Club was organized to give players in Cochrane a place to play outside of school. Most, if not all of Cochrane’s volleyball players who strive to compete for club teams, had to go to Calgary to play.
The Cochrane Volleyball Club began operations with just one team because it's hard to find volunteer coaches and get the necessary facility time. Cochrane sporting teams have outgrown the town’s facilities, said Rhonda Bartel, the Kodiaks team manager.
“The goal at the outset was to provide an opportunity to play volleyball in the community,” said Bartel. “Most girls are going to the city so [the Stedford’s] goal was to provide an opportunity for players to learn, grow, and develop in Cochrane."
Bartel said new clubs, like the Kodiaks, start on the lowest rung of the competitive ladder, and slowly work their way up the seeding as the season goes along. This year’s goal was to grow the program from ground zero, Bartel said, which was undoubtedly a success. Next year the Kodiaks plan to play three teams; U15 girls, U16 girls, and a U12 co-ed team.
Stedford said the Kodiaks are trying to meet the needs of the community and offer a volleyball program for families both inside and outside Cochrane. But Stedford said the Kodiaks can’t run without the support of the community, which she says has been "overwhelming." Volunteers and community groups stepped forward this season to help fundraise and run the team.
The team “had awesome sponsors” that helped with the costs associated with running a volleyball club, and the players parents were “extremely supportive.” The players themselves progressed well throughout the year, Stedford said.
And that, for Stedford, is what it’s all about. Yes, wins and losses matter, as they do for any coach or athlete, but Stedford and her husband started the club to do more than just win. “It’s about the skills they learn,” she said, adding that she wants to see the community more involved as the club goes into its second season.
“I want to support the young athletes in the community, but it takes a lot more support to help it grow,” Stedford said.
