17U Girls Win National Championship Bronze

The U17 girls finished the season off on a high note, winning Bronze at the National Championship in Ottawa this past weekend.

I had prepared a lengthy summary detailing our play at Nationals, but since this is my last write up of the season, I decided to focus more on our amazing team and how they got to this point.

To compete at this level of volleyball, you need to have the commitment of each and every player. This team gave exactly that and then some. Each and every player contributed to the team’s success this year and should be very proud of their accomplishments. This year, in the U17 age group this team has gained 2 Golds, 1 Silver, Provincial Silver, and National Bronze (THIRD in Canada is pretty impressive!!!).

A crucial reason we achieved the goals above is because of our coach, Curtis Gilfillan (take note; it’s a name to remember). He has been absolutely instrumental to this team’s success. He has managed to motivate these girls with his knowledge, passion and determination, resulting in their successful finish. This is no easy task. If you’re a parent of any teenage girls, you know the challenges involved. Curtis had to deal with not just 1 teenage girl, but 10, and still managed to keep all of his hair!

We have shared many great memories, with numerous games, which had many teams wishing they could be a part of such an amazing group. We have developed strong friendships that will last a lifetime. It has been a special year; one we will all cherish.

Special thanks to all the parents for the great meals, superb hotel accommodations, dependable lines people, budgeting, and countless hours of driving.

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