Tiger cubs

Dal Tiger Sasha Kosanov plays varsity volleyball and coaches the Tigers 14U club team. (Nick Pearce Photo)

When does the development of a varsity athlete occur? Is it when he or she is recruited to join the team or when he or she shows up for the first practice of the season?

For Tigers’ volleyball players, male and female, the development of the future varsity athletes is happening as early as age 12.

“What we’re doing is giving high-level coaching to assist with the development of these up-and-coming volleyball players,” says Rick Scott, coach of the women’s team, who last year started the Tigers Volleyball Club.

The Tigers Volleyball Club hosts a number of teams which compete against other clubs throughout the province. The Tigers field teams for 14-and-under girls, 16-and-under girls, 18-and-under girls, 16-and-under boys and 18-and-under boys.

'Learning to win and lose'

“What I want to emphasize is that we aim to give these kids a very positive experience, teaching them about commitment, hard work, being a team player, learning to win and lose, leadership and confidence,” says Mr. Scott, who coaches the 16-and-under girls team. Last year, he brought the fledgling team all the way to the nationals in Sherbrooke, Quebec after winning Nova Scotia provincial championships.

The benefits aren’t only reaped by the young athletes, but by the coaches, many of whom are players on the Tigers varsity teams.

“For me, that’s important. By having our girls involved, as coaches and assistant coaches, and helping with tryouts, they’re modeling behavior. They’re committed, they show up, they give it their all,” says Mr. Scott. He’s proud of his varsity players and how they’re able to balance sports, school and community involvement. “That’s so important for these younger players to see.”

One of those coaches is Sasha Kosanov, head coach of the 14-and-under girls team and the “setter” on the varsity women’s team. She’s thrilled to work with 12 and 13-year-olds, who are as fired up about volleyball as she is. “They’re keen and good listeners and very dedicated,” she says.

Finding balance

She adds her players are proud to wear the black and gold of a Tigers team. “I think that’s important for them, to be associated with Dalhousie and having Rick Scott involved. Right off the bat, they know this is serious. They’re there to play volleyball and work hard.”

Reta Handrahan, a Grade 7 student at Cornwallis Jr. High, hopes the skills she learns will help her develop as a player and achieve her eventual goal of playing high school and under-18 club volleyball.

"It’s been really productive so far," she says. “The coaches know a lot and are teaching us a lot about volleyball."

But coaching in addition to training and playing a varsity sport can be tough, especially when you’re going to university. A transfer student from Ryerson, Ms. Kosanov is studying sociology and sustainability at Dal. As a varsity player, she attends practice everyday, trains with weights two times a week and is usually playing a game, at home or on the road, every weekend.

“You know what? It’s all part of life. If there’s schoolwork, you have to get it done and if it takes all night, it takes all night,” she says. “Balancing your schedule and managing your time are important to learn too.”

Update: The Tiger’s women’s volleyball team played in the AUS championships, but lost against UNB in the semi finals on February 19.