Local youth chases her dream
Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter
The school volleyball season may be over for the year, but for one Strathmore teen club volleyball is in full swing. Power hitter Rhiece Cordes played on her Holy Cross Collegiate (HCC) team, and has begun her second season with the 403 Selects out of Calgary.
Many of Cordes’ family plays, or have played, volleyball, and mom Nicole Cordes is the coach of the Jr A HCC girls team. Darren Perizzolo, Cordes’ gym teacher, was the one who suggested she try out for the 403 Selects and she has been happy to be a part of it since.
“I love it, it’s great,” said Cordes.
“Club volleyball is a more intense version of volleyball. I would say I’m learning at a faster pace just because it’s more committed. There are a lot of other clubs out there but 403 is really based on having a family sort of experience with the girls, and just really having an experience that will sort of affect your life, and not just volleyball.”
This month Cordes will be heading to San Jose with her 15U team to compete in a 16U tournament. Gaining experience, and focusing on further developing skills is just one more thing Nicole Cordes likes about having Rhiece play with the 403.
“The club really focuses on the younger ages and developing their skills, really focusing on developing the skills very well so when they get to the higher levels they have that totally down,” said Nicole.
“The reason they go to the States is the club believes that it’s really good exposure for the girls, because that’s where the colleges and universities in the US scout for players for scholarships.
“All the girls on the 18U team that played last year, I think all of them got a scholarship somewhere. That’s the club’s goal is to have you leave after 18U and with a scholarship to somewhere.”
Last year the club had a chance to go to Stanford University and look around. Rhiece said it was a good experience because it helps give a heads up on what the players may be looking for as far as universities.
“I always talk about Stanford a lot because it would be really cool to go there, but I’m not totally sure. I think I want to go somewhere kind of further away from home…just because it would be a really good experience and just to travel and see different parts of the world,” said Rhiece.
Provincials will be held in Calgary this year, and nationals are in Toronto in May. Rhiece said every year the girls also do a training session in Canmore. The team spends the weekend together in a house and they fill their days in the gym training.
Rhiece has also been playing ringette since she was in Grade 3, and said next year she may have to give it up if the 403 Selects ask her back. Practice takes place three days a week. The team will have a chance to play in three Alberta Volleyball Association tournaments, provincials, and nationals.