It is by no means big, but it is bold.
Three teams this fall have joined together to make a North Shore senior boys volleyball league, a notable achievement given the fact that there hasn’t been such a league in these parts for more than two decades.
Argyle, Bodwell and Brockton are the three teams taking part in the league, playing out a double round robin schedule that is already underway and will wrap up in early November. The league is the passion project of a small number of volleyball crazies on the North Shore, notably Argyle head coach Shon Sim who has been working for years to get the sport going again for boys after it fizzled out in the 1990s.
“I started when my son was three. He’s 14 now,” said Sim, adding that having a league with just three teams isn’t ideal, but he’s happy just to get the ball rolling. “I was like, I’ve been trying to do this for 11 years now, so if we can get a league going, Argyle, we’re in. We’ll figure it out.”
Last year Sim ran a successful season at Argyle, where the Pipers became the first North Shore public school to field a senior boys volleyball team since the ’90s.
The Pipers, who played in a Vancouver league last year, started pounding right away, winning the Lower Mainland AAA title before finishing eighth at the provincial championships.
This summer it looked like there was enough interest to start a five-team North Shore league, but when it came time to actually hit the court only three teams were fully ready to commit.
For Brockton School head coach Shannon Leggett, it’s exciting just to be part of something bold and new. The Lynn Valley-based private school has a tiny enrollment – there are just 15 Grade 11 and 12 boys registered – and is fielding a senior volleyball team for the first time in school history.
“It’s been an amazing experience. It’s been quite challenging also,” said Leggett. There are only seven players on the Brockton squad, and one of the team leaders and co-captains happens to be a Grade 12 girl, Madison Spence.
“Madison Spence I do believe is the only girl playing with senior boys in the province. … She’s a fantastic player,” said Leggett, adding that Spence is one of only three players on the team with previous volleyball experience. “It’s not just that she’s absorbing the big hits against Argyle or against Langley Christian, ranked No. 1 in the province for AA, but being able to lead these boys and have boys look up to (her).”
Brockton has taken its lumps against teams like Argyle and Bodwell – a team that will contend for a spot in AA provincials this year – but the competition has been good for them as they attempt to make it to the “A” provincial championships in their first season, said Leggett. No matter what happens this year, Brockton will be back for more next year.
“We’re not going anywhere,” said Leggett. “We’re for sure going to continue to be a part of this league that Shon helped to create for the boys.”
From what he’s seen in his little North Shore league, Sim thinks all three teams have a shot at making provincials in their respective tiers this season. And he’s hoping that more teams come on board for an expanded North Shore league next season. Sentinel has a junior program up and running and Mulgrave already has a senior team playing in the Greater Vancouver Independent Schools Athletic Association that could also potentially join a North Shore league.
It may not be a huge league, but it looks like Sim will accomplish his goal of having a league up and running by the time his son is ready to hit the senior ranks.
“I just wanted him to have the opportunity to play high school ball. It’s finally coming to fruition,” he said. “Next year we should be able to add a couple of teams and see what happens. … Everyone is wanting to play more matches, and having them on the North Shore makes everything easier.”
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Argyle is hosting a 12-team senior boys tournament this weekend, with matches running all day Friday and Saturday and championship games scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Five of the top-15 ranked AAA teams in the province are playing in the tournament.
In girls volleyball action several of the top teams in the province will be in town this weekend for the annual North Shore Senior Girls Volleyball Invitational co-hosted by Handsworth and West Van. North Shore teams Handsworth, Carson Graham and West Vancouver will take part in the 16-team event along with standouts such as No. 6-ranked AAAA school Lord Byng as well as Little Flower and Crofton House, the first- and second-ranked teams at the AAA level. Games run Friday afternoon and all day Saturday with championship finals Saturday at 4:30 p.m. at Handsworth.
