The Tournament; some insights

Words by Toshi Gotoda

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The 2025 Snow Spike Tournament took place last weekend and it was a great success. 6 teams including 3 from HIS, 1 from KIUA (girls), and 2 from CIS played and over the few days of the tournament, new friendships, rivalries, and memories were made. Out of all of our players however, we have decided to interview Mareto, the current team captain and a senior who will be leaving next year, Theo, a junior who will be leaving this year, and Akito, a junior who will be most likely stepping into the shoes of Mareto the following year. 

1) Interviewing Akito

How are you preparing to take on the role of captain next season? 

"I am asking the coach and the current captain of this team what I could do to improve on to become a better captain and while doing so try to implicate the advice I have received from both of them into our games and practices."

What did you learn from the current captain that you plan to carry forward?

"I learned that being the captain isn't always about just being the best on the team but to have the mindset of a captain. You should always keep your head up during the games, never be negative towards your teammates, and always support your teammates in any way possible,"

What are some goals you have for the team next year, and how do you plan to achieve them?

"My goals are to win the next WJAA volleyball tournament and improve as a team because we are losing some of our key players next school year. I am planning on better and more consecutive practices and those ideas are still being talked about with the coach"

Akito going to spike the volleyball

2) Interviewing Theodore

How has your experience been on the team, and what will you miss the most after you leave?

"The experience I had on the team is probably something I will never experience in my life again… We basically all started volleyball around the same time, grew together, and pushed each other to get better, which is why we became such a strong team in the span of a couple of years. But this wouldn’t have been possible at all without Coach B and his heavy experience in volleyball and coaching since we literally had no one to ask about volleyball but him"

What personal growth have you seen in yourself as an athlete and a teammate over the past year(s)?

"Physically, I’ve noticed I’ve developed much better reaction speed, a higher vertical jump, and all the other volleyball-specific skills like passing, serving, hitting, etc. Outside of that, I’ve become a much more communicative, focused/active, and very reflective teammate than before"

How do you plan to stay involved with volleyball or your team after graduation?

"I still have one more year of high school, so I’ll try to join a team when I move to the U.S. If I can’t, I’ll keep playing at a YMCA or something"

Theo spiking the volleyball

3) interviewing Mareto

How did you feel about the team’s performance during this tournament? Were there any standout moments for you?

"The team did amazing throughout the tournament and the passion that everyone demonstrated really amazed me. One of the moments that stood out to me is the warm ups, that it made the whole team feel together"

Looking back on your career, what advice would you give to the younger players who are still developing their skills?

"As a developing player, listening to the coach and actively trying to improve is the best way to get better"

With the season wrapping up, what legacy do you hope to leave with your team?

"I hope to leave a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the team and the winning mindset for the team to improve and continue with the success for the future. (Kaizen)"

Mareto spiking the volleyball

With that, we would like to thank Coach Bossaer, Mr Rankin, the fans, and lastly the players for making this tournament come true. The weekend was filled with positive vibes, and hopefully, we will get to see this event take place again next year at our home court: HIS.

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