Things are looking great for the athletic programs in Carman, and Athletic Director at the Collegiate, James Ballantyne, couldn't be more excited about it all.
Soccer
One of the most popular at Carman School is the soccer program, and Ballantyne believes it could be a special year. "Right now, we're only running a girls soccer program," he explains. "We hadn't had a team for five or six years, but now, we have a great coach, Michelle Froese, who's come in and really got things going. Our numbers are growing and growing. Last year, we played in tier two, and came out as champions. This year, we're in the tier two league again, there's a lot of interest, and the kids are loving it."
Team sports teach a lot, something Ballantyne is very proud of. "It's a lifetime sport, too," he says with a smile. "More and more community leagues are giving kids the opportunity to play. We're hopeful in the next couple of years we can have a boys program. Right now, Carman Minor Soccer numbers are bigger and bigger every year, so we're hoping to give everyone an opportunity, because it's a great game, and a lifetime game."
The numbers in certain programs go up and down, given the ages that are in Carman Collegiate, something Ballantyne is well aware of. "We're a smaller school, but we're still trying to run a bit of everything. That can be challenging, whether it's students or finding coaches. We do want to offer everything we can for the kids, and it's not always possible, but we do our best to make it happen, when we can."
Volleyball
A very popular sports in school across the province is volleyball, and Carman is no exception, according to Ballantyne. "I think that in my time here, there's no sport that has become more popular, especially on the girls side. Our numbers in seven and eight are really high, and going into JV, we had upward of 20 kids trying out. It's super popular, and a lot of those kids are playing club and playing throughout the year, so there's a lot of volleyball, that's for sure."
Hockey
When talking about perhaps the strongest program, Ballantyne is quick to point out hockey, thanks to the people involved. "We're really lucky to have Mike Heatherington back coaching our team, and he has for a number of years now. The boys are coming off a second place finish at provincials, and a second place finish in the league last year. So, a really strong finish last year, but there will be some losses, there will be some younger kids getting a chance. They're going through the tryout process right now, and they have 20 plus kids. I'm sure with the coaching staff, they'll get the guys rolling and into good shape before long."
Cross Country
"Cross Country program is one that's filled with multi-sport athletes," Ballantyne explains. "Often time they're out running because they are trying to get in shape for hockey, some of them just love to run. We know it's a challenging sport, so it can be a tougher sell, but more kids are getting out, running, and falling in love with the sport."
Golf
Living in Manitoba, it's a short window for golf, but it does happen. "It's a short season, for sure," Ballantyne says with a chuckle. "We're really looking at a tryout process, then playing in the Zone Championship. We fielded a boys and girls team. Boys, we had ten kids try out, and girls, we had a team that finished second. The boys were a little further back, but lots of grade nine and ten boys, and hopefully they can develop and challenge for the banner in a couple years."
Basketball
"Basketball has always been really popular in our building," Ballantyne says with a smile. "This year, we're hosting the JV Provincials coming up in March, and that's exciting, I'll be involved with that. We have a great group of guys. We're hoping to have varsity boys and girls programs, though we're not totally sure how the girls program will look yet. But, it's a sport we've traditionally been strong in, and often had competitive teams."
Curling
Another program that's available and on the way up is curling, says Ballantyne. "We've had some really strong groups. Dee-ann McCullough is one of our teachers here, she's run the youth and school program. Every year, we're fielding teams, both boys and girls. We haven't got that set or organized yet, but we're confident we'll have some kids wanting to curl this year.
Student pride
Representing Carman Collegiate is a real point of pride for the student-athletes, and Ballantyne couldn't be prouder of all those kids that are involved. "I think one of the things I love about our school is kids really do get the opportunity to do lots. There are challenges with a smaller school, but the benefit is that kids get a chance to play. A spot like badminton, we'll have 100 kids playing badminton, when you're a school that 250 high school students, that's outstanding. I love that we can give kids opportunity to play, support them, and it's a lot of fun. For coaches, it's a great chance to connect with your students, and give those kids a chance to enjoy their high school careers."