There's a lot that goes on behind the scenes before the school sports seasons begin, and one of the people behind that momentum is Vice Principal and Athletic Director Walter Giesbrecht, who has been hard at work throughout the year making sure everything is ready to go.
And when does he start getting ready to jump into the world of sports for a new school year?
“Right away... I think for the last few weeks we've been trying to arrange coaches and make sure all coaches are in place, and we're pretty close on that and making sure schedules are set. And prepping the soccer field and those types of things, so on our end, that job has already been going for a while.”
This fall, volleyball, soccer, and cross country are all starting up immediately, with hockey and basketball to follow later in the year.
The beginnings of tournament planning
It may surprise some to learn just how far in advance Giesbrecht and his colleagues are setting things up.
“I've been the varsity basketball coach-slash-coordinator for a long time. The season ends in March and, maybe three weeks after that, I'm starting to plan tournaments for the next year. So that's something that goes, I would say that's almost throughout the year where we're working on that stuff.”
By June, most tournaments are already locked in, with just the occasional change or addition once fall arrives.
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How students get involved
The real excitement kicks off once students arrive back at school.
“We'll have an assembly, and we'll talk about which teams are having try-outs. So like I said, soccer and volleyball, they're gonna begin right away, like on the first day of school. And so we'll mention that the assembly and also on our GVC Zodiac's Facebook and Instagram page, we have updates as to when try-outs are and when practices are.”
For those wanting to make a strong impression, Giesbrecht encourages preparation beyond official practices.
“You'll never go wrong having a strong cardio base. Go for some runs and get your fitness level up … get some friends, go to the beach volleyball court, go to the soccer pitch, just play for fun... You can increase your skill level, but also just enjoy the game.”
Tournaments booked and coaches ready, the stage is set for another year of competition at GVC.