‘Volle Vball Supplement Ryan Henley in for the Royals Tara Legare On the sidelines, Ryan Henley stands in his warm-up jersey beside some of his resting teammates. He watches intently as the rest of the Douglas Royals volleyball players set and spike the volleyball, losing their serve to Prince George. A time out is called and Henley is the first to congratulate the players, tapping their heads or patting their backs as they gather around Brian Newman, whom he believes is the man who will continue to be the coach for the national. team. He smiles as he listens to the new strategy, and nods his head in quiet approval. After the huddle, the game resumes until the announcer pro- claims, “Ryan Henley in for the Royals.” As number two, he sprints onto the court, slaps hands with the other five players, and prepares himself to work his usual magic. “In high school, I played a bit of basketball and I was really involved in baseball. I played until grade twelve. But I became really interested in volleyball when we made it to the provincials,” Henley says in a reminiscent voice. Henleys love of the game exceeded all of his expectations. Being on that volleyball team while in grade nine at New Westmin- ster Secondary and qualifying Coralie Hiemstra Pierre Florendo Middle position doesn’t get a lot of notice, but it is arguably the most important. Without the middle, kills would be much, much harder to deal with, as the attacker has less opposition while up .- x near the net. Without the middle, kills would be harder to accomplish, since the middle is used to “fake” a kill, thus drawing a blocker away from the real attack. Middles run for the “quick hits.” The combination of quick sprints, blocks, and saves makes middles the most versatile and demanding position. Coralie Hiemstra is a third year veteran middle for the Royals. She went to Earl Marriot HS in White Rock. While there, she played volleyball, basketball, and soccer. She also went horse- back riding. But, she says, “Sports is my life.” We asked how someone so sports-oriented decided on volleyball as her sport. She admits it was difficult to choose. “It was tough to choose between basketball and volleyball. I love them both. But my basketball coach wasn't very encouraging. In volleyball, they were.” a Fa) ( sorry for the person receiving that kill to play in both the BC Summer Games and the provincials guaranteed Henley’s desire to pursue the sport. “Volleyball is an exciting game made up of concentration and skill,” he states proudly. “Henley for the side out,” echoes through the gymnasium. Once again, he is aiding his team towards another win. In Henley’s second year of studying Physical Education at Douglas College, this graceful six foot three player was switched from being a power hitter to a setter. “Being a setter allows me to be in control of the game,” he says. “I used to be a catcher in baseball, which is a position all about control. So, it was an easy transition from power hitter.” Could he be called the star setter? No. “There are no stars on this team. We all work hard. We're a team made up of excellent players, lead by the best coach I’ve ever worked with,” number two insists. The Royals have won their third game of the set and are gathering around Coach Newman at their bench. They begin to strip _ themselves of sweaty jerseys - and replace them with sweatshirts, remove their sneakers and substitute them with sandals. Through smiles and friendly wrestling, it is easy to see that this team has Coralie has 8 years of experience, both indoor and beach volleyball. Which one does she prefer? Sur- prise—she likes them both. “They both have good quali- ties. Indoor has set plays and team feeling. Beach is more competitive, but more fun because you're out on the beach and in the sun...” Between work at De Dutch Pannekoek House, school, and volleyball, leisure time is very rare. “When I have time, I go to Fitness World for conditioning. And I become more than a group of sure that he will make a players. They have become living playing his favourite comrades. “It’s not about just sport or if hell be on a beach one player; we're working to in Hawaii with a volleyball build a team. AndI think we and a pina colada. But what all believe that,” says Henley everyone who watches him in a relaxed tone, sitting next play can predict and everyone to me in his casual attire. The men who play for the Douglas Royals are beginning to train for their next run at the 1999 provincials. Henley believes that without preparing yourself mentally for every game, there's no chance for a win. “There are a lot of volleyball players out there, a lot of teams, that are physi- cally fit and ready. But we need to be mentally prepared if we're going to be ready for the provincials,” he states, glancing around the empty- ing gymnasium in an attempt to locate his friends. Unsure of what he wants to do when he retires from Douglas, Henley is thinking about one or two years at University. But if there is one thing that he knows for sure, it’s that he’s having a great time where he is. “I think the one thing I'll never forget about these last two years is the friendships and bonds we've all made.” Last year, at eighteen, he helped his team earn a trip to the nationals where they placed fifth. No one knows what is ahead of him or where his talents will take him. No one can predict for have a boyfriend. But I'm handling it,” she says happily. Currently, she’s in General Studies, but __ she's going to transfer. | “T'm taking Business ' _ courses. I used to “+ want to be a massage therapist, but I wasn't sure, so I didn’t want to go into it until I was sure. I figure business is a good basis to have for any profession.” As she is a veteran on the team, we asked about the way she related to less-experienced players. She admits a a. bit of awkwardness. “My first year here was so much fun. As I got older, I felt old. This year I felt like, ‘they're so young. I'm going to have a hard time relating to them...’ But it’s good to see the young ones come out and develop as a team. This year we have a new setter—Ashley [Todd]. It was a bit of a struggle at first, but now me and her are definitely connected.” We asked if she liked her position. Why did she choose middle? As it turns out, “I didn’t have a choice in who hears him speak knows is that Ryan Henley does the sports page, his name will become a common association with the sport of volleyball. To the notion of a life in the spotlight, he blushes. And with those red cheeks, he concludes what has been evident since he first stepped foot on the court. “Just gear Henley orchestrates another attack everything with a whole heart. He has been told that his face will cover the front of the matter. But I don’t mind. In practice I play all posi- tions, and in beach I’m not the worst passer out there. It would be fun to be a power or an offside, but...” We wondered how Coralie prepared herself for a game. Apparently, it’s always on her mind, even when sleeping. “I usually dream about it the night before. I try and get up very early— sometimes I have to work before a game. I try to eat a good breakfast. I visualize the game with the right music and the right atmos- phere. When I get to the gym, I'm just confident and ready to go.” What does she think the greatest strength of her team is? Diversity. “In other teams, you know that this person and that person get set to the most and can put the ball away, or you should serve the ball to these people, they can’t pass. With our team, I imagine it’s kinda scary [to be the opposing team] sitting in the class- room before a game, watch- ing the whole team be good. Even the people that come off the bench ate very skilled players.” We complemented the team for its teamwork. this towards the guys. I’m only one person.” She thanked us for the compliment. “Out of the six months of our season, we spend a lot of the days of the week together. Right now, it seems that everyone is so focused on volleyball. It’s really nice.” We asked how far she was going to take her game and if she would coach. “If somebody wanted to recruit me south to California to play beach [volleyball] for the rest of my life, I would do it. [As for coaching] I think I would be letting people down if I didn’t coach some team. Somebody invested all this time and effort into teaching me this sport, and eventually Tl have to pass it along to somebody else. Would she play one more year? “I don’t think so. I really hope we win and go to the Nationals—it would be a nice way to finish it [Douglas career] off for me. After that Ill concentrate more on school, figure out what to do with my life. I think it’s time for me to move on. The girls are getting younger. If I come back next year, it wouldn't be my team any more, but _ who knows?” Come see the Provincials—who knows if Coralie is coming back? the Other Press February 17 1999