While the original story that appeared in the Sudbury Star combined both the Rainbow Board recap with that of the CSCNO/CSPGNO tournament, I have decided to separate them for website purposes - though the introductory paragraphs remain the same in both stories.

Even the mighty Mississippi River begins as a small trickle from the edges of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota. Some 2,348 miles later, its outflow pours into the Gulf of Mexico, just south of New Orleans.

In the world of local athletics, any sport that is seeing success at the upper end of the food chain, producing elite talent for the post-secondary ranks and beyond, can most often look back on some very solid starting points for those young prospects in their particular undertaking.

Look no further than the current status of volleyball in Sudbury.

For every announcement we make of another high-school player committing to a university or college team comes the confirmation that all but two of the more than 50 Rainbow District School Board elementary institutions fielded at least one team in tournament play these past three months.

For every celebration of yet another OFSAA medal for SDSSAA entries in provincial championships on the court comes the cheer that welcomes the news that another 31 teams split between both the French catholic and French public boards wrapped up their 2024 season with seven banners being distributed last week.

And the good news goes well beyond just the numbers.

The fact is that the overall level of play has never been higher, with backcourt sets, sizzling serves and defensive formations that are certainly foreign to every casual parent in the crowd all part of the mix as the coach Craig Thomson and the C.R. Judd Jaguars swept both ends of the Rainbow finals last week.

The boys set the tone for the intensity level with a classic 25-19, 25-17, 18-25, 32-30 tilt as Judd edged the Northeastern Cougars, with a roster of Tucker Johnson, E.J. Pomerleau, Mason Lefebvre, Isaac Edmonds, Jacob Dick, Drayden Milbury, Dakota Delpapa, Owen Pickard and coaches Craig Thomson, Dakota Campbell and Stephanie Kring collecting their well-deserved gold medals.

“We kind of knew that we were going to meet Northeastern in the final and with that in mind, our focus was always that we had to get our serves in and we had to pass the first ball,” noted coach Thomson, the man who guided both teams to gold.

“And we competed because we’re big at the net. I have some big boys who can put up a good block and we caused some grief in the finals.”

The girls who represented the Capreol school that annually manages to take down opponents with far more students gave themselves a little more breathing room in their final match, besting the Lasalle Lancers 25-20, 25-19, 25-20.

“After our first tournament, we knew that we were going to win a lot – and we did,” noted 13 year-old left side Jaylynn Kring, one of a boatload of grade eight seniors who fell just short last year, settling for silver opposite the Lo-Ellen Park Knights. “Our serve receive has improved a lot throughout the year.”

Even with that, the bullet-like serves from some of the Lancers can cause issues to even the most gifted of elementary passers. “It’s a lot more difficult when there is a harder, faster serve because it gives you less time to react to it,” said Kring.

And where some can get the ball to dance in the air in the larger gymnasiums that might feature cross-court air currents, the fact that the Jaguars had enjoyed success just two weeks earlier at the site of the championship finals (Chelmsford Valley District Composite School) alleviated any concerns.

“Sometimes, the ball will move a little here, but not too much,” said Kring. “Usually, you can tell where it’s going.”

Joining Kring on the gold medal winning lineup were Sophie Marshall, Charlie Elvidge-Pepin, Payton Ramsay, Destiny Brennen, Lily Pichette, Kallie Daigneault and Breeze Osawamick as well as the entire coaching staff that topped the podium with the Judd boys.

Thomson could not help but to smile when asked about the differences in coaching the two teams.

“The girls listen,” he stated with a hint of playfulness in his voice. “Their system is clean. I don’t have to give them as many reminders. The boys need to be reminded, but there is that powerfulness to their game that is fun to see.”

As for the similarities, it all comes back to the basics.

“The focus at elementary level is fundamentals and that is the same for boys and girls,” said Thomson. “I coach both teams together at the same time.”

In the end, passing is passing.

“It’s all about the platform. It’s a pre-pass routine, calling seams, but then committing to their platform. Ideally, we would like it in the mid-line with a nice wide base. But the reality is that these young kids are serving rougher and tougher every year and we can’t often take it mid-line anymore.”

“We do a lot of teaching on working on the angles of the platform – and the posture.”

And when those teachings are absorbed and shared right across the region, then that trickle of talent that emerges at the end of grade 12 begins to resemble a running stream – and coaches around the OCAA and OUA and beyond are taking note.

Remaining medal winners included:

Boys A: Lo-Ellen (bronze); Valleyview (antique bronze)
Girls A: Northeastern (bronze); Valleyview (antique bronze)
Boys B: Alexander (gold); Northeastern (silver); Chelmsford (bronze); Algonquin (antique bronze)
Girls B: Lively (gold); A.B. Ellis (silver); Little Current (bronze); Algonquin (antique bronze)
Boys C: Lasalle (gold); A.B. Ellis (silver); Copper Cliff (bronze); R.H. Murray (antique bronze)
Girls C: CR Judd (gold); Princess Anne (silver); Chelmsford (bronze); Copper Cliff (antique bronze)