Another successful weekend of volleyball action wrapped up on May 5 with Team Iqaluit defeating Team Baffin to claim the menSA国际影视传媒檚 championship and Team Iqaluit defeating Familia to claim the female crown at the annual Laura Gauthier Memorial (LGM) Volleyball Tournament in Rankin Inlet from May 2 to 5.

A total of 21 teams SA国际影视传媒� 12 female and nine male SA国际影视传媒� took to the court for this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 event.

The LGM is always an interesting time for RankinSA国际影视传媒檚 Robert Kabvitok, who often gets to play against boys heSA国际影视传媒檚 had the chance to coach in the past, while also trying not to show too much favoritism towards the many females heSA国际影视传媒檚 coached over the years with the Rankin Inlet Royals junior girlSA国际影视传媒檚 volleyball team.

Kabvitok, whoSA国际影视传媒檚 been coaching volleyball for more than a decade, said there are a number of players that he plays against during the LGM that, at one time or another, he used to coach.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 some junior boys I coached at the 2017 NAIG (North American Indigenous Games), Westerns and Arctic Winter Games,SA国际影视传媒� said Kabvitok.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 still a bunch of them who are still playing, mostly with Iqaluit.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a good feeling. I had my son with me this year (Sulurayok Mercer), who is 14 years old and has, really, just started playing volleyball, so it was fun helping him improve his game to get into competitive volleyball.SA国际影视传媒�

Kabvitok said in some ways it can feel a little weird to play against guys he used to coach.

He said every now and then you canSA国际影视传媒檛 help but flashback and remember them playing when they were a lot younger.

SA国际影视传媒淎s a coach, youSA国际影视传媒檙e proud to watch them playing so well.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou feel, in some ways, you really helped them develop their game and theySA国际影视传媒檙e still playing.

SA国际影视传媒淥n the junior girls side, there are a number of them that I go back with on the Royals team. My wife (Holly Mercer) and I just have big smiles on our faces. We turn to their parents and theySA国际影视传媒檙e smiling away too, so that makes us feel like we did an OK job coaching them.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou feel so proud watching them play all weekend. YouSA国际影视传媒檙e trying hard not to show it too much, but you canSA国际影视传媒檛 help but feel a little proud over how well of a player theySA国际影视传媒檝e all become.SA国际影视传媒�

Kabvitok said itSA国际影视传媒檚 no easy task to appear neutral and not show too much favoritism during a tournament that has players on the court who you used to coach.

He said when heSA国际影视传媒檚 sitting with the crowd, some of the junior girls will, kind of, look at him and smile, which, sometimes, can be funny because itSA国际影视传媒檚 a little uncomfortable.

SA国际影视传媒淚 try to avoid eye contact because I know theySA国际影视传媒檙e looking for approval, or something of that nature, from me. So I just, kind of, turn away and pretend that I didnSA国际影视传媒檛 even see it,SA国际影视传媒� he said with a slight chuckle.

SA国际影视传媒淚t feels so good, though, to see young players still playing volleyball since they were juniors and theySA国际影视传媒檝e become such strong individual players.

SA国际影视传媒淲e still have that bond SA国际影视传媒� me as a coach and them as a player SA国际影视传媒� and, I think, really, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 how it should be with a volleyball family. We came so close a couple of times at winning a medal at the AWG. You just want to continue that drive to win something, especially at the LGM because itSA国际影视传媒檚 one of the hardest tournaments around to win at.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 really picking up again with the overall calibre of the teams and thatSA国际影视传媒檚 good to see.SA国际影视传媒�

Kabvitok said the bond between coach and player can be a strong one. He said itSA国际影视传媒檚 an awesome feeling to see girls improve so much on the court when they still have a ways to go playing competitively.

SA国际影视传媒淢ost of these girls are only 15 or 16 years old and they still have three or four more years to go in juniors, so, of course, as a coach, you canSA国际影视传媒檛 help but get excited about that.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檓 at the age where youSA国际影视传媒檙e missing out on being out on the land, going to the cabin and whatnot. But, when you see at the tournament what you worked on with the girls all-year long, and theySA国际影视传媒檙e playing so well, you just want to keep on going.

SA国际影视传媒淚t really gets in your blood. Once my wife and I stepped away from coaching for a bit, but (phys ed teacher) Steve Faulkner asked us to go back because there were so many girls wanting to play. And we did.

SA国际影视传媒淲e need to get a better program going in Rankin because my wife and I just canSA国际影视传媒檛 do it alone. We just need a few more people to step up and I think weSA国际影视传媒檇 have a really good program going in Rankin.SA国际影视传媒�