Joey Payeur
They’re going down to Toronto for fun and games, but are approaching the task like it’s serious business.
Five volleyball athletes and one coach from Rainy River District will pack their bags later this month to represent Team Ontario at the North American Indigenous Games from July 16-23.
It will be a family affair for the trio of Amy Wilson-Hands and her daughters, Avery and Adyson.
Amy will be coaching the Ontario U16 girls’ team, which will include Adyson, while Avery will be part of the U19 girls’ squad.
“I’d never tried out for NAIG so I was kind of unsure about the level of talent I was going up against to make the team,” noted Adyson.
“But having competed in a tournament in Sault Ste. Marie earlier this year, where the calibre was so good, it set my expectations high for my chances of making it to NAIG.
“I’m excited,” she enthused. “I’ve never been to something this big with that many athletes and I’ve never been to a national competition.”
Neither has her older sister, who didn’t even try out for the team but was noticed by officials while playing for the Muskie senior girls’ team at the OFSAA ‘AA’ championships in Belleville back in March.
“I’m just glad to be asked to play,” said Avery, who will be joined on the team by fellow Muskie Sydney White.
“I’m kind of shocked,” she admitted. “I didn’t really expect to make it.”
“This is an awesome privilege to be one of three girls representing Northern Ontario that will be at NAIG [the other being Mariah White from Whitefish Bay on the U16 team].”
The aboriginal component of the games has both sisters proud to be on hand for it.
“It makes it extra special that we will be representing the First Nation community at the games,” Adyson said.
“To be among the top 10 aboriginal players in the province at our age groups is a huge accomplishment, and anyone who makes it this far should be proud,” echoed Avery.
As for their mother, Amy had no problem addressing the elephant in the room when it came to possible charges of favouritism coaching a team that includes her youngest daughter.
“During the tryout process, a rotation of four-six coaches were involved in ranking each athlete,” she explained.
“In the Thunder Bay tryout, I stepped away from the table when Adyson’s name was brought forward so I would not be involved in the discussion.
“At the end of the tryout, Adyson was ranked No. 1 for all the U16 candidates,” she noted.
On the U19 boys’ team, two district athletes made the cut in former Muskie senior boys’ player Brandon Geyshick and Onigaming First Nation resident Keenan Copenace.
“I was kind of surprised to make it,” admitted Geyshick.
“I went to try out in Thunder Bay at the end of last summer, but I didn’t make it to the tournament in the Soo where a lot of the scouts were, so I wasn’t sure they had seen enough of me playing to make a decision.”
This will be Geyshick’s second time at NAIG after making the U16 boys’ team that won bronze in 2014 in Regina.
“I think the experience I had from playing at the games before impacted their decision to take me this time,” he reasoned.
“Some other guys who went in 2014 got selected this time, as well,” added Geyshick, who was a libero in his first year of high school, then switched to power the next two years.
“I’m pretty excited,” he enthused. “There’s a real possibility we can get gold if we work hard.”
