Photo credit: Volleyball Canada

By Curtis Galbraith

Volleyball

Peace Country connections to Volleyball Canada NextGen program

Jun 2, 2021 | 5:30 AM

Two people originally from the Peace Country are well into their work with Volleyball Canada’s NextGen Women’s Program.

Nineteen players plus program staff are part of the 10-week camp that will operate out of the National Training Centre in Richmond, BC until July 30.

Beaverlodge’s Gina Schmidt, who has played and coached with the national team previously, is the head coach at this program.

“The opportunity came up and I thought it was great (chance) to get back into a high-performance gym. With COVID, it’s been an up-and-down year and so, the chance to just continue getting better as a coach. The more you coach, the better you get at it.”

Schmidt also lives in Burnaby, close to Richmond. She has been the head coach of the Simon Fraser University women’s volleyball team since 2013.

Most of her family still lives in the Peace Country.

“Three of my siblings and my parents still live in Beaverlodge, so usually at least twice a year, in the summer and again at Christmas-time, I try to get back up and see my family. I have one other sibling that lives here in BC, close by, but the rest are all still in Beaverlodge, along with 10 nieces and nephews.”

Gina’s brother Chris is the head coach of the Grande Peace Athletic Club’s U18 AAA hockey team.

One of the players involved in the NextGen Women’s Program is Natasha Calkins. She was born in Grande Prairie and lived here until she was in Grade 5. She has played in the NCAA and professionally in Europe.

Calkins says the chance to compete for Canada is very exciting.

“My Mom, actually, she competed for Canada in track and field, and she was able to go to the Olympics and so, a lot of pride, love being in Canada. Even when I was at school in the US (Florida State University), I would always get made fun of for being Canadian but, the joke’s on them. I love this country and just being a part of it.”

Calkins’s mom Esmie competed in track and field for Canada at the 1988 Olympics. Her dad Brian was a high school basketball coach and, before that, played with the GPRC Wolves basketball team.

“I’ve got family in Beaverlodge. I’ve still got some family that still lives in Grande Prairie. Pretty much my dad’s whole side of the family is from up there.”

Calkins made Canada’s B team twice previously but has never actually played a match on the international stage.