A new program is setting up young volleyball players for high school success.

At their regular meeting Feb. 25, Port McNeill town council approved a Passion Project request of $921.78 to cover the cost of 20 volleyballs, two ‘game’ balls, and one collapsible ball cart for Grade 6 and 7 players at Sunset Elementary School.

“Jordan and Robyn Altmiks had an idea and Jordan and I jumped on with Bob Heaton from Sunset giving us the opportunity,” said Aaron Gabrysh who is involved with the group of players.

The first practice took place on Feb. 13, and 14 players have signed up to participate. Practices take place weekly, from 3:15 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. Thursday and will continue until spring break.

“We’re always taking new people. The more the game grows the better,” Gabrysh said.

And a growing sport volleyball is. Estimates suggest that between 500,000 and 800,000 Canadians play volleyball, and the number is growing each year.

The number of kids joining the North Island Reigns club team has increased since its inception, and numbers attending the twice weekly ‘drop in’ volleyball sessions in Port McNeill have been consistently high at around 30-40 participants each week, wrote Robyn Jordan in the application to council.

“It is fantastic that teens and adults have inexpensive sporting options to stay active and interact socially with peers. What is lacking however, is elementary level volleyball opportunities for our younger players,” Jordan wrote.  “This makes it daunting to then start as an absolute beginner in Grade 8. Our hope with this project is to provide the chance for rising volleyball stars to develop some basic skills at the elementary school level, ready for later participation in high school and/or on club teams.”

Also approved at the meeting was a $1,000 grant to the Tri-Port Minor Hockey Association to host the U18 female Provincial Championships in Port McNeill.