Let The Games Begin: Hamber’s Fall Sports Update

The Senior Boys’ Soccer Team’s post-game cheer | Photo Credit: Teagan Nichol

It’s been over a month since the school year began, and Hamber athletics have begun Volleyball, soccer, field hockey and aquatics have begun, and Hamber’s athletes have been battling for wins across the city.

This season, student athletes are all looking forward to one big thing: competition. Sierra Olak (11), a player on the Girls Field Hockey team, is “excited for playoffs, which are happening towards the end of October.” With five wins in five games and ten points total, the team is currently at the top of their group’s standings. 

According to Vancouver Secondary School Athletics Association (VSSAA) statistics, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary and Kitsilano Secondary will be close competitors to Hamber’s team, giving them a challenge in playoffs this year. “We are capable of beating them, but they are definitely going to make it tough for us — especially Churchill,” Olak declared.

The Senior Girls’ Field Hockey team fight for the ball | Photo Credit: Serena Wang

The Senior Boys’ Soccer team is equally hyped up for playoffs. Kaito Nomura (12), a player on the soccer team, explains that his whole team is excited because they “get to play the teams on the west side, who have players that play on Metro and BCSPL, which should be a good challenge.” The Senior Boys are currently third in the East Vancouver bracket — just behind Templeton Secondary and Vancouver Technical Secondary.

Meanwhile, some of the Senior Girls’ Volleyball wins have not been against other teams. In fact, the team has enjoyed building bonds between players from both grades 11 and 12. “I was most excited to play with my grade 12 friends, because this is really the only chance we have to play together, and it’s been really fun,” Kaelyn Mak (11), shared. The team’s recent accomplishments include an exciting third place finish at the annual Prince of Wales cake tournament.

“[The season] is actually going pretty well. I’m getting a lot of playing time, and everyone on the team is very supportive,” said Kaylen Yip (10), who is on the Senior Boys Volleyball team. Like other Hamber athletes, Yip is excited about going to other cities and getting the opportunity to play in the finals. He added that the team has adjusted well to playing with one another, and has so far been undefeated. For a short period of time, they were also ranked in the VSSAA provincial top ten for Senior Boys’ Volleyball.