By DAVID WINER Can being too good be a curse? IndoCan volleyball club coach Sukh Singh thinks so, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. When volleyball communities host their annual tournaments, IndoCan’s invitation often gets lost in the mail. Truth be told, they’re too good and a massive favorite to win and take home the prize money each time they take to the court. With most of the roster made up of Pakmen Volleyball Club alumni, the players have been competing together for years and know each other’s next move on the court even without having to practice. They’re South Asian volleyball’s answer to the famed basketballers the Harlem Globetrotters who entertain their fans while toying with their rivals the Washington Generals. “It’s sour apples,” contends Singh of tournament organizers anxious of inviting IndoCan. “They say we’re too good. I say how are you going to get better if you’re not playing against this team.” Singh adds his club, comprised of 65 players, also participates in non-Indian tournaments. However, frustrated with a lack of opportunities, the IndoCan players took their skills on the road recently, flying Down Under to Sydney, Australia to participate in the first annual South Asian World Club Volleyball Championships. In search of world-class competition, the team of former Pakmen Navreet Suhan, captain Saad Shaikh, Avy Bath, Arjun Selhi, Deman Dulat, Harnoor Grewal and Jaskaran Kalsi teamed with Amit Pal Sayal and American Sahib Sidhu against a number of sides from Australia and New Zealand. The result…total domination. After round robin 2-0 victories over Sydney Storm, Black Spikes of New Zealand and BBSCP of Australia, IndoCan blanked Auckland Spikers 2-0 in the quarter-finals, Sydney Storm 3-0 in the semi-finals and BBSCP 3-0 in the gold medal contest. “We wanted to make the trip to a noteworthy event,” said Singh, adding the second annual event will be held next August in Toronto, followed by stops the following two years in New Zealand and Chicago. “Outside of India, the biggest South Asian volleyball countries are in North America, New Zealand and Australia,” explained Singh for the choice of destinations. “We’re looking for teams to play against. And these are three countries who have organized volleyball. Hopefully other teams will reach out to us.” Due to difficulties in securing visas meeting up with teams from Pakistan and India is a no-go at the moment. “I had done my research,” said Singh. “(And) in the final, the majority of the players were from India and are State-level players. They’re the one team that gave us a battle. The other teams I thought would be stronger, but because of needing visas, a few players were missing.” However, Singh contends, “Another item on our bucket list is playing in India. Maybe we’ll host a tournament there in December, November or January. “A lot of teams in India know us,” boasts Singh. “We’re world-wide. International players know us by our name.” And considering the results IndoCan has posted over the years, there seems to be little exaggeration in his argument. The 10-day trip to Australia wasn’t without its memories off the court as well, with stops made at the famous Sydney Opera House, Bondi and Marley Beach and Taronga Zoo where the Koalas and Kangaroos were the main attractions. And it was at a junior kids volleyball camp near one of the beaches where some of the IndoCan members realized the world can be a small place. “Saad went to Ryerson after (graduating from) Pakmen,” explained Singh. “One Australian noticed his Ryerson shorts and said ‘my brother is playing this year at Ryerson,’. As a recruiter for the university team, Saad knew exactly who his brother was.” Singh is very proud of the reputation the IndoCan club has developed in parts of the world, and in particular at home. Involved in volleyball for close to 30 years, a deep connection was made between IndoCan and the Pakmen Volleyball Club with both founder Kelly Smith and coach Jessy Satti, who was a member of IndoCan for a number of years. Now, Satti continues to serve IndoCan as a recruiter and the winning results have gone unchanged. “A lot of the players have been together since Grade 9 in high school in Mississauga and with Pakmen and even university,” explained Singh. “Ninety per cent of the team is from Mississauga and Pakmen. And, there’s nothing I have to tell them. They’ve been together 8-10 years. “If it wasn’t for IndoCan, I don’t think they’d be playing. They knew (when growing up) that one day they wanted to play for (IndoCan). “And since they’ve been together for years,” added Singh, “pool play in tournaments is our practice. That doesn’t mean the guys don’t play some 2-on-2 and 3-on-3 working on their setting and hitting, but at tournaments, they jell quickly and are ready to go.” And the reason so many of the players look forward to representing IndoCan is to make their community proud. “As Canadian-born South Asian kids, their parents are really proud of them,” says Singh. “There’s also a strong fan following. When they show off their skills, children say I want to be like you. “As home-grown Canadians, IndoCan wants to get the Indian community involved in volleyball.” And, because of their popularity, the team has no shortage of sponsors. The trip to Australia, for instance, included free hotel stays and dinners. And, much of the other expenses were paid for from tournament wins where the prize money can exceed $5,000. Pakmen alumni needed little incentive to show off their skills Down Under. “Playing for IndoCan is very special to me,” said captain Shaikh. “I get to play with friends I’ve been playing with and against for over 10 years. IndoCan also gives us worldwide exposure and helps us build relationships outside of Canada. “The core guys on our team know each other’s tendencies, strengths and weaknesses so well that we have the ability to naturally cover any holes that show

It’s no surprise that even the most famous athletes in the world point out that it’s incredibly important for them to be “students of the game”. In other words, every athlete must be able to learn fast. Actually, it’s not enough to have talent to succeed in sport. In addition, an athlete should have striving for excellence and constantly work hard to take his/her skills to the next level. In fact, there is always something new for every athlete to learn and improve on. And of course, an athlete must be driven by a huge passion for sport. Pakmen volleyball club is proud of its 15U girls’ volleyball team. It’s worth noting that girls of this wonderful team have demonstrated their ability to learn fast. Without a doubt, this has a significant impact on their careers. Today, we are beginning to see the results. The reality is girls have recently won Eastern National gold medals. Members of the Mississauga Pakmen 15U girls’ team demonstrated excellent results at Milton’s RIM Park (the competition took place between May 12 and May 14). Obviously, Pakmen girls were undisputed leaders at that tournament and left all of their competitors behind the scene. It’s important to note that Pakmen 15U girls’ team won all of 9 matches during this tournament. Girls also had some problems during the competition. Of course, the biggest challenge for girls was an opening set loss to Halton Hurricanes in the final. However, girls analyzed their mistakes quickly and got the situation under control. So, they finished the match with a 23-25, 25-16, 15-10 decision. According to the opinion of team’s head coach Rick Christiansen, the key to the success was team unity. The coach points out that the team is very united. Girls constantly support each other during practices, matches and even off the court. However, the most important thing is that Pakmen 15U girls are “students of the game”. After games and practices, girls oftentimes choose to watch university games as well as international games. They analyze the games carefully and learn new things together. Rick Christiansen also points out that the team’s assistant coach, Hernan Humana, contributes greatly to the success of Pakmen 15U girls’ team. The reality is Hernan is known for being the assistant of the team’s head coach. However, Christiansen believes that it’s best for Hernan Humana to have the title of team’s mentor coach. Christiansen points out that working with such a volleyball legend as Hernan Humana provides great experience and delivers multiple significant benefits. Rick Christiansen says that Hernan’s help is immeasurable in his work. According to the Rick’s opinion, Hernan Humana has strong knowledge of the sport as well as a great volleyball mind. Above all, Hernan is a kind, generous and thoughtful person who is pleasant to work with. Rick also notes that working with Hernan helps him develop as a coach. Rick calls him a friend. Today, Hernan Humana is a professor at York University. In the past, he was a member of the Chilean national team. It’s important to note that Hernan coached Canada’s John Child and Mark Heese and helped them win the bronze medal at the Olympic beach volleyball tournament that took place in 1996. Humana calls himself “a student of the game” and puts emphasis on the importance of meditation. He believes that meditation helps volleyball players control breathing, achieve relaxation and stay focused. Christiansen says that Hernan Humana makes meditation a key part of Pakmen 15U girls team’s training program. Actually, girls do meditation before volleyball practices. According to Hernan’s opinion meditation helps girls keep their breathing as well as thoughts under control. Humana believes that the Mississauga Pakmen 15U girls’ team is making a huge progress. Obviously, girls are getting better this year. He says that girls were more disciplined and spent more time on meditation this year. Another important thing is that the team focused on specific physical training earlier this year. Above all, girls did drill much better and this helped them improve volleyball skills. That’s the reason why Pakmen 15U girls’ team has demonstrated a huge success. Humana pays a close attention to the fact that the team’s rivals are not weak this year. He believes that some of teams played even better than Pakmen 15U girls’ team. However, such things as confidence, fearless attitude as well as ability to fight till the end have helped the team to make impossible possible. As a result, the team’s dream has turned into reality. It’s also important to note that Christiansen as well as Humana paid a close attention to such an important aspect of the game as serving. Humana notes that the Pakmen 15U girls’ team is one of top Canada’s serving teams. It’s worth noting that coaches as well as volleyball players were focused on serving this year. Obviously, practicing serve played a big role in the team’s strategy. The athletes spent a lot of time on doing serving and serve receive drills. Plus, team’s training has become more intense. Coaches also spent a lot of time on improving the game of their passers. In other words, both servers and passers received the special training that helped them accomplish their goals. The co-captain Fabianna Suarez-Egusquiza said that the primary focus for Pakmen 15U girls is serving. She believes that serving is the type of skill that volleyball players find it easy to control. Fabianna points out that the team accomplished its goal by the end of the season and there is no question about that. Finally, serving has become the powerful weapon for the Pakmen 15U girls’ team. Obviously, serving has a significant positive impact on the success of the team. Wernham, a Grade 9 student at Mississauga’s St. Aloysius Gonzaga Secondary School says that the Pakmen 15U girls’ team was well prepared at the beginning of the year. Plus, the team has developed and grown significantly during the season. Wernham says that athletes of the team spend up to

Edmonton, Alberta: The sun is setting over the Sunday night skyline, and Pakmen’s 18U girls are exuberantly munching pizza in the meeting room of a suburban Holiday Inn. Black baseball caps are jauntily perched on their heads. On the side of each hat, there’s a red maple leaf embroidered with a white volleyball. Above the peak it simply says, 2017 Champions. It’s a historic first for the club. In the final act of the indoor season, and on its biggest stage, a Pakmen girls’ team has just won the 18U Volleyball Canada National Championships. For many in the room, this three-day journey has been three years in the making. Five players took home Nationals bronze medals in 16U and 17U with Pakmen. Another two have won silver. Coaches Mike Albert and Pat Daniels led last year’s 18Us to the Nationals’ final for two consecutive seasons, only to endure heart-breaking losses. But this year’s talented Pakmen roster would give them the opportunity to take one more run at that coveted national title. On Friday, the tournament begins under brilliant blue skies. Pakmen have a tough day ahead, as the Volleyball Canada seeding process has placed three of the country’s top teams in the same group of four. Only the top two will advance to the Tier 1 power pools, and it’s quickly dubbed “the group of death” by observers. Pakmen’s opening match against Alberta’s Junior Dinos is a three-set thriller worthy of final day status. The Pakmen girls eventually take the game 27-25, 21-25,15-9. It sets the tone for the day. They make short work of Saskatchewan’s Stealth, and finish by defeating the Ducks, the British Columbia provincial champions. The players wake up in the misty pre-dawn on Saturday. They’re at the Saville Centre by 6:45am, where the courts are a deafening cacophony of teams warming up. It’s another hard day, with no room for error. Once again, only the top two in each pool will qualify for the Tier 1 playoffs. But the Pakmen girls are now firing on all cylinders, and their serving, passing, blocking, and hitting are outstanding. They win all three games of the day without dropping a set, defeating the South County Bandits and BCO Elite, then grounding B.C.’s Airbourne. The weather on day three turns cool and cloudy, but the mood is sunny in the Pakmen camp. The team is operating like a well-oiled machine. Mike Albert has deftly managed his players, giving every member of the team on-court time, resting his starters when Pakmen take a lead. It’s a deep squad. Defensive specialist Megan Smith, middle Beth Rohde, hitters Vanessa Leslie and Nicole Thompson — they are all contributing. Even injured setter Alex Bartmann has made the trip, her foot in a cast, to cheer on her teammates. With three games to go in the knock-out stage, the girls are confident, but cautious. This is no time to be complacent. The Junior Bisons are the first up. They hang on gamely, but the Manitobans gradually fade under the Pakmen onslaught. They succumb 25-14, 25-12. Next is the semi-final, where the Cobras await. The Cobras are big, strong, powerful, and the Bisons girls cram into the packed stands to support their provincial compatriots. But Pakmen put paid to the Cobras’ hopes. They defeat them 25-15, 25-13. The Pakmen girls are rolling, and the hallways are alive with talk of the team. Over on the next court, Ontario’s Halton Hurricanes have breezed through their quarters, eliminating the Ottawa Mavericks in two sets. In their semi, Halton face the Tigers for the second time in the tournament. It’s a repeat of the first day’s game, and once again, they narrowly beat the Maritime champions in three sets. The 18U championship final will be an all-Ontario marquee match-up: Pakmen versus the Halton Hurricanes. The court-side spectators are buzzing. This season, Pakmen have bested the Hurricanes all four times they’ve met, winning three one-day tournaments and the Ontario Grand Prix. The Hurricanes have taken advantage of Pakmen’s only two missteps, and after Pakmen were eliminated, took victory in one regular-season tournament and at the Ontario Championships. Now, at the biggest event of the season, can Halton finally beat the Pakmen girls? Or will Pakmen prevail for a remarkable fifth time and take their first National Championship? As the final begins, the teams match each other point for point. But the Pakmen girls have the edge. Setter Alicia Lam is moving the ball left, right, middle, confounding the Halton blockers. Lucy Glen-Carter is crushing balls from right, hitting line, cross-court, deep corner, seemingly unstoppable. Power hitter Janelle Albert is suddenly cutting shots and chipping winners over hands. Megan Beedie and Jenna Woock are a wall in the middle. Julia Wiercigroch is an ever-present threat from left. Libero Caitlin Le is diving and rolling across the back court, saving every ball she can. Pakmen are peaking when it matters most. They’re out-thinking their opponents. They’re playing as one. And that’s the thing about volleyball — it’s the only team sport where individual brilliance can’t consistently bring a team success. You have to work together, in synchronicity. The coach must adjust, motivate, encourage, praise, and there’s Mike Albert on the sidelines, doing just that. Pat Daniels and Ken Burns are doing the same behind him. The players are throwing themselves around the court. For each point they win, there’s an explosive celebration. At time-outs, they recover, exhausted. For each Halton score, Pakmen respond. The Hurricanes cling on stubbornly. Yet slowly, inexorably, Pakmen move ahead. They seize the lead and maintain it through both sets, taking the first 25-19, and the second 25-21. It’s all over. They’ve done it. For the first time, the Pakmen 18U girls are the Canada Volleyball National Champions. Back at the hotel, after the medals, the awards, the photos, and the celebrations, the sun also sets on their club volleyball careers. Like all youth volleyball players, they’ll remember their teammates. They’ll remember that sense of shared community