Panthers on the PROWL!
Department Message
Provost Public School is proud to recognize athletes who have pursued higher level athletics. These athletes attended Provost Public School and have went on to further opportunities in elite athletics. Congratulations, we are very proud of your accomplishments!
lauren kroetsch
On September 14, 2016, I signed with The King’s University volleyball team, coached by Grace Scott. During my senior year at Provost Public School, I began training for my upcoming season with the Eagles which required 6 workouts a week while travelling to St. Paul for club volleyball and training for track and field. It was a 7-month season with 4 practices, 4 workouts and 1-2 meetings a week. These 4 hour days of practice, strategy and training prepared the team for our league games on Friday and Saturday. The King’s University is a part of the ACAC league with NAIT, Augustana, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Concordia, Lakeland, Olds, Medicine Hat, Red deer, Briercrest, Lethbridge, SAIT, and Ambrose.
I came into my first year competing against 17 other athletes for a spot on the court, consisting of 9 rookies. Since there were so many girls competing, there had to be 5 alternating redshirts. I was put as one of these redshirts at the beginning of the season but that drove me to improve. Every practice I would work extremely hard, taking in as much information as I could and learning by watching the older players. Quickly I began to catch up to the new, faster game of volleyball and when I had the chance to be on the court I would make the most out of it. The final game of the first semester was against Grande Prairie and one of our starters was unable to attend the games, which meant one of our starting powers became the libero for the weekend. On the Friday, I stepped into the power role and received player of the game. The following day I started and continued filling that power role. This game was the turning point for me, I felt all my hard work paid off and there was nowhere to go but up. The start of the second semester came and I was moved out of the red shirt position. I was now one of the first substitutions for the first line as an outside hitter and sometimes a starter. We came out of the North League ranked 2nd and ended up 4th at provincials after losing to Red Deer Queens in the Bronze medal match. Over the provincial weekend I was switched between right and left side depending on what my team needed from me and I received player of the game for the bronze medal match. I was honoured to be an Eagle for we reached so many milestones, being nationally ranked 8th in the CCAA at one point of the season, being a part of such a young team that was so successful, playing alongside other provincial team players (Team Alberta, Team Saskatchewan, Team British Columbia), and being coached by Grace Scott, who has received the Coach of the Year award for the North league (4 years in a row now).
I came into my first year competing against 17 other athletes for a spot on the court, consisting of 9 rookies. Since there were so many girls competing, there had to be 5 alternating redshirts. I was put as one of these redshirts at the beginning of the season but that drove me to improve. Every practice I would work extremely hard, taking in as much information as I could and learning by watching the older players. Quickly I began to catch up to the new, faster game of volleyball and when I had the chance to be on the court I would make the most out of it. The final game of the first semester was against Grande Prairie and one of our starters was unable to attend the games, which meant one of our starting powers became the libero for the weekend. On the Friday, I stepped into the power role and received player of the game. The following day I started and continued filling that power role. This game was the turning point for me, I felt all my hard work paid off and there was nowhere to go but up. The start of the second semester came and I was moved out of the red shirt position. I was now one of the first substitutions for the first line as an outside hitter and sometimes a starter. We came out of the North League ranked 2nd and ended up 4th at provincials after losing to Red Deer Queens in the Bronze medal match. Over the provincial weekend I was switched between right and left side depending on what my team needed from me and I received player of the game for the bronze medal match. I was honoured to be an Eagle for we reached so many milestones, being nationally ranked 8th in the CCAA at one point of the season, being a part of such a young team that was so successful, playing alongside other provincial team players (Team Alberta, Team Saskatchewan, Team British Columbia), and being coached by Grace Scott, who has received the Coach of the Year award for the North league (4 years in a row now).
Alyssa Downing
I was recruited to play on the women's volleyball team at The King's University in 2009 right after I graduated from Provost Public High School by Grace Scott, the head coach. King's is a part of a league in Alberta known as Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (the ACAC), which is a part of a national league known as the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (the CCAA). We competed with colleges such as Grant MacEwan, Red Deer College, NAIT, Mount Royal, SAIT, Grande Prairie, etc. In my first year I started being trained as a power hitter, which was quite different from my high school training as a middle blocker. Quickly I learned what it was like to play on a competitive elite college team. Training involved a commitment to a 2 hour practice 4 days per week, a two hour workout 4 days per week, as well as an hour meeting once per week. Every weekend we played two league games, and travelled to different cities to play. Sunday was typically our day off to try and catch up on rest and homework. All the while you were required to take 3 to 4 classes, and maintain a high grade point average. The season lasted 7 months of the year, with a short break at Christmas, and then throughout the summer we were thrown into off season training involving heavy workouts 6 times per week and practices back in Edmonton 3 times per month. This heavy schedule became my life for the next 5 years. As a rookie in 2009, I finally earned my spot onto the first line. Earning that spot required competing in practices with your teammates and hitting the workout centre hard to get stronger than the other athletes fighting for one spot. In fact, I had 6 players fighting for the same spot as myself, so everyday was intense and required focus. One of our middle blockers ended up struggling in the second half of our season, and so I was switched from a power/right side hitter over to a middle blocker, finishing off my rookie year as a starting line player. My second year I came out stronger from heavy summer workouts and therefore maintained my spot as a starting middle for King's. That season we finished 6th in the league out of 14 teams in our championship weekend. King's was now seen as a strong contender in the ACAC. My third year our team was very large and versatile, as our coaches had recruited a lot of Team Alberta high school athletes. That season I was fortunate enough to play alongside 2 power hitters that became league leaders in kills and digs, as well as nationwide leaders. These two girls also were awarded All-Canadian awards at the end of the season, and one of the two girls is now in France playing for a professional volleyball team. I also led the ACAC in blocks for the majority of the season. We suffered some late injuries to starters that season, and unfortunately were knocked out of the championship round, finishing 7th out of 14. That season I received an academic athletic award from both the CCAA and the ACAC. My fourth year at King's we recruited well again, and had a team that was an unstoppable force in preseason play. We were a solid group of leaders who had played together many years and were meshing well together. Our setter was a Team Alberta all-star, and we became one of the most versatile and fastest offences in the entire ACAC, alongside Grant MacEwan and Red Deer College. I was named the assistant captain for the team, and took on a whole knew side of my playing by incorporating leadership skills into my court presence. That season we started off by pulling out major wins against our big name competition, Grant MacEwan and Grande Prairie. The first half of our season we swept 3 weekends in a row and were predicted by the media to win nationals. A few key loses occurred that season at the championship playoffs, and a long time rival, Briercrest, knocked us out, as we had done to them the previous season. That year I had peaked in my athletic skill and leadership and received one of my favorite awards, the Most Improved Player (MIP). The reason this was such a big deal was that normally a rookie receives this award. My school, team, and coaches voted me for this award because even as an older veteran athlete, I continued to learn, to grow, and make changes to my game. I never stopped trying to get better, even when I was considered one of the best middles in the entire league, and in the nation. That season I finished number 1 in the ACAC in blocks, and number 3 in the nation (CCAA) for blocks. I also was in the top 15 for kills in the ACAC, and this is unheard of since power hitters get more sets and therefore typically more kills. My fifth year was by far my best season. I was named the team captain, and basically our entire team from the previous season returned. We again became one of the strongest teams in the entire league. But what was different this season was that our core group of leaders was so much more mentally tough. Playing volleyball in the ACAC is about 30% skill/strength, and 70% mental toughness to push through the potential of 5 sets every game, or 10 sets every weekend. The season is very long and tiring, so those who are mentally focused and mentally tough to push through fatigue, frustration, and the variety of emotions will rise to the occasion at the end of the season. We started off the season a little bit shaky, but by Christmas our skills were on par. We were on fire, as second semester we came back and swept every team, finishing the season with 10 wins and 0 losses! That season we held onto 3rd place in the league heading into the championships. Myself and 5 other players on our team were leading the league in kills, blocks, digs, and service aces. We were dominating every category, and dominating the league. My last provincial championship was an emotional one. We knew we had to put every last bit of energy into this 1 game. This opening game of the championship is the only one that matters out of the whole season because if you don't win it, no matter what your placement was in the league, you could not leave with a medal. It all came down to that one game, and who do we come up against? The same team that knocked us out last year, the Briercrest Clippers. We were ready, known as one of the teams in the best physical shape, and one of the fastest offences. We were also blocking powerhouses. What was different this time was that our mental game was spot on. Across the league, everyone wanted to see this game because the outcome was going to be so important. Everyone tuned into sports Canada tv online to watch the broadcast of this match. We were leading the whole first set, but then one of our power hitters rolled her ankle. A few points later, our right side hitter broke her finger. We were down two starters, and ended up losing the match, but not without a fight. We finished that season in 5th place out of 14 teams, finishing second semester with 12 wins and only 1 loss. I received another athletic academic award from the CCAA and the ACAC. I also was voted the most valuable player (MVP) for the season. Over my years playing I received the Jimmy Condon Athletic Scholarship, as well as the Jason Lang scholarship for 3 years in a row. More importantly, I grew into a completely different person than when I started in my first year. I learned to be committed, disciplined, and focussed. I learned to take pushing, criticism, and work with the feedback I was given to make changes in my playing. I learned how to be a leader, take initiative, and be the type of player that my team needed me to be to be successful as a whole. I learned to be a team player, and focus not on my awards and achievements, but on getting better as an athlete to help my team get better. Every year consistently my coach said the one thing she appreciated about me the most was that I worked hard every single year and never settled to be average. Even in my fifth year, I improved in my skills and my leadership. Most importantly, all the time I spent at Kings changed my life because of the memories shared, and her friendships I developed and will have for the rest of my life. I am now an assistant coach for King's, where I am a female apprentice coach for the CCAA. I am only 1 of 13 female apprentices across the nation in this program, and of those 13, I am the only one who is being mentored by a female head coach. This is huge for me because it's promoting female coaching in Canada, which is now my goal since I am finished my eligibility as an athlete. The transition from a player to a coach was hard, I would give anything to play again. All I know is that this experience has made me a better person, and there's not a second that I regret. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable is how I achieved my goals; it helped me become the athlete I was in the very last point of the last game I ever played. We lost that game and I left all my energy out there on the court. I cried the minute the ball touched the ground on that 25th point, not because I was angry at my team at the outcome, but because I knew another chapter in my life had been closed. What that 25th point didn't end was my passion for the game, and the relationships I had developed from this experience. I am so blessed. Forever an Eagle. 2009-2014
CArrie Jickling
Fall 2011:
- I was recruited by Coach Paul Bloomfield to play on the Division 1 Women’s Hockey Team at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA.
2012-2013 Season:
- I committed to Liberty University in Spring of 2012.
- I began Studying Business Administration: Human Resource Management in Fall of 2012.
- Freshman Year:
o Team was ranked #1 in three out of four national rankings.
o Finished #2 in the country at the national championship tournament.
o Named Rookie of the Year for Liberty University Women’s Hockey.
o 34 points in 35 games played.
2013-2014 Season:
- Sophomore Year:
o Named an assistant captain for Liberty in the Fall of 2013.
o Team was ranked #7 heading into the national championship tournament and finished the tournament in the #3 position.
o At the national tournament I was named to the 2nd all-tournament team for my play during the tournament.
o Named Forward of the Year and Most Valuable Player for Liberty University Women’s Hockey.
o 45 points in 31 games played.
2014-2015 Season:
- Junior Year:
o Named captain for Liberty in Fall of 2014
o In the month of October I scored my 50th career goal and hit the 100 point mark with the Liberty Flames.
o In regular season play I finished 2nd in the American Collegiate Hockey Association scoring with 53 points in 26 regular season games played.
o March 2015 beat #1 Miami of Ohio for the first national championship title in Liberty hockey (men's or women's) program history
o ranked #2 in nation for 4 out of 4 ranking.
o Named to the 1st Team All-American for my regular season play.
o 63 points in 36 games played.
If you know of PPS alumni who have advanced to higher level athletics, please email [email protected]