\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t“Sometimes I’m in the hallway looking for girls,” Baker said.<\/p>\n
Baker is also a gym teacher, so during class she spots players with natural ability and invites them to join the team. Some have never been on a team before, some have played other sports, and some have played volleyball.<\/p>\n
“They have a wide range of experience,” Baker said.<\/p>\n
She admitted the team’s top players would benefit from more advanced coaching but she has to focus on the basics. A competitive athlete herself, Baker would like to play for a championship but understands the process it takes to get there.<\/p>\n
“They’re learning. I see them improving and that’s what makes me feel good. I know I’m teaching them something and they are getting something out of it.”<\/p>\n
Baker has many great memories of sport so she knows how important it is to give her players the opportunity to forge their own.<\/p>\n
“What do I want to give them? I want to give them that experience of playing, the chance to go to other schools and wear the uniform.”<\/p>\n
The Giants are playing in two tournaments this fall, both outside Winnipeg. It gives the players a chance to travel and spend time together, Baker said.<\/p>\n
The players are realistic about their potential, Baker said, but are fully committed to giving their best effort.<\/p>\n
“I don’t see them getting frustrated because they are on a losing team. I see that they are getting to play with their friends.”<\/p>\n
The Giants have had several players who were very shy at the beginning of some seasons, only to be embraced by the team and given a sense of belonging.<\/p>\n
“It’s more than volleyball,” Baker said. “These girls relate to each other all the time.”<\/p>\n
Morgan Wood agrees.<\/p>\n
The Giants captain said she has made friends through sport that she would have never met on her own.<\/p>\n
“If I wasn’t in volleyball I wouldn’t have met these people. A lot of these girls I wouldn’t have ever talked to in school. It’s very nice to have that social aspect.”<\/p>\n
Baker said Wood is the ideal captain for the environment the coach is trying to create.<\/p>\n
“She’s your dream athlete to coach,” Baker said. “She’s coachable, friendly and always helping people out. She’s talented too, a great person to have on your team.<\/p>\n
“Morgan’s always smiling.”<\/p>\n
Wood serves as a second coach on the floor, helping her more inexperienced teammates line up in the right spots and giving tips between points.<\/p>\n
As a veteran, Wood knows the Giants have challenges ahead.<\/p>\n
“We know our level. We have high hopes but we’re realistic. We go in with good thoughts because it’s a mental game.”<\/p>\n
Like Baker, Wood focuses on the small gains she sees in practice. The team atmosphere is always positive, Wood added.<\/p>\n
“Our Grade 11s are very loud and encouraging on the bench. Last year it was quiet but this year it’s not a problem. The girls are so excited and so encouraging. If we miss a point they say ‘Don’t worry cap, we’ll get the next one’.”<\/p>\n
Baker acknowledges those gains in a unique way. At the end of each practice she awards the Big Small Ball to a player who did something special that day. The player signs the ball, keeps it until the next practice and suggests an activity at the next practice.<\/p>\n
“You should see the smile on their faces,” Baker said.<\/p>\n
“It’s just this little volleyball but they get to sign it and hold onto it.”<\/p>