By Lisa Parent

‘It takes a village to raise a Rattler’: South East Alberta Volleyball Club marks 35 year anniversary

Jan 30, 2024 | 7:07 PM

If you know anyone who’s played high school volleyball in the past few years, there’s also a good chance they’ve also played for the South East Alberta Volleyball Club (SEAVC) Rattlers.

SEAVC is both a developmental and competitive outlet for young athletes and this year, they’re celebrating their 35th year as a club.

It started as four teams in 1989 and has since grown to 19. SEAVC is now one of the longest running volleyball clubs in Alberta.

SEAVC President, Wes King-Hunter helped create the club in 1989.

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“Initially it was just to make volleyball fun for kids and give them another opportunity to get involved,” King-Hunter told CHAT News.

Tim Bloomfield, now a volunteer with the club, played in the club during its first year.

“It’s changed a lot, there’s a lot more people playing now,” said Bloomfield.

“Volleyball has just exploded in Alberta and more so in southern Alberta and Medicine Hat. It’s just really cool to see all the opportunities that males and females are getting just to continue to play.”

For all 35 years, SEAVC has been a non-profit that relies on its volunteers.

Many of the current volunteer coaches are past Rattlers, like Reese Bourassa.

“I just love the game and the people,” Reese explained.

For Reese, volleyball has been generational, but so is playing for SEAVC. Her mom Kassie Bourassa also played and coached for the club.

“She’s my best influence,” said Reese about her mom.

“She’ll send me texts about my team in the morning when I wake up about like some drills we could do or anything. Yeah, she’s awesome.”

Kassie says many of her family’s positive experiences at SEAVC are linked to it’s president.

“I think people have no idea how phenomenal it is to have Wes as a part of our volleyball community,” said Kassie.

It’s because of King-Hunters dedication to the club over the years, that SEAVC now has so many athletes that they’re running out of gyms to practice in.

“If you would have asked me if we’d ever have over 200 kids playing competitive and another 130 kids in developmental, I just wouldn’t have believed that,” King-Hunter said.

However, that growth also wouldn’t have been possible without the volunteers and community involvement, because as Wes says, ‘it takes a village, to raise a rattler.’