The Camosun Chargers 2022 season is kicking off for men’s and women’s volleyball and basketball—the volleyball home opener is on October 22 and the basketball home opener is on November 4.
Men’s basketball point guard Takeshi Croke and women’s volleyball middle blocker Gracie May are looking forward to another season filled with new team members, travelling, and competition.
Croke is a veteran Charger, entering his fourth year of playing on the team.
“I love basketball, for one, but also just kind of the experience of seeing the boys every day and competing and, of course, travelling for games,” says Croke. “It’s really the team atmosphere I enjoy most.”
Not only is Croke excited to practice and play with his new team members, but he’s excited for Camosun to host provincials for the first time in several years. Being a Charger has impacted Croke’s post-secondary experience immensely, he says. It’s helped him create lasting and close relationships with fellow Chargers, which is something he greatly values.
“It’s impacted it a lot, especially for me because I don’t talk to a lot of people in my classes, but it was nice that I was able, even in my first year, to make a lot of friends right away through my teammates,” he says. “And then also even people from the volleyball team and also the other basketball team. There’s a really good team and friendship atmosphere.”
Also a fourth-year athlete, May says that her most memorable moment being on the Chargers so far was making it to nationals in her first year on the team in the 2019/2020 season, which also happened to be the beginning of the pandemic.
“It was only the second or third time in Chargers history making it to nationals for women’s volleyball, so that’s huge,” says May. “And then it was super interesting being there right at the beginning of COVID in March 2020. About 30 minutes before our first game, all the fans got kicked out.”
May is hopeful about the potential of the team with new and returning players and says they are striving toward their goal of making it to nationals again.
“This new season, we have so much potential with the new girls we brought in and the returners,” says May. “We have an amazing coaching staff, and everyone has gelled together so nicely so far this season, so I’m just excited to see what our team can do with the group that we have, and then, of course, our hope is to make it to nationals, which is at VIU [Vancouver Island University] this year.”
May says that every year she’s been on the team she’s called her teammates and coaching staff her family. But there’s another reason why the Chargers are a family matter for her.
“I also have my sister on the team,” she says. “So, I see her almost every single day all day, and I have so many best friends. Also, you get a different relationship with your professors and the people around the school when you go up to them and say, ‘Hey, I’m a Charger. I have to miss class for this or that.’ But just the relationships you have to make with them because of those extra conversations and their interest in your sport makes you feel really special.”