The Camosun Chargers basketball teams started their new season on Friday, October 24, with optimism running high for the women’s team.
After a season of rebuilding and challenges, the players are hoping to make a difference this time around. The team has a renewed focus as players get back into a rhythm and prepare with focused minds for what’s ahead.
Guard and shooter Elli Cailliau—originally from Sherwood Park, Alberta—is a Kinesiology student at Camosun and has been with the women’s basketball team for five years. She’s entering her final season and hopes to leave a lasting impact on the team through her passion and determination, wanting to inspire others who might be new on the court, especially those new to college basketball.
“I just want to leave it all in the court,” says Cailliau. “I want to do the best we can. I want to win as much as we can, and see everyone just improve throughout the season.”
Cailliau says the team is on the right track with its experience and leadership. With new players joining the roster, the Chargers are focusing on building chemistry in and out of the court to solidify their plays.
“I’m really excited about the new season,” she says. “We have a very new team compared to last year, and the league has changed a lot, so it’ll be really exciting to see where we fall.”
Practices have been intense for players, she says, as their strategy this year emphasizes speed, communication, and adaptability to make up for their size as it compares to other teams.
“They’re learning fast,” says Cailliau. “From them, the main thing we want to see is effort, and they’re all in. Every practice, every game.”
Cailliau says that much of the team’s renewed sense of confidence comes from coach John Dedrick, now in his second year with the program. She says that his leadership has reshaped the program’s focus and motivates players to give their best in every practice. She says that under Dedrick’s guidance, the team has built a culture of encouragement and support, where every player can rely on each other and improve together.
“He’s very solid,” she says. “The girls really respect him, and, in only two years, he’s done a really good job.”
For Cailliau, success this year means progressive growth. After a complicated season last year, Cailliau says that it’s less about the score but rather about swift overall progress, building toward unity, strength, and prideful representation of the college.
“Last season we had a lot of injuries, and we weren’t winning many games,” she says. “It was hard on us mentally and physically. As long as we keep improving each weekend, we’ll find our path to success.”
Cailliau hopes that fans come to support the team and experience the excitement of basketball.
“Fans can expect good competition,” she says. “We’ll be putting up a fight, we’ll be scoring, we’ll be passing, we’ll be working together. There won’t be any boring weekends.”