Giraudier Headed To The Hat
When he was a Grade Six student and started playing volleyball with the Palliser Heights Huskies the furthest thing in Talen Giraudier’s mind was one day playing college volleyball.
But as he is wrapping up his high school career Giraudier has signed to play volleyball with the Medicine Hat College Rattlers.
“I just like how intense the sport is. It is the opportunities involved to (with the sport),” he said.
TALEN GIRAUDIER SIGNS WITH MEDICINE HAT - SUBMITTED PHOTO
“I was just more interested in volleyball. I always enjoyed playing it in gym class. I was just more drawn to it,” he said when I asked what he did not opt for basketball given Palliser Heights is better known for basketball and volleyball.
During his time playing for the Huskies Giraudier he was on the A team that they had.
Although he played on A team he said the Huskies got as far as the second place in the Moose Jaw public school elementary league.
“We did pretty good I guess.”
He said one thing that made him stick with volleyball versus hockey was because the hockey team he was on always seemed to lose.
Volleyball for him was better because he had the opportunity to win unlike hockey.
Once he decided which high school to attend Giraudier made the junior volleyball team at Central Collegiate.
He played with the Cyclones in grade nine.
“I had one year of junior volleyball and then Covid cancelled another,” he said.
Asked about what it was like to come back and play volleyball after losing a year to Covid Giraudier said “it was pretty hard.”
One positive thing for Giraudier is he played on a club at Golden Ticket.
He said it came back slowly once the Covid restrictions were removed.
In grade 10 as a member of the Central Cyclones junior boys team which part of the team that won the City league championship.
As a member of the Golden Ticket Volleyball Club he said the club experience has been not only beneficial, but also crucial for his game.
“(It’s affected) a lot. Club takes up way more than the school season does in terms of volleyball. That is where you get most of your reps in and playing is through club,” he said.
He said entering club play is almost immediate once the school volleyball season is over.
Asked how being part of club play impacts the school system Giraider said “it helps a lot.”
“It really is a big improvement and is about twice as long as the school season. You just come back in next year with so much more experience,” he said.
In Grade 11 Giraudier said he didn’t play a lot, because most the seniors did.
But in his grade 12 year he was highly involved and participated in almost every set.
Asked about his feelings about going to play with the Rattlers he said “it’s pretty nice. Medicine Hat is like close to home, which is always good.”
“I was really excited. I was nervous about meeting the guys when I went there for the tryout…I got one away instantly because everybody was so nice and inviting.”
When he went to Medicine Hat to try out. He met some of the guys and they were all pretty nice.
“I think it would be good going there.”
When in Medicine Hat he’s going to study UT Sciences - general science - with the goal of transferring his work to another educational facility after two years.
Once he transfers to another educational facility he’s hoping to get a degree in biology or chemistry.
He wants to potentially work as someone involved in research the pure sciences.