Anne-Sofie Charette is a CCAA Torchbearer
Anne-Sofie Charette has a true passion for volleyball and a drive to see more women and girls become involved in the sport. For her role in launching the Junior Jolibeach volleyball development program, Charette is a 2021-22 recipient of the CCAA Torchbearer Scholarship presented by Hudl.
Charette, of Joliette, Quebec, is a first-year outside hitter on the Gaillards du Cégep de Jonquière Women’s Volleyball team. She is currently studying Humanities with a profile in Sports Studies at the Cégep.
In the summer of 2021, Charette was approached about organizing a beach volleyball camp for girls ages 10-14 in her hometown. She eagerly volunteered to develop the training and activities for the camp, became the liaison for the participants and their families and developed an evaluation tool for tracking each player’s progress. Charette also took on the responsibility of ensuring all health and safety measures were in place and followed during the COVID-19 pandemic. She even created a promotional video to convince young players and their families to join the camp and discover the sport of volleyball.
It’s a project I really care about because it connects with my values,” said Charette. “I’m lucky to be able to share my passion and help prepare the next generation in my region.”
According to Joliette’s Beach Volleyball Athlete Performance Program Manager, Rudy Houle, the program was a major success with more than half of the girls deciding to join competitive teams following their involvement in the camp. Houle also believes that the camp participants learned more than just volleyball skills from Charette.
“Anne-Sofie truly leads by example, inspiring youth with her smile, her conviction in her message and the tremendous care with which she has treated people from a young age,” said Houle. “She is a model of perseverance and respect.”
Charette’s desire to see her sport grow is reflected beyond the Junior Jolibeach volleyball camp as she referees and coaches in several youth leagues during her spare time. Even as a rookie in the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), she quickly became a key figure at her Cégep and in her new community.
“Anne-Sofie is a leader on the team and a powerhouse outside the gym,” said Daniel Dawson, Head Coach of the Gaillards Women’s Volleyball Team. “She is very active in the community and does a great job balancing her studies, work and community involvement so that she can help young people develop a passion for sport.”
According to a 2020 report released by the Canadian Women and Sport, one in three girls leave sport during their teenage years. By comparison, the dropout rate for teenage boys is only one in 10. Further to this, sport participation rates for Canadian girls decline steadily from childhood to adolescence with as many as 62% of girls not playing sport at all.
“It is so encouraging to see how our student-athletes can recognize a need in their communities and be forces of change in those areas,” said Vince Amato, CCAA President. “Ann-Sofie has exemplified this with her project when she saw the there was a need to support and develop women’s volleyball in her community.”
Charette and Houle intend to offer the Junior Jolibeach volleyball development camp again in 2022, building upon their desire to develop well rounded athletes and citizens. Houle noted that Charette impressed upon the camp participants the importance of respect for fellow coaches and players, the enjoyment of competition in victory and defeat, and camaraderie with teammates on and off the court.
“People like Anne-Sofie make me believe in a bright future for the budding decision makers of tomorrow.”
