DAWSON CITY – Robert Service School has been spending the last week holding small events leading up to the 40th edition of the Dawson Invitational Volleyball Tournament (DIVT), which was started in 1979 by then Social Studies teacher and volleyball coach Bob Sutherland, who has now been retired for several years.

Former player, and now one of two vice-principals at the school. Melissa Flynn, announced it on Facebook with this high energy post:

“The Dawson Invitational Volleyball Tournament was started in 1979 by Bob Sutherland and Peter Cassidy to bring Mayo and Dawson students together to play competitive Volleyball. As years passed more communities got involved and this tournament has become a favourite every year!!!

“We are celebrating the 40th Annual DIVT on October 25th – 27th.”

Excited replies came from as far away as South Africa.

As current PE teacher David Rawlings says, “This tournament brings all the communities in the Yukon together with a single goal …to play volleyball.”

Beginning on October 17, the school had a series of special days to ramp up the enthusiasm. Twin Day, Glitter/Face Paint Day and Formal Day finished off that week.

This week kicked off with Pyjama Day on Monday, and carried on with Jersey Day and Green and White (the school’s colours) Day. Today will also be the day for the afternoon pep rally, where all the RSS teams show off their moves.

Games will start on Thursday at 8 a.m. as quite a few of the teams will have arrived on Wednesday evening. The actual formal opening ceremonies will take place around noon on Thursday.

The rest of the teams – from Faro, Carmacks, Whitehorse, Pelly Crossing, Watson Lake and Ross River – will have arrived by then.

The sport is very popular at RSS, which has two teams of 7/8 girls, one of 7/8 boys, one each of 9/10 girls and boys, one each of 11/12 girls and 11/12 boys.

“It’s extremely popular,” says teacher/coach Andrew Laviolette, as he supervises some Grade 7/8 players.

“It’s sort of a way of life for the students here, particularly in the fall. They eat, sleep and breathe volleyball at the school. This group of 7/8s practices twice a week. They’ve already been to Whitehorse for the early bird tournament.

“They’d play volleyball every day of the year if they could. The staff can’t keep up.

“For teachers,” he says, “it’s a nice way to connect with the students outside of the classroom.”

RSS Alumnus Harmony Hunter (class of 1998) was in town for the Tourism Association of Yukon fall conference, and recalled just that level of excitement from her high school years.

“It was such an amazing team experience, with the best coaching and team spirit. We played hard. We travelled. A trip to Inuvik was memorable.

‘The DIVT was one the most favourite of my high school memories. The dance and the pomp and the pep rally was unbelievable. The community came together to cheer us and that was great.”

Vice-principal Helen McCullough is too busy now to coach, but she used to, and she remains a teacher chaperone for the Gr. 11/12 boys team.

“I’ve been at the school for 20 years and have participated in 18 DVITs.”

McCullough actually recalls coming to Dawson in 1981 or ‘82 for these events when she was a student at F.H. Collins in Whitehorse.

“The teams from Whitehorse love coming here, partly because they get to see everyone play.”

In the territorial tournament in November the games are spread out among all the different high school gyms. Here, there are nearly always two games going on in the divided gym from 7 or 8 in the morning until nearly midnight.

“All of our kids in high school participate, whether they play or not,” she said. “Some run the concession, do flagging, score-keeping, helping to keep the tournament on track.”

As well as former players who coach, there are a number of alumni who come out to referee.

The 7/8 teams don’t actually get to play in this 9-12 event, so they will have a special set of games on Wednesday evening.

The ancillary room will play host to a buffet dinner on one night and there will be a dance at the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Community Hall on Friday night.

Playoffs will be on Saturday and Sunday. The gym is always packed for these events.

Everyone is hoping that this week will not have a recurrence of the icy weather that closed some sections of the Klondike Highway