The Mercury recently spoke with Bert Berthiaume, one of the BFA’s Comet volleyball varsity coaches, about how the program is building so rapidly.
“The middle school program has exploded with teams from Sheldon, Fairfield, Georgia, St. Albans City, and St. Albans Town. There are tons of kids playing during the month of March,” Berthiaume said.
Heather Blackburn is one of the originators of this and has helped build the middle school programs. They also offer a Future Comets camp for girls in grades third through eighth grade, Berthiaume told The Mercury.
“Finally, we have a coaching staff at BFA that is committed to making this a special program,” Berthiaume said. “We combine hard work with lots of fun. The players know the coaches care, and they love being part of the program.”
Berthiaume also discussed that being a Comet means that you are willing to sacrifice for the good of the team, you are fully committed to being the best you can be, doing things the right way, not the easy way. It means being a great teammate.
Volleyball players, Mia Phillips, Kaylee Billings, Sadie Corrigan and Marley Johnson described BFA volleyball as a fun and amazing environment. “Growing with the team and creating a true family bond,” Billings said. “Team spirit and energy is definitely a big factor in making it enjoyable,” Phillips said.
Berthiaume believes that when you have two teams that are relatively close in talent, it creates so much excitement for the teams, coaches and the fans.
