Hatter representing Alberta at North America Indigenous games

By JAMES TUBB on June 24, 2023.

PHOTO COURTESY JONN BAIRD Medicine Hat product Alex Baird poses with the South East Alberta Volleyball Club U18 men's team championship banner from provincials in April.

Alex Baird is ready to showcase his volleyball talents while learning more about his Indigenous background.

The Grade 11 student athlete from Medicine Hat High has been selected for Team Alberta to compete in U19 volleyball at the North America Indigenous Games in Halifax. The Games, which run July 15-23, provide Baird a chance to face off against the top Indigenous talent on Turtle Island.

“It’s a great opportunity, it gives me a really big chance to see if I could do post secondary and what I’m going to be facing,” Baird said. “It will be a lot of new competition because I play club (volleyball) around here and it’s the same faces. Now I get to see people from Ontario to way down like in the United States, it’s pretty exciting.

“I’m proud to be able to stand for Alberta and compete there.”

Baird, who won provincial gold with his local club team earlier this spring, was selected for the Games through highlights on his Instagram account. He wasn’t able to make the tryouts but says the coach was impressed with what he saw on video and gave him the opportunity. He says the team has only had two practices together so far but will be meeting in Edmonton for a week before flying to Halifax to practise for a day before the Games begin.

“We’re having two sessions a day, with one focused on getting to know our team better and then the other is actually practising,” Baird said. “I’m excited to learn all of that and learn about my teammates.”

He does know two of his teammates well already, with all three belonging to the Michel band, which is a mix of Mohawk from Ontario and Cree. Baird says it’s important to him to learn more about his Indigenous background and was relieved knowing he would have two people he already knew on the team.

“All of us are going to be learning a little bit more about ourselves,” Baird said. “It makes it a lot easier because before this the only people I knew were my brother and my dad. Now there’s three or four guys on there.”

Baird’s dad Jonn is joining him on the trip and he’s looking forward to sightseeing with his dad. With Halifax being on the water, he’s also excited to see wildlife that isn’t readily available in Medicine Hat.

As he wraps up his exams and gets ready to take on the Games, Baird has started sharing his thanks for those who helped him reach this level of play.

“I have to thank my family for helping me get through all of this,” Baird said. “My coach especially, because he’s helped me improve by far the most, and my teammates for keeping me motivated. They’ve always been my side and helped me out.”

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