Tournament honours Goodleaf
The KSS volleyball team wore turquoise ribbons in their hair, Goodleaf’s favourite colour. Courtesy Kahnawake Survival School
It was an emotional afternoon in the Kahnawake Survival School (KSS) gym last Thursday, but it was still a day of healing, as students, staff, and visitors gathered to remember Krissy Goodleaf with one of her biggest passions: some fast-paced, high-level volleyball.
“When you think of KSS volleyball you think of Krissy Goodleaf, and now we’ve got a tournament in her honour,” said Brandon Bordeau, student engagement and activity facilitator at KSS, who organized the first-ever Krissy Goodleaf Memorial Volleyball Championship last week.
Bordeau worked with Goodleaf at KSS up until her unexpected death at the end of December. Having worked at KSS for more than 20 years, first as a language arts teacher and then as the student life and prevention administrator, Goodleaf touched the lives of many students that passed through KSS’s doors, including those that she coached in her favourite sport, volleyball.
The KSS cadet volleyball team wove turquoise ribbons – Goodleaf’s favourite colour – into their hair to honour her at last week’s inaugural tournament, and older students and alumni also came to remember their beloved coach.
“Our players embodied the spirit of Krissy. I know that even if she’s not there on those sidelines, her presence is still felt there,” Bordeau said.
Three teams came to KSS to compete in the tournament alongside Kahnawake: Beurling Academy, Howard S. Billings High School, and Kanesatake’s Ratihén:te High School.
Bordeau said that KSS wanted to invite those schools because Goodleaf had known those coaches and teams well.
“Krissy coached against those specific coaches, and we felt like it was important to bring them in because it was the last competitive season in which she coached, they’ve all coached against her and alongside her for a long time,” he said.
All teams were incredibly respectful, Bordeau said, playing high-level, fast-paced volleyball for the occasion. Beurling Academy even came with a card signed by all of their players, offering their condolences.
“That just melted my heart so much,” Bordeau said. “It was such a kind gesture from them.”
Billings ended up being the first team to secure a spot on the large silver trophy, which will hopefully one day be engraved with many years’ worth of winners. They had faced off against Ratihén:te High School in the final, with Billings winning the final set 15-12.
KSS and Beurling tied for third place.
Amber Cook, a physical education teacher at KSS who has taken on some of Goodleaf’s coaching duties since her death, said that coaches from the other schools were also emotional as they gathered to remember Goodleaf, a testament to her impact in Kahnawake and beyond.
She said that everyone was particularly moved by a rendition of Fawn Wood’s “Remember Me” performed by Singing Wind Deer at the opening of the tournament.
“It was a very nice song, beautifully sung, and it had me in tears,” Cook said.
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Cook had only known Goodleaf for the past year, but she said that it’s been immediately clear the enormous impact she had on the school life. Though it’s been difficult to fill Goodleaf’s shoes in terms of coaching, she said she’s serious about keeping KSS’s passion for volleyball alive and fostering the next generation of players who will continue to remember Goodleaf every year at her memorial tournament.
“I felt like it was nice to be here even though everyone was grieving, because it shows just how much our community and KSS family cares for each other,” she said.
Funds continue to be raised for the Krissy Goodleaf Live Like a Champion Scholarship Fund, which will focus on helping KSS students better themselves through sports.
