Sharbot Lake volleyballer heading to Denmark to play

Jeff Green | Aug 04, 2021

When Joel Howes went to Sharbot Lake High School, there were not that many sports to compete.

“It was soccer, basketball and volleyball, and I competed in all of them,” he recalls.

His height was an advantage in both basketball and volleyball, and he liked volleyball but not more than any of the other sports.

It was when he went to Fleming College in Peterborough and made the volleyball team that he began to take volleyball more seriously and learned to love the sport, and want to progress in it. His position is middle blocker.

The college volleyball season runs from September to February, and in 2019 Joel decided to try his hand with the One League, the top level of volleyball in Canada outside of the national team program.

He played for Madawaska Madness our of Toronto and participated in the league finals in Edmonton in 2019.

At Fleming, he has really found his niche as a middle blocker. He set the blocking record in the Ontario College Athletic Association in 2019/2020, scored the most points on his team and was awarded the athlete of the year trophy at Fleming College. The season ended just before COVID hit.

He studied computer engineering technique and electrical techniques at Fleming and has been working in Peterborough ever since he graduated.

The One League 2020 and 2021 seasons were cancelled.

Earlier this year, “one of my buddies, who coached me at Fleming, said I might be able to sign with a team in Europe, where volleyball is a much bigger sport, and they are having a 2021 season,” he said.

He has now signed with a team in Ishoj, a town in Denmark that is located near Copenhagen. His contract includes coaching juniors as playing or a team that plays in Division 11 of the Denmark League. Isoj used to be a Division 1 team but they were recently relegated, mostly because of losses in revenue because fans are not allowed into the venues to see the matches, eliminating gate revenue.

“The are hoping to get back to Division 1. I’ve been told that the level of play is higher than the college level but lower than the One League level.

Joel has kept active as much as possible over the last 18 months, doing some Pilates and Yoga and playing beach volleyball.

“I think it will be a little bit of challenge. I’ve been jumping on sand for the past year, that messes with the timing that you need when jumping off a floor.”

Never having been to Europe, or exposed to Nordic languages or culture, he really does not know what kind of experience he is about to embark upon.

“I’ve heard some negative stories about going over to Europe to play, and from people who have had a really good time. So, I will see what happens. I hope to keep progressing in the sport. After the season I could look to Germany, which is pretty friendly to volleyball, go elsewhere in Denmark, stay in Oshoj, or come back to Canada. It all depends what happens.”

He has had to deal with a lot of bureaucracy getting ready to go, from VIDA requirements, COVID protocols, and Works volleyball registration, but all of that is done now and his plane leaves on August 11. He will start coaching a few days after arriving and the seasons starts at the end of August.

“I am excited but I’m also nervous,” he said, “I don’t often travel outside of the country, and the farthest away that I’ve ever lived is in Oakville.”