Emmylou Umali and her family came to Nova Scotia 16 years ago and saw sports as a way to help integrate into the new culture. Her oldest daughter took up volleyball. 

But there were some challenges. 

“When we first got here, we were a low- to medium-income family, so we couldn’t afford the cost,” said Umali. “My oldest was able to get some KidSport support from Sport Nova Scotia, but there were still some barriers, as it’s hard for beginner kids to find some spots in clubs when players are already pre-selected.  

“She was able to play up until her last year in high school, but there seemed to be not a lot of spots for a lot of girls to play, so that really inspired me to find a place for kids like my kids growing up who are not that good yet but want to put the hard work in to get better.” 

In 2022, Umali founded the Blazing Eagles volleyball program, which began with just eight players looking for an opportunity to play and improve their skills.  

Umali, who is of Filipino heritage, was especially interested in helping those who were in the same situation she was in. 

“I really want to offer that opportunity for newcomers who are looking for a way to help their children become comfortable in the community,” said Umali. “I had joined a community group in Beaver Bank and started playing twice a week, and I found that my situation was not a unique one. There were a lot of Canadian families with kids who wanted to play volleyball but it was too expensive or they weren’t skilled enough to make it on the school club. 

“So within a few weeks, those eight kids became 12, then 15 and then we started getting some volunteers to help run the program.”   

Today, there are more than 200 children participating along with an expanding group of adults.  

“It’s amazing how a few volunteers who want to put in a few hours a week to help kids make such a big difference,” said Umali.  

The club offers several off-season programs from May to December, starting with an introductory Eaglets group for ages 8-11 focusing on fundamental skills, beginner and advanced groups for girls ages 12-16 and a boys program for ages 12-17 that trains year-round. During the club season, the Eagles have boys teams participating at the under-14 and 16 levels as well as under-13, 14 and 16 girls teams. 

The club uses several venues, including West Bedford and Charles P. Allen high schools, Citadel high in Halifax, and the Halifax Independent School. The club has received Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accesibility funding from Sport Nova Scotia to help offset costs and also does fundraising of its own throughout the year. 

“We host a couple of tournaments through the year as fundraisers,” said Umali. “We also have a house league going on right now as well. Kids can play against other clubs and through Volleyball Nova Scotia we have Super Series events and provincials that our teams compete in.” 

Having experienced such rapid growth in three years, Umali is faced with the challenge of finding enough volunteers to serve as coaches. 

“We have 14 coaches on our roster right now and we will definitely need more as we continue to grow,” Umali said. “I’m also hopeful that some of our older kids or their parents will be interested in staying on and pay it forward to others who are coming in. 

“With our adult program, we get a chance to see other like-minded people who believe in what we are doing and want to help a few hours a week with the kids as well. I’m very fortunate that we have that strong sense of community and our kids are very happy and grateful that they have this opportunity to play.”