Players on Grade 8 volleyball teams saw their first game action of the season Friday and Saturday at the annual early bird tournament.

There are no placings at the tournament or awards given out, however despite not playing for anything, the tournament is a tremendous benefit to players, coaches and officials.

"They did great," said Katrina Brogdon, the head coach of both Vanier girl's teams at the Early Bird tournament.

"This is a fun tournament to get them kind of into the swing of things. Especially for Grade 8's, it's important that they be sort of introduced to the world of high school tournaments without a whole bunch of pressure of who is going to be first and all that jazz."

Participating schools at the tournament included F.H., Vanier and Porter Creek, who each had at least one boys' and girls' team.

There was also a mixed teams from Teslin, which participated in the competition. Teams were divided up into a boys' and girls' category at the early bird. Teslin's lone team competed in the boy's division.

A round robin format was used at the Early Bird volleyball tournament, which this year was hosted at Vanier Catholic Secondary School.

In the past the early bird has featured teams from Dawson City and Haines Junction.

Volunteering students in Grades 9 through 12 also benefitted from the early bird, which allows them a chance to practice their coaching and officiating skills.

The high school volleyball season begins this week, but teams have been practicing since early September.

"I think the younger girls kind of look at them," Brogdon said about the senior high school students that help out with the coaching for Vanier.

"It's such a great leadership experience for them to be coaching younger kids and really helping them develop their skills and their teamwork. It is really cool to see these senior girls just shinning like that."

Heading into the tournament both Vanier's girls' team was working on skills such as teamwork, communication and serving.

Brogdon said both her teams really improved.

"They improved tons, from the minute the game play started on the first game," she said "We just saw such improvement over the course of the two days and I think all of the teams probably would say the same thing."

She said there are advantages to playing games over just practicing.

"I think in a game you have that pressure of people watching you and they are keeping points," Brogdon said.

"There is a lot more pressure to perform, but that's not necessarily a bad thing because athletes always perform under pressure or when it's a competition, so this is good way to ease them into it."