It’s been a sensational sports season for South Surrey’s Semiahmoo Secondary School, with 24 out of 38 teams making it to provincial championships throughout the 2025-2026 school year.
From cross-country, swimming, table tennis (co-ed), badminton (senior boys and girls) to senior girls volleyball, Grade 8 boys basketball, Grade 9 boys basketball, senior boys basketball, junior girls basketball, senior girls basketball; from wrestling (boys and girls), senior girls soccer, and tennis (boys and girls) to Grade 8/junior/senior track and field (boys and girls) and senior ultimate Frisbee (co-ed), student athletes had a banner year as Thunderbirds.
With provincial play still underway for some sports (golf provincials finish June 4 in Langley, while track and field provincials go Thursday, June 4 through Saturday, June 6 in Langley, the school’s senior girls badminton team won the provincial championship over the weekend (May 31) as well.
Semiahmoo Secondary athletic director Colin Plumb credited the school’s student athletes as well as all of the coaching staff whom, he noted, contributed their time on a volunteer basis.
“We had a profoundly successful year. It’s Amazing. Twenty-four of our 38 teams went to provincials, which is insane,” he said “That’s obviously a credit and a testament to the coaches. I always start with the coaches, because if there’s no coaches, there’s no teams. One thing we preach in the program is appreciation for the coaches and just gratitude … it’s exclusively volunteer. They do not get paid, and they’re given their energy, their expertise, and their efforts to our kids.”
While racking up sports wins is always nice, whether at the local, regional or provincial level, Plumb noted he and the rest of the coaching staff tend to focus on the process rather than the outcome.
“The process is is honestly more important to us … just facilitating the growth and development of these kids (as they become) functional, contributing members of society. That’s the biggest thing for us,” he said.
Seniors girls basketball coach Simrit Bindra agreed.
“We want them to leave (as) good human beings who set good examples in their communities … obviously winning is the main goal, and we want to win, but I do get a lot of satisfaction out of just seeing them be strong women,” she said.
Track and field coach Andrew Sidhu noted he gets his students to sign athlete contract to make the commitment and outline why they wanted to join the program.
“What their motivation was, what their goal was … and then to make a series of commitments … just to to be present when they come at practice, to give their best effort, because you’re building them into adults for the real world, so you want them to have tools that they can use and continue to use (after graduation).”
Soccer coach Isaac Kyei said he enjoys seeing how each athlete progresses through the season.
“I think it’s the development from the players, and seeing them from the start, maybe being a little bit timid and shy to kind of opening up … finding their confidence,” he said, noting he and the team were getting ready to board a bus to Kamloops for provincials after school that day.
The shared team bonding and memories made on road trips are another highlight for student athletes, all coaches agreed.
“I tell the girls, ‘These are going to be the memories where — even if you win or lose — you’re going to talk about this 20 years down the road. You’re going to be saying to your friends ‘Oh, do you remember when we went to Kamloops?’” Kyei said.
Ultimate student athletes Fraser Janzen, Sophia Segismundo and Eric Zhang shared their enthusiasm for the Frisbee sport, and the fun they had travelling and playing throughout the 2025-2026 season.
Segismundo credited club coaches as well as her teammates for her improvement in ultimate over the three years she’s played.
“I’ve learnt a lot from (Janzen and Zhang), about not only having fun in this sport but also, a lot of discipline and how to coach,” she noted, adding Team Canada may be a goal in the not-too-distant future.
All three say they plan to play the Frisbee sport after they graduate high school.
“You don’t need to be super duper athletic to play it … anyone can play it,” Zhang said.
Janzen agreed, and encouraged people to just throw a Frisbee around for fun whenever possible.
“I always keep an ultimate Frisbee in my the back of my car. And it’s come in handy many many times,” he said.
Janzen, who graduates this year, also issued a neighbourly challenge to Elgin Park, another South Surrey secondary school.
“I challenge Elgin to a friendly game. Anytime, anywhere, you’re going down,” he said with a grin.