Branson Powell hangs his head and smiles whenever he hears people talk about his accomplishments.
He’s been hanging his head a lot lately, for one simple reason – he’s accomplished a lot.
Powell, a senior at Hapnot Collegiate, is considered one of the province’s top high school athletes, playing volleyball, soccer and basketball with equal aptitude and skill.
It’s on the volleyball court that Powell has earned the highest praise. Early in December, he was named to Volleyball Manitoba’s graduating all-star team and was invited to a special event in Winnipeg. He was one of only two players outside Winnipeg who made the cut.
“They had a big banquet to announce and give awards to all the players,” said Powell. “I went down there and got my award. After that, we had an all-star game, they put all of us on teams and we played each other. It was pretty good.”
Powell has a habit of understating his achievements. Everything is “okay” or “pretty good.”
His phys-ed teacher and volleyball coach, Tim Wiebe, is more emphatic about the young athlete.
“Any time we needed a point or a pass or serve or anything, we knew Branson was there,” said Wiebe. “He won’t brag about himself, but he’s a heck of an athlete. We’ll go to a gym, for example, to play a game, and in warm-ups we’ll toss a ball up, Branson will hit it straight down, and the whole crowd just goes ‘Ooooh! Aaahh!’
“We were at provincials and some of the best players there were just in love with him. Every time he’d hit, their jaws would just drop. They’re just fascinated by his skill level.”
Things are looking up for Powell, but the road to today hasn’t always been smooth. When he was set to start grade 8, he and his family moved to Flin Flon from Saint Thomas Parish, Jamaica, an area on the island’s east side. The move was a massive adjustment for him.
“Especially the weather,” he said. “The schooling is way harder here than down in Jamaica. It’s way different. When I came here I didn’t understand some of the stuff. Now I do understand.”
Powell played cricket and soccer back in the Carribbean; neither sport was a realistic option during a Flin Flon winter. Acclimatizing to a new country was difficult.
“There were plenty of hard times, especially in grade 8, when I first came here,” he said. “That was the hardest time for sure.”
Powell found an outlet in sports. He focused on soccer and started playing basketball and volleyball, gradually building a reputation as one of the school’s top players. Away from the gym, Powell is doing well in his English class and plays percussion in the school band.
“I just grew up playing drums,” he said. “Some of my friends, because I played drums, wanted to play drums too, so they joined the percussion, too.”
Powell is fielding scholarship offers from several colleges, both for his skills on the soccer pitch and the volleyball court. When asked where he’s planning on going, Powell is coy – he’s made his choice, but some kinks still need to be ironed out.
Wherever he goes, Wiebe is sure Powell will succeed.
“I’m obviously a little biased, but I think Branson’s one of the top volleyball players in the province. I really do,” said Wiebe. “I think the reason he doesn’t get as much recognition is because he is in the North.”
For now, Powell is trying to stay grounded in the present. Hapnot’s basketball season has just started, and he will be a key player for this year’s team.
“I kind of hate Branson sometimes,” said Wiebe jokingly, “because no matter what, if you tell him to do something, he can do it better than you.”
When he hears that, Powell laughs, hangs his head and smiles.
