The Houston County Sheriff’s Department, La Crescent Police Department and Houston County Human Resource and Department of Corrections workers were all summoned March 19 to Bluff Country Learning Options.

No, there wasn’t trouble at the school. The students just wanted to play.

Play volleyball.

It has been a tradition at the alternative learning center in Hokah since 2002, and each year, both students and officials involved say they look forward to mixing it up in the school’s gymnasium. But of course, it’s all in good fun.

The yearly matches began with the help of Sharen Lapham, a social worker in the county’s human services department. She had been working with two students from the school seven years ago who suggested she come and watch them play volleyball. She did. Then those students asked if Lapham would round up some of her co-workers n and a few officers n to play them and their classmates.

“So… I went back, and I got a very good response,” Lapham said. “This (year) is probably our smallest crowd.”

Still, nearly 15 showed up to play. After the game, the students treated their opponents to pizza, which they bought using money they saved from recycling pop cans. That’s a reversal of roles from the first few years, when the county employees used to bring a hot lunch to the students, who were in a different building that couldn’t accommodate a warm meal.

“It’s something, I think, the kids look forward to, and I think we, as an agency, look forward to it,” Lapham said. “I’ll start getting e-mails (asking) ‘When are we going to play again?’”

But as much as the county staff looks forward to the day, the students are just as excited. Seniors Marcus Olson and Quinn Howlett have both played in the volleyball matches for two years. They both agree they enjoy competition with the officers.

“Yeah, we like to play them,” said Olson, of Spring Grove.

And the interaction in an unofficial capacity is good.

“It’s nice not seeing them drive around in their cop cars looking for people,” he said.

Though the day isn’t about winning, losing or having the best players, the students prepare for the annual match.

“We practice every day,” said Howlett, of Dakota.

And the county is well aware of that.

“We got killed the last two years,” said Houston County Sheriff Doug Ely, referring to the two years he has played since being elected. “(My) first year, we never won a game. Last year, we won one game.”

Though fun and food was on the day’s agenda, it was, more importantly, about building relationships between the students and the professionals. It adds a personal element, Lapham said, because in some instances, the only contact kids have with law enforcement is when something is amiss. But Ely and the others want to change that.

“These kids are here for an education, but they, for some reason or another, have chosen to come to BCLO,” he said. “We don’t want them to think they’re completely out of our lives. Just because they’re not in the mainstream (school) doesn’t mean we still don’t care. …We have just as much influence in their lives as we do other kids.”

BCLO director John Haugan said, from the kids’ perspective, the day is about having fun, but as director, he feels this is a time for the students to show the county employees “the quality young men and women they are.”

“They behave very respectfully and positively, so it’s a great demonstration,” he said.