As I come to the end of my first year and adventurous journey in Canada, I would like to share some of my experiences that I have endured over the last 8 months.
My journey started in Brampton, Ontario at Sheridan College. I took a “Fundamentals of Fitness Leadership” course which was a 1-year program designed to teach individuals how to become personal trainers and to prepare them for the fitness industry. I had the opportunity to work with several professional and international sports teams like the ultimate frisbee RUSH and the Canadian national field hockey team. Many of the principles that I came across through this program, I was able to apply to my own training in becoming a better volleyball player and overall, a better athlete.
I can happily say that playing for the Sheridan bruins was and has been one of most enjoyable aspects of my sporting career up to date. Our squad consisted of 16 players ranging from ages of 17, all the way up to 28. Our school consisted of 3 different campuses and since volleyball wasn’t played at the campus I was staying at, it generally took me around 45 minutes to get to and from practice. Not having a car made things difficult some times and I would often find myself taking the bus to training unless one of my team mates were generous enough to take me with them (which they were). We trained up to 4 times a week and played up to 2 games a week during the season depending on the week and the team we were up against that week.
We started off alright, ending up with a 5-4 record for the first half of our semester. Sadly, we fell short in 3 different 5 set matches due to our incapability to finish of sets and games when things became close. It’s fair to say that some players that were a part of our team were inexperienced when it came to games that required accountability and patience to win. This meant that players like myself and others had to pick up our game just to stay level with other teams. We ended up with an 8-11 record by the end of the season, only just making the 7th playoff spot by 1 win. To make matters worse, 5 of those games were all 5 set matches, which all could have been prevented. We ended up losing our playoff game to make the OCAA championship, and as quickly as that, our season was over.
I’d say that there could been a lot of things that could have been done better throughout the season. Taking practice seriously (for some) and committing themselves fully to winning a championship were just some of the bigger issues that we faced as a group. That’s not to say that we didn’t have amazing things happen though. One of my most memorable of moments from this year was our game against Redeemer University at their home gym. Just picture 300 spectators all bunched in a small space, ready to scream their lungs out for the next 2 hours whilst they watch their team struggle but triumph in a 5-set match. I don’t remember being able to hear my own thoughts. This match was truly one of most enjoyable experiences that I’ve had in volleyball and just the sheer energy of that game, I just hope I will get the chance to experience something like that once again.
As well as learning about ways to take care of one’s self once ones finally moved out of the house, I’ve also learned a lot about myself and the kind of person I want to be and what it truly means to play and be a volleyball player. As I slowly mature, I’ve come to realise that volleyball is so much more than just a sport we play and enjoy. It takes certain attributes to be successful at such a sport. Being able to just jump high and hit hard won’t get you there. I’ve learned that 3 most important things are; accountability, the ability to stay strong physically and mentally, and to passionately enjoy the game. Being accountable means to learn from one’s mistakes, but to also not be afraid of making them. Being able to make the right decision for your team, on and off the court, is what it means to be accountable. Being able to stay physically and mentally strong can be tricky sometimes. Being physically strong doesn’t just mean to hit the gym every day and to lift the most weight. It’s important to take care of your body in more ways than one, whether it’s your nutrition or working on the way your body is designed to move through certain mobility/stretching exercises. Mobility has always been a big issue for me and through my education here, I was able to find ways on improving upon myself in those areas. I found it difficult to stay mentally healthy over the past 8 months. Having made new friends and the support they showed really gave me the strength to push through some difficult times, and I know I’m a much stronger person now than compared to where I was 8 months ago. Lastly, I think being able to really enjoy what you do is the most important thing about being a volleyball player. Being there for your teammates and wanting to help them be the best version of themselves that they can possibly be is something that I’ve come to strongly believe in.
I’m looking forward to coming back next year to take an athletic therapy degree and to see where I can help lead my team next year.
My journey started in Brampton, Ontario at Sheridan College. I took a “Fundamentals of Fitness Leadership” course which was a 1-year program designed to teach individuals how to become personal trainers and to prepare them for the fitness industry. I had the opportunity to work with several professional and international sports teams like the ultimate frisbee RUSH and the Canadian national field hockey team. Many of the principles that I came across through this program, I was able to apply to my own training in becoming a better volleyball player and overall, a better athlete.
I can happily say that playing for the Sheridan bruins was and has been one of most enjoyable aspects of my sporting career up to date. Our squad consisted of 16 players ranging from ages of 17, all the way up to 28. Our school consisted of 3 different campuses and since volleyball wasn’t played at the campus I was staying at, it generally took me around 45 minutes to get to and from practice. Not having a car made things difficult some times and I would often find myself taking the bus to training unless one of my team mates were generous enough to take me with them (which they were). We trained up to 4 times a week and played up to 2 games a week during the season depending on the week and the team we were up against that week.
We started off alright, ending up with a 5-4 record for the first half of our semester. Sadly, we fell short in 3 different 5 set matches due to our incapability to finish of sets and games when things became close. It’s fair to say that some players that were a part of our team were inexperienced when it came to games that required accountability and patience to win. This meant that players like myself and others had to pick up our game just to stay level with other teams. We ended up with an 8-11 record by the end of the season, only just making the 7th playoff spot by 1 win. To make matters worse, 5 of those games were all 5 set matches, which all could have been prevented. We ended up losing our playoff game to make the OCAA championship, and as quickly as that, our season was over.
I’d say that there could been a lot of things that could have been done better throughout the season. Taking practice seriously (for some) and committing themselves fully to winning a championship were just some of the bigger issues that we faced as a group. That’s not to say that we didn’t have amazing things happen though. One of my most memorable of moments from this year was our game against Redeemer University at their home gym. Just picture 300 spectators all bunched in a small space, ready to scream their lungs out for the next 2 hours whilst they watch their team struggle but triumph in a 5-set match. I don’t remember being able to hear my own thoughts. This match was truly one of most enjoyable experiences that I’ve had in volleyball and just the sheer energy of that game, I just hope I will get the chance to experience something like that once again.
As well as learning about ways to take care of one’s self once ones finally moved out of the house, I’ve also learned a lot about myself and the kind of person I want to be and what it truly means to play and be a volleyball player. As I slowly mature, I’ve come to realise that volleyball is so much more than just a sport we play and enjoy. It takes certain attributes to be successful at such a sport. Being able to just jump high and hit hard won’t get you there. I’ve learned that 3 most important things are; accountability, the ability to stay strong physically and mentally, and to passionately enjoy the game. Being accountable means to learn from one’s mistakes, but to also not be afraid of making them. Being able to make the right decision for your team, on and off the court, is what it means to be accountable. Being able to stay physically and mentally strong can be tricky sometimes. Being physically strong doesn’t just mean to hit the gym every day and to lift the most weight. It’s important to take care of your body in more ways than one, whether it’s your nutrition or working on the way your body is designed to move through certain mobility/stretching exercises. Mobility has always been a big issue for me and through my education here, I was able to find ways on improving upon myself in those areas. I found it difficult to stay mentally healthy over the past 8 months. Having made new friends and the support they showed really gave me the strength to push through some difficult times, and I know I’m a much stronger person now than compared to where I was 8 months ago. Lastly, I think being able to really enjoy what you do is the most important thing about being a volleyball player. Being there for your teammates and wanting to help them be the best version of themselves that they can possibly be is something that I’ve come to strongly believe in.
I’m looking forward to coming back next year to take an athletic therapy degree and to see where I can help lead my team next year.
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