Hi everyone, for those of you who don’t know me, my name is Ryan van Oosterwijck, and I spent six years training at GMVA. Throughout those six years, my goal was always to play volleyball overseas. Now here I am living in Canada, attending Lakeland College.
When I first arrived in Canada, I was nervous and had no idea what to expect. When I landed, I was greeted by fellow Aussie Matt Peck and a few teammates who I now consider to be close friends. All of my concerns and worries left me once I was introduced to the rest of my teammates and coaches; everyone here was so welcoming and friendly which made the transition very easy for me.
It is hard for me to sum up the last few months in one blog, but they really have been some of the most fun and memorable months of my life. I am currently studying to become a teacher, and I have really enjoyed learning again. In the first semester, I was very busy as I took on four subjects, so I had to be very organized and manage my time effectively. While studying education I had the opportunity to gain experience in a local school which was really cool and exciting. Because I didn’t have access to a vehicle to transport me to the local school, I would walk there every day regardless of the weather and would often miss out on time which I could have a used for study or completing workouts for volleyball. As a result, I designed my day around my placement work; I would wake up at 6:30 am every morning and would study for one of my four of my classes. After my morning classes, I had to go straight to the local school and be back in time for volleyball or afternoon classes. This gave me a strong work ethic which I tried to translate into my volleyball.
On the volleyball side of things, the team is currently at 7 wins and 5 losses; and are sitting in fourth place in the ACAC North. This is the most successful the team has been in years, and we are hoping to continue this success heading into the second semester. We have one practice a day plus an individual practice on Wednesdays; in addition to all of the practices, players are required to lift four times a week with the option to do extra if we want.
In the second last game of the first semester, I was given the opportunity to start in my first ever league game. It was a really special moment hearing the announcer call my name over the speakers and playing in front of a loud home crowd. After the game, I finished with a 2.7 in reception, 8 kills, 1 ace, and 3 digs and received the player of the game award. It was a game I’ll never forget and will always look back on. I have loved my time here in Canada, and I encourage anyone who is thinking of going to college to do so.
To everyone at GMVA, I hope you all keep training hard and continue to learn as much as you can from your coaches. I look forward to seeing you all in a few months.
Ryan van Oosterwijck
When I first arrived in Canada, I was nervous and had no idea what to expect. When I landed, I was greeted by fellow Aussie Matt Peck and a few teammates who I now consider to be close friends. All of my concerns and worries left me once I was introduced to the rest of my teammates and coaches; everyone here was so welcoming and friendly which made the transition very easy for me.
It is hard for me to sum up the last few months in one blog, but they really have been some of the most fun and memorable months of my life. I am currently studying to become a teacher, and I have really enjoyed learning again. In the first semester, I was very busy as I took on four subjects, so I had to be very organized and manage my time effectively. While studying education I had the opportunity to gain experience in a local school which was really cool and exciting. Because I didn’t have access to a vehicle to transport me to the local school, I would walk there every day regardless of the weather and would often miss out on time which I could have a used for study or completing workouts for volleyball. As a result, I designed my day around my placement work; I would wake up at 6:30 am every morning and would study for one of my four of my classes. After my morning classes, I had to go straight to the local school and be back in time for volleyball or afternoon classes. This gave me a strong work ethic which I tried to translate into my volleyball.
On the volleyball side of things, the team is currently at 7 wins and 5 losses; and are sitting in fourth place in the ACAC North. This is the most successful the team has been in years, and we are hoping to continue this success heading into the second semester. We have one practice a day plus an individual practice on Wednesdays; in addition to all of the practices, players are required to lift four times a week with the option to do extra if we want.
In the second last game of the first semester, I was given the opportunity to start in my first ever league game. It was a really special moment hearing the announcer call my name over the speakers and playing in front of a loud home crowd. After the game, I finished with a 2.7 in reception, 8 kills, 1 ace, and 3 digs and received the player of the game award. It was a game I’ll never forget and will always look back on. I have loved my time here in Canada, and I encourage anyone who is thinking of going to college to do so.
To everyone at GMVA, I hope you all keep training hard and continue to learn as much as you can from your coaches. I look forward to seeing you all in a few months.
Ryan van Oosterwijck
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