Four Earl graduates (or graduating) share their unique individual experiences playing in University. These athletes give insight and advice, even on getting recruited during the pandemic.
Many athletes dream of playing their sport at the next level beyond high school or club. However, they may be uncertain on how to choose a school or questioning if they will fit into the competitive environment. With the restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19, being able to practice, let alone getting recruited is a huge challenge this year. Hopefully, the following interviews can help in deciding where your athletic career will lead.
Ellie Hatashita goes to McMaster University and is in her second year of playing volleyball. She majors in Commerce.
Q: What made you want to play varsity sports?
For as long as I can remember I knew I wanted to play varsity volleyball. I love volleyball and wanted to play as long as possible and at the highest level possible.
Q: What was your recruiting process like?
I started by talking to multiple schools and narrowed it down to my top three schools. I went on a visit to each of them where I met the coaches, some players and got a tour. At the beginning of grade 12, I decided on McMaster. If you asked me at the time I would have said it was stressful but looking back now I would say overall it was a very positive experience. My recruiting process was a lot longer than most people's, but I am a very indecisive person.
Q: Why did you choose McMaster University?
When I went on my tour at McMaster I loved the campus and could picture myself being a student there. On the volleyball side, I thought the coaches would be a great fit for me and knew that their volleyball program had a long history of success, plus I liked their jerseys.
Q: How do you balance school and your training schedule? Do you have time for clubs or other involvements?
I think that being an athlete makes me a better student. At times, it can be difficult to balance school and training but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Volleyball has always been my outlet, at practice I can forget about schoolwork and tend to focus better afterward. I am a big believer that you will make time for things you care about, that being said you definitely can have time for clubs and other involvements as long as you manage your time well.
Q: What’s the most rewarding and difficult part about being a student athlete?
My favourite part about being a student athlete is the relationships you build with your teammates, coaches, trainers, and other athletes. You get to be with your best friends and role models every day which is really fun. One of the most difficult parts for me is trying to balance being the best athlete possible while also having a “normal” university life. It can be hard to sacrifice things to be a better athlete, but it is worth it.
Q: Advice for future student athletes on what to expect from varsity sports?
It’s going to be a wild journey, there will be lots of ups and downs, no matter how tough it gets, remember why you love your sport. For many athletes, these are the last few years you get to play your sport at a high level so enjoy the time because it will fly by fast.
Evy Arsenault is graduating this summer and has committed to the University of Connecticut to play soccer.
Q: What’s your major?
I am going to be doing my undergrad in business but have not decided on a major yet. The first year program is very broad and touches on many different majors like marketing, accounting, management, and international business so I will pick one after getting to sample a little bit of everything.
Q: How did you make your decision to play in the states?
It was always my dream to play NCAA D1 soccer in the states because it's the highest level of college soccer I can play. A lot of my favorite Canadian players have gone through the States so I wanted to follow the same path and I’m so thankful to have this opportunity to improve my game.
Q: Why did you choose the University of Connecticut?
I chose the University of Connecticut because the mascot's name is Jonathan... and my dad’s name is also Jonathan. Jk! I chose the University of Connecticut because it has a great balance between athletics and academics; from an athletic standpoint the soccer team is highly competitive in the Big East conference, has a great sense of togetherness, is led by an amazing group of coaches, and has newly renovated soccer facilities. In terms of academics, UConn consistently ranks in the top public universities in the US and has a great business program. Plus, the campus is beautiful and located close enough that it is within driving distance.
Q: What was your recruiting process like, especially with Covid?
When I was in grade 9 and 10 I was going to showcases and combines with my team to get some exposure and I also started communicating with university coaches. In grade 11 I narrowed the list of schools I was considering and visited most of them. Then covid hit and I had seen them all except one… the University of Connecticut. I was disappointed because I felt that UConn was going to be a great fit for me so I kept in touch with the coaches, sent footage, and researched about the school. Come September of grade 12, I verbally committed to UConn and officially signed in November. My recruiting process was long but in the end I found a school that had everything I was looking for. A huge part of that was my parents as they supported me in every way possible to make sure I would be happy and also my coaches who helped me move forward every step of the way.
Q: Do you have any advice/tips on how to get recruited?
First, I would say that it's really important to take control of your recruiting process and make it happen for yourself. You don't have to be the most talented player to get recruited, but if it's a goal of yours then be the hardest worker. Keep putting yourself out there by sending emails, playing in front of coaches, sending video (even if it's just practice video in covid) and don't be discouraged if you don't get an immediate answer. College coaches receive about 200-300 emails a day so make sure to stick with it! Secondly, make sure you do your research on the schools you're interested in and take the time to build a relationship with the coaches. The more effort that you put into the recruiting process, the more confident you will feel when you make your decision!
Ahmed Abdelaziz is a first year student at Western University majoring in Medical Sciences. Although he was not able to play in the regular season, Ahmed was still able to share his experience getting recruited.
Photo credit: Transition Resource Guide
Q: What made you want to play varsity volleyball?
I’ve been playing volleyball for as long as I can remember and it has become something I really enjoy doing as well as a great outlet to relieve stress and maintain my physical health. I definitely didn’t want to lose that aspect of my life coming into university.
Q: What was your recruiting process like?
When I had decided what schools I was interested in academically, I reached out to their volleyball coaches to see if they were recruiting any players in my position. There is definitely a bit of a luck aspect in the recruiting process since some players have an ideal academic school but their athletic team ends up being full.
Q: Why did you choose Western?
My academic career was always my priority when I was choosing where to attend. Western has an amazing medical sciences program that includes a lot of courses I have interest in and was definitely a big factor for me in choosing to attend the university. After visiting the campus, I really liked the environment and the general vibe. The philosophy of the volleyball team where academics take priority was also something that really matched with my own views.
Q: How did you choose your major, knowing you would be a student athlete?
As I previously mentioned, I tried my best to choose my major without letting athletics sway my decision too heavily (although athletics was also a factor). I knew that my program was going to be challenging as a student-athlete, however, I’ve seen many upper year students I look up to succeed in both their difficult majors as well as their athletic careers so I knew it was possible to do so with enough commitment.
Q: Do you have any advice/tips on how to get recruited?
Try to be as proactive as possible! Coaches get tons of athletes reaching out to them so it is unlikely that they would reach out to many athletes. It's important that you really display your interest in being part of their athletic program and try to show them why you would be a good fit.
Olivia MacAskill is in her second year studying Biology and Environmental Sciences at McMaster University in her second year where she runs varsity track.
Q: What made you want to run track in uni?
I wanted to run cross country/track in university because I wanted to be part of the team atmosphere and be surrounded with like minded people. I really enjoyed running all throughout high school and couldn’t imagine stopping, I still had goals I wanted to achieve and experiences I wanted to have so it felt like a very natural decision.
Q: What was your recruitment process like?
I actually reached out to my coach first and introduced myself, we had a few phone calls and then she invited me out to visit the campus. I went for a run with the team and got to know everyone and for me that's what sold me on wanting to go to McMaster.
Q: In your experience, what’s the biggest difference between high school/club sports and varsity?
Running can be a very individualistic sport where everyone competes in their own event and strives to better their own personal times, but running can also be such a team sport. For me the biggest difference I noticed when I joined the varsity XC/track team was how much more of a team sport running has the potential to be. I’m with my teammates all of the time, partly because they’re my roommates, but mostly because we are with each other through all of the tough workouts, recovery runs, next to each other on the start line, and there to pick eachother up after the race. Every time I run at McMaster, I’m not only running for myself, but I’m running for all of my teammates and I get just as much satisfaction when one of my teammates wins a race, or gets a new best time as I do when it’s my turn. For me becoming a varsity athlete really introduced me to that side of running that I didn’t really appreciate much before.
Q: How do you balance school and your training schedule? Do you have time for clubs or other involvements?
Balancing school, training and competing was certainly an adjustment at the beginning of my rookie season. Once you get settled into a rhythm and discover how you like to take notes, study for tests and complete assignments, it becomes a lot easier. Running is quite unique in that we don’t have a formal team practice every day. It’s a balance of some formal workouts and the rest of the days you just need to go for a run when it fits into your schedule. The flexibility of running made balancing training and school a lot more manageable. Although there is no way around it, with all academics there comes a workload to manage, but I am a strong believer that you always have time for things that are important to you. If volunteering off campus or meeting with a club is something you are interested in and care about, you will always be able to find a way to integrate it in somehow. This past year I participated in Motionball and virtually met with local hospital patients to play Bingo!
Q: What’s the most rewarding and difficult part about being a student athlete?
One of the most rewarding parts of being a student athlete is seeing your hard work pay off in some form. When a race goes as planned, or your team gets a low score it definitely provides some validation that all of your work has a purpose. That being said, a common challenge is recognizing that not every day is going to be your day. It is impossible to expect yourself to run a new personal best every race and that is completely normal and part of playing sports. Shifting your mindset to acknowledge this and committing to work through the ups and downs that come with playing a sport is always challenging.
Q: Any advice for future student athletes on what to expect from varsity sports?
Continuing to pursue sports in university is extremely rewarding and an opportunity I am fortunate to have. My advice for future varsity student athletes is to expect to utilize your time management skills and be ready to switch up your study habits as you adapt to a new environment and a new program. That being said, be ready to work hard, learn from the upper years around you and enter a lifelong community of teammates, coaches and friends.
It’s obvious from the thoughts of just a few of Earl’s athletes that their experience is well worth the time and dedication. Whether varsity sports is a lifetime goal, a feasible option, or perhaps neither at all, there is no doubt that the most important thing is to find a passion and pursue it.