In honour of Valentine’s day, we asked Varsity Blues athletes to explain their love for their sports. Competing on a varsity team requires a huge time commitment, but its benefits overpower the struggles of the commitment and contribute to the love of athletes for their sports and teams.
McKinnley Morris | Women’s Rugby
There’s nothing more physically satisfying than rugby, and the culture of the sport is one of the best things about it. At the beginning of the match, you get to negotiate the rules with the ref, you beat the hell out of the opposing team, and then afterwards we all go and socialize together — you leave everything on the pitch. The level of trust necessary to play the sport brings a level of camaraderie that turns your teammates into your family. This is one of the most amazing aspects of the sport. Our season never ends; we go from CIS to sevens to summer rugby and around again. This constant competition requires relentless training, and nothing feels better than sweating, bleeding, running, crying, and winning alongside your family. No other sport could challenge me and yet support me like rugby does.
Darnell Girard | Track and Field
There’s something really raw about stepping into a throwing circle and giving everything that you’ve got, trying to throw the shot put further than anybody else who steps in there after you… It’s just you and a 16-pound ball in your hand, and if you can throw that thing further than anyone else does that day then you deserve to win… With other sports there can be argument for who really “deserved” to win, or how one athlete carried his/her teammates to victory, but at the end of a competition, I know that on that particular day there is nothing that anyone can say to take away my performance from me; it is something that is completely my own. It’s this amazing feeling of accomplishment and responsibility that makes me love my sport, and it is a love that I will carry with me long after my days in the throwing circle are over.
Kevin Deagle | Men’s Hockey
I love hockey for a dozen reasons, but I’ll mention three. It is through hockey that I have lived the Canadian dream since I was five, playing in hockey arenas across this great country for as long as I can remember. Secondly, the sport builds your character past what you might have imagined, and then brings out the best — then worst — in yourself to test that character. Lastly, the camaraderie in sport is unequalled. A bond forms among the men you stand shoulder to shoulder with in competition that, through success or adversity, cannot be broken. These reasons, and many more, are why I love hockey.
Rachael Sider | Women’s Basketball
I got into basketball competitively at age 9, after years of shooting around in the park with my dad. I love basketball in part because it’s always been a family affair; I played with my sister for years, my dad coached us, and I helped him coach my brother. Our respective seasons still dominate family discussions, and keep us all close, despite the physical distance. I also love the fast-paced nature of the game and the challenge of competing against both opponents in a game, and yourself in practice.
Vanessa Treasure | Women’s Swimming
I started this sport as a little girl who just loved to swim. The passion, drive, and determination that resides in me grew that love of the water more than I ever thought possible. The early mornings are all worth it when you stand behind the starting blocks with confidence. The memories of painful training sessions transform into faster times, and the countless heartbreaking disappointments vanish when you are standing at the top of the podium, blowing a kiss to your mom. If I take my journey as a competitive swimmer and strip away the titles, the requirements, and the detailed regimens, I find that same little girl that started for the love of the sport.
Dakota Laurin | Men’s Basketball
What I love most about the game of basketball is the team dynamic that it places you in. Almost everyday you compete with and against your teammates — overcoming defeats, celebrating successes, and all the while making each other better players and people. Pretty soon, your teammates become your best friends; together you experience the highs, the lows, and everything else that life has to offer. I know that long after I leave the basketball court, the friendships I made will still be with me. That is why I fell in love with the game.
