A Typical Season

I want to first start out by stating that this is my first ever blog so if I'm terrible at it, I apologize in advance. Good thing I have all semester to get used to writing on here so with that being said on to my first blog.


September 2010, marked my first year at Humber College (I've been here since 2006) not playing on the Men's Volleyball team. I have one semester to finally finish my post secondary education and playing one semester doesn't really make a lot of sense. For the volleyball program, the year starts off in September and ends if your lucky in March when the Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships take place. It's definitely a grind, not only physically but mentally to make it through the long season. If you've ever placed varsity sports, you know that the season is actually broken up into two seasons (or semesters). First semester starts off with training camp, exhibition games and tournaments, seven or eight league games and when we're not playing, practices three or four nights a week. Life of a varsity athlete is very time consuming to say the least and when you finally make it to Christmas, everyone is dying for a break. For some, Christmas break marks the end of the road for the players who have not focused in the classroom. Over my four year career at Humber, I'd say on average the team losses one player at Christmas due to grades. It's always an interesting practice walking into the gym and seeing Coach Wayne Wilkins with 'the white sheet' with all players grades on it. If he calls your name, you know you have some explaining to do. It's always a sad time saying goodbye to a teammate who you've spent countless hours with.
Second semester starts out usually with a trip to Quebec City to play in the Limoulu Tournament and maybe another exhibition tournament (Seneca Sting Invitational) before league games start. All the players usually seem more focused because playoffs and the OCAA Championship are within reach. Practices are taken up a notch and the games are all taken more seriously as your trying to secure not only a spot in the playoffs but a better seeding for the Ontario Championships. The OCAA Championships is bracket, seeding the top eight teams to play off for a gold medal. It's three games to gold matching 1 vs.8, 2 vs.7, 3 vs.6, and 4vs5, so it's crucial to go into OC's (as the players call it) on a roll. OC's is a fun tournament with a great atmosphere that in the end separates the great teams from the good teams, eventually crowning the Ontario College Champions. Last year, I had the privilege of being the captain and a member of the 2009-2010 Ontario Men's Volleyball Champs.