Veterans

2009-2010 Vet's. (Left to Right) Myself
Steve Eichorn, Bobby Anderson,
Paul Kemboi.

Being a veteran or the ‘old guys’ on the team definitely has its perks. Not only have you built friendships and relationships with faculty and students around campus and but you know ins and outs of what it’s like being a varsity athlete. On this year’s team, Paul Kemboi and Bobby Anderson are the two most senior veterans on the team. Both are in their 5^th years of eligibility as it will be their final year as members of the volleyball team. As older veterans of the team, you are looked upon for wisdom and guidance for the younger players, almost as a big brother would play for his younger siblings. Veteran leadership is key for a team’s success. Preparation is a very important aspect of being successful when playing a varsity sport, especially considering how tough and long the season is. Every year is different but at some point in the season, players may be faced with injuries, getting sick, struggling with school or time management, so it’s up to the people who have been through it to teach the younger players how to cope with these issues.  The coaching staff really looks to the veterans to develop chemistry and solidify the relationships within the team. For example, every month starting in September right to the end of the season, a veteran is paired with a rookie to plan a team event that the team can partake in. A typical monthly event can range anywhere from going to the movies, to someone’s house, going bowling, or even going to paintball. The craziest idea that one of the veterans suggested we do was in my second year playing. He suggested we go skydiving as a team!! That would probably the craziest team bonding event ever in the history of Humber. Needless to say, there were a lot of players opposed to the idea, including myself so this event did not happen.

Rick Hansen Connection

The volleyball community in Ontario is fairly tiny considering the size of our province. Certain schools, clubs and areas are known for producing good volleyball players that are good enough to play post secondary athletics. The city of Mississauga is one of the areas that have become one of those places where numerous athletes are coming out of. Last years Championship team (2009-2010) had 9 out of the 16 guys on the roster including red-shirts who are products of Mississauga. Rick Hansen Secondary School is one of the powerhouses that constantly produce’s good volleyball players on a yearly basis. The big guy Andre Brown, our setter Derek Quinn, and myself all hail from Rick Hansen but graduating in different years. Both Andre and Derek played on a team with my younger brother who was the ‘superstar’ at the time. A few years before them, I played on a team full of athletes that would go on to play varsity volleyball, basketball, and baseball at the university level. The success of the program all stems from individuals in charge and that would be head of athletics Mike Russell, and Dave McAllister. Both were coaches at powerhouse McMaster University and are currently coaching our rivals at Sheridan College. Mac and Russell as we would call them, spent many hours in the gym, traveling, and coaching us so that we all could have the opportunity to play at the varsity level. They started a club team so that the athletes would have the chance to practice their skills in the high school off-season and get a chance to play against the best players around the province. Their dedication to helping and teaching us, the athletes, is the main reason for the success of the program. Thank you Mac and Russell!! Go Storm Go!