See How She Got Started in the OUA

Anchored in the efforts to spotlight Ontario University Athletics (OUA) student-athletes, the initiative See How She Got Started showcases and tells the story of how some of the conference’s talented student-athletes first got involved in sport and have made their way to the varsity stage on which they currently shine.  It is also hoped that their stories can inspire young athletes to aspire to compete in varsity-level sports.

 

 

Meet OUA Student-Athlete Adyson Wilson

University - 

Toronto Metropolitan University

 

Sport -

Volleyball

 

Year of Eligibility -

2nd Year

 

Hometown - 

Fort Frances, Ontario 

 

Program of Study - 

Arts & Contemporary Studies 

 

 

How did you first get involved in your sport?

My family was always a huge athletic family growing up so I was around the game of volleyball from around the age of 4 years old and onwards. I would watch my mom play her women’s league games with my older sister. I played elementary school volleyball in grade 7 and I started club volleyball in U17.

 

What most interested you about your sport that made you want to pursue it at a high level?

When I started club in U17, I had an amazing coach that helped me progress a lot in just two years. I learned that even though I started club around 5 years later than most girls, I could still keep up with them if not exceed them. This really drove me to want to play at the next level and see my full potential.   

 

Was there a specific moment/experience that led you to believe you could compete in your sport at a high level, and if so, what was it?

The very first experience that I remember that led me to believe that I was capable of pursuing a higher level of volleyball was when my beach volleyball coach ask me to move 18 1/2 hours from Fort Frances to Toronto to train at the Full Time Beach Training Centre. My mom believed in my abilities so much that she moved our whole family across the province just so I could play volleyball and follow my dreams. From there, I made Team Ontario Beach, Indoor Team Ontario tryouts twice, and Aboriginal Team Ontario where I played at the North American Indigenous Games.  

 

What is your fondest memory/experience of being involved in your sport thus far?

My fondest experience in volleyball so far was at my U18 Nationals in Toronto. I was playing for Mountain Volleyball Club based in Hamilton. At Nationals, we were seeded 34th and barely made it into Division 1. We fought extremely hard to come out 4th in Canada that year. It was my first and only Club Nationals and will never forget it. 

 

 

Is there someone who inspires you to continue to pursue your sport at this high level (i.e., coach, professional athlete, family member, etc.) and what makes them an inspiration to you?

I come from a small First Nation community in northwestern Ontario called Rainy River First Nations and in my native language is called Manitoo-baawidigoong. I grew up seeing no Indigenous people ever making it past high school; in education or athletics. I wanted to be that person for the little kids on my reserve. I wanted to show them that even though we have faced genocide and continue to do so, we can still follow our dreams.

Every time I fly back home to my community, there is always a few kids telling me that they watch me on livestream and that they want to be just like me. I doubted my impact on my community a few times but they continue to reassure me again and again. Whether it's in the form of paying for all of my schooling; asking me to run volleyball camps while I'm home; and always putting me in their monthly newsletters. My community is inspiring to me because they back me up constantly no matter what. They want me to succeed because they are so proud of me. Even if I was to be on the bench all five years of university career, I know they would still be completely proud of me. 

 

What excites you most about continuing your athletic journey at the varsity level within the OUA?

The thing that excites me the most about my athletic journey in the OUA is not only seeing the amazing level of play and playing myself, but to also see the athletes I have shared a court with during club volleyball grow and exceed their potential. I love hearing stories and seeing first hand how strong and confident they have become and feeling a sense of pride that I got to experience a little bit of that with them. I’m also excited to meet new people and for the chance to create life long friendships when all of this is over.  

 

What is/are some of the more unique aspect(s) of your sport that others may not know about? 

I think a lot of people think of volleyball as a boring sport that looks easy.  In fact, it’s the opposite. There are so many things implemented behind the scenes that only athletes and coaches know about and can include mental training, nutrition, workouts, stretching, bruised and bloody knees and elbows. We give up a lot of our teenage years and early 20’s so we can pursue this sport and often not receiving any credit for the efforts and sacrifices made along the way. For most athletes, this is our life and it has been for years.    

 

If someone else was looking to start playing your sport, what one piece of advice would you give them to get them started?

One piece of advice I would give to someone just starting out is you’re never too young or old to start. I am a first-hand example of that. I started club volleyball with only 2 years left of high school and am now playing at a great university. I succeeded because I listened to my coaches and challenged myself every single practice and workout. If I had a great practice or game, I would challenge myself to make it better next time. I was always challenging and working to become the best athlete possible.

 

 

What is one critical thing that you do to try to continue to experience improvement within your sport (i.e., specific drill/exercise, training regimen, routine, etc.)?

One critical thing I do to improve in volleyball is mental training. I have struggled with mental illness almost all of my life and positive mentality is something that is really important in the game of volleyball. Negative self talk effects me on and off the court and is something I continue to work on everyday. Mental training helps with this a lot. Not every thought needs to be positive, but every thought needs to be helpful and not demeaning. I implement mental training a lot throughout my day; in the morning when I wake up, 5 minutes before practice, and after practice. It helps me to calm the bad thoughts and welcome constructive criticism.  

 

What would you say to your 10-year-old self about playing and staying in sport?

I would tell my 10-year-old self that all of the sacrifices made over the years have been worth it. The years in high school when other people were out partying with their friends, I was working out or at practice. It may have felt like I was missing out on a part of life but the end result and journey made it worthwhile.

I would also tell myself to push harder and harder every time you touched a ball. Find your limit and exceed it, that is the only way you’re going to become great.     

 

Is there one strategy that you find works well for you in creating a positive student/athlete balance in your life?

I have struggled a lot in my life with schooling, from elementary to university. School was never something I was excited about. When I became a university student, I struggled a lot because I couldn’t put my education over volleyball. For a lot of my life, volleyball was more important than school. I would always receive praise for my athletic abilities but never my education.

In my first year of university I was getting low grades I was not happy with and I told myself that I needed to switch my mentality surrounding school. It started as “I need to get a 50% average to be allowed to play volleyball” to “I want to excel at both sport and school”. I realized that in order to become a great athlete, I needed to take my education seriously.

So with that being said, one strategy that works well for me with balancing school and athletics is making myself go to school; making myself do homework and the required studying; even when I simply don’t want to. Soon it will become a habit.  

 

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