Student athletes find their place on and off the court
Incoming CMU student-athletes Paige Whiteside and David Gomez are embracing new opportunities to grow in the classroom and in competition as they begin their first seasons with the Blazers.
Incoming student-athletes Paige Whiteside and David Gomez have taken different paths to CMU, but both see the university as a place to grow—as athletes, students, and teammates.
Whiteside, an 18-year-old setter from Selkirk, is beginning her first year of university after competing at increasingly high levels of volleyball. She has played for Team Manitoba since Grade 8, an experience that introduced her to a higher level of competition.
One of her biggest career highlights came with the Lord Selkirk Royals, when the team won the St. Vital Invitational, which Whiteside describes as "the biggest high school tournament in varsity." She says the experience was "surreal" and taught her about team chemistry and the importance of bringing passion onto the court.
Now, with a few games under her belt with CMU Blazers Athletics, Whiteside is ready for another step up.
Paige Whiteside
"This level of volleyball is going to be a whole lot different than varsity and high school sports," she says. "The games are quicker and the level of mental focus can be hard to maintain under the stressful environment."
That opportunity to compete at a higher level was an important part of Whiteside's decision to attend CMU. Finding the Bachelor of Science program she wanted made it a "perfect fit."
As the volleyball calendar fills with games and practices, Whiteside will also be learning how to balance athletics with her studies.
"I'm just going to have to work like extra hard to try and keep those balanced," she says.
She won't be navigating that challenge alone. Several of her teammates are taking many of the same courses, giving Whiteside a built-in community of people who understand the demands of moving between the classroom and the gym.
"It also helps that there's a lot of girls that play volleyball that are also taking a lot of the same courses as me, so we can just get together and study and we know exactly what each other is going through," she says.
Whiteside, who is living in residence, is also looking forward to the independence and relationships that come with starting university.
"I'm excited to hopefully develop lifelong friendships with the girls on my team and other students [who] attend here," she says.
David Gomez
For David Gomez, coming to CMU has meant an even bigger change of scenery.
The 21-year-old midfielder came to Winnipeg from London, Ontario, after completing a two-year accounting diploma at St. Lawrence College in Kingston. While there, he was his team's top goal scorer and was named rookie of the year.
What caught Gomez's attention from more than 1,500 kilometres away was the success of CMU's men's soccer team. Last season, the Blazers won the MCAC championship and advanced to the CCAA National Championships for the first time in program history.
"When I saw that [the Blazers] made it to nationals, I thought, I want to be part of it," Gomez says.
For Gomez, leaving Ontario was also an opportunity to experience something new.
"An opportunity like this doesn't really present itself that often, as someone from Ontario," he says. "How many people go and play here in Manitoba? It's pretty rare."
The opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration through the Redekop School of Business at CMU made the move even more appealing.
Gomez arrived in Winnipeg a month before classes began to practice with the team, giving him an early opportunity to settle in and get to know his new teammates.
"[The team] has accepted me with open arms," he says.
After returning from an exhibition tournament in Alberta, Gomez says the team has already developed strong chemistry despite their short time together.
"In terms of chemistry, I think we've done really well in the short time we've had," he says.
That chemistry is paired with the intensity of a team preparing to build on a championship season.
"They go in hard; they go in 100 per cent. They play and they compete," Gomez says.
It is a level of commitment Gomez wants to match as he settles into his new team.
"I want to be a better player. I want to learn more and how I can improve, [and] how I can help out the team," he says.
Whiteside is beginning her university experience close to home, while Gomez has travelled across provinces to continue his. But both have arrived at CMU looking for something similar: an opportunity to challenge themselves, contribute to their teams, continue their education, and find community along the way.