How TMU Bold athletes balance academics, athletics and life
Being a student-athlete means more than competing. It means juggling classes, training and a personal life all at once.
Bold volleyball player Rian Lenarduzzi knows this well. In a typical week, she fits in four classes, four practices, two games, three weight room sessions, a 10-hour work week and volunteering.
Former varsity soccer players Amy MacLellan and Jordan Auger had similarly packed schedules. Now both are TMU academic mentors, helping first-year athletes adjust to university life. Each of them has developed strategies to stay on top of it all.
Amy MacLellan: Guiding the next generation
Amy MacLellan played four years on TMU’s women’s varsity soccer team.
MacLellan played four years on TMU’s women’s varsity soccer team and is now in her fifth and final year of the nursing program. As lead academic mentor, she supports other mentors and helps first-year athletes build study habits, request extensions and find their footing at the university.
Her seasons were busy – coursework, training, commuting to practices, attending classes and completing nursing clinical placements all competed for time.
To stay on top of everything, she kept a colour-coded agenda. Every Sunday night she mapped out the week and crossed things off as she went.
She also points to a pressure that others rarely see.
“I think personal expectations are the biggest thing. Their expectations of themselves that's not always seen. Even the best players have expectations that they are trying to achieve for themselves,” she says. “People are not thinking about what program you're in or what test you have to study for.”
Her advice? “Take it one day at a time. Sometimes you just have to accept that you can't fix or cure your feelings or how busy you are in one day. You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
MacLellan credits her time on the team with shaping who she is today.
“I have so much gratitude for being on the team, and also I attribute all of my success now to my recruitment to the soccer team. It allowed me to excel in the nursing program, mentor other first-year nurses and has given me an excellent leadership opportunity,” she says.
Jordan Auger: Turning setbacks into strength
Jordan Auger played on the TMU women’s varsity soccer team.
Auger played on TMU’s women’s soccer team for four years and is now finishing a degree in biomedical science. But her path wasn't straightforward — she tore her ACL three times in four years.
Rather than letting the injuries define her, she used the recovery time to focus on what she could control: Lab work, volunteering at a forensic lab and eventually mentoring other athletes.
“It felt like a natural next step to me, because I was dealing with so many injuries, and I wanted to help other student-athletes who maybe couldn't give everything into their sport,” says Auger. “I focus on letting them see that there's a life outside, and not getting hung up on any pressure and creating opportunities for them.”
Auger also notes the unique pressures student-athletes face.
“There’s a lot more uncertainty in sport than in school. If you study, you're going to get a good mark. But in sports, you can work so hard and then not know how the outcome is going to be,” she says.
Her advice for other student-athletes is: “Find a way to manage your time that works for you. I use an empty Google Doc laid out by hour, it keeps me on track. Also, try to find interest in whatever you're doing and look for one thing in your class that you find interesting.”
For Auger, the team community made all the difference. “When I got back into playing, doing scrimmages with the team was a fun space, because it distracts you from whatever you have going on in your life,” she says. “It's fun to be completely locked in and competitive with each other, and know that no one's taking it personally.”
Rian Lenarduzzi: Finding balance
Rian Lenarduzzi is on the TMU Bold women’s volleyball team.
Rian Lenarduzzi is on the TMU Bold women’s volleyball team and is completing a degree in business management.
Between work, classes, practices, games and volunteering, Lenarduzzi has learned how to prioritize and manage her responsibilities.
“You’re required to perform in the classroom, on the court and engage in the community,” says Lenarduzzi.
When her schedule gets intense, Lenarduzzi has her own way of unwinding. “I typically buy a latte, take a nap and remind myself that it’s okay if I don’t get everything done. Sometimes you have to let the little things go and take a day for yourself.”
Her advice for other student-athletes is: “Balance is key, sometimes doing too much doesn't allow you to do anything well. Recognizing where you can create time to reset is important even if it's only for 10-15 minutes a day.”
Despite the challenges, what makes being a student-athlete meaningful for Lenarduzzi is the opportunity to compete, the support for her academic goals and the connections she’s made along the way.
“The community I’ve gained since becoming a varsity athlete is what I treasure most,” she says.
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