By Avari Nwaesei

For some varsity athletes, graduation marks the end of their university sports careers, but for those taking graduate programs, these careers are prolonged. At Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU), graduate student athletes are being introduced to not just a heavier workload but a shift in mindset and role on their team.

Currently in the third year of his Commission on Accreditation of Medical Physics Education PhD at TMU, men’s volleyball middle Bobby Tang was influenced by the option of playing a sport.

“Volleyball was very much a grounding tool in my decision, in the sense that I felt that it would have been very beneficial for my work-life balance to have it in my life,” said Tang. “I felt that, throughout my years here at TMU, I’ve been able to really benefit from having played university sports.”

Men’s hockey forward Brock McLeod viewed studying for a masters of business management (MBA) as the natural path forward.

“I think just getting to further your education while still playing hockey can’t really go wrong. It was sort of the best of both worlds for me,” said McLeod.

Continuing to play the sport they have been part of for years while continuing their academic career works in these athletes’ favour but team dynamics are prone to change. McLeod, who previously played hockey with the York University Lions, admits that his role on the ice is “definitely” a bit different now that he’s with TMU. 

“I was relied upon a little bit more at York offensively, but I’ve tried not to change my game regardless of the amount of minutes that I’m getting here in comparison to York,” said McLeod.

Another player who can relate to McLeod’s change in team is men’s hockey defenceman Hunter Donohoe. He left the MacEwan University Griffins in Edmonton to pursue an MBA while playing for TMU’s “pretty established” hockey team.

“It was sort of the best of both worlds for me” 

“I’m brand new, so I’m sort of like a rookie, in a sense, to the team, but I have a bit of a veteran presence playing out West, having some experience balancing school and playing,” said Donohoe.

The general consensus among athletes with an undergraduate degree under their belt is that it comes with a certain level of respect from other players.

“My word does have a lot more weight than I think it does,” said Tang. Years of balancing both athletics and academics unlocks a new position for postgraduate athletes—being a role model. 

“I’ve tried to be a calming presence in the room and a guy that the guys can look up to and learn from, not only on the ice but away from the rink and off the ice,” said McLeod.

A role change within the team isn’t the only development players experience as they reach graduate student athlete status—their priorities change, too.

“Now coming into my later years, you sort of see the end of your playing career upon you. So, there’s definitely a little bit of a different perspective in terms of time winding down on the career,” said McLeod.

“I think it brings a lot more emphasis on wanting to win and less on personal gains in terms of points and whatnot.”

According to McLeod, thoughts about what comes next get in his head in the middle of games. “You try to block it out when you’re playing, but it’s definitely something that’s in the back of your mind,” said McLeod.

Due to this change in perspective, athletes can end up putting pressure on themselves in relation to how well they play. 

“It hasn’t been a straight line to success, there’s been a lot of ups and downs. So, I think going through that has helped me in terms of finding my place on the team,” said McLeod.

Being a postgraduate athlete comes with challenges that make themselves known within the classroom—graduate studies can come with an “intimidation factor,” McLeod added.  

“I don’t think I’m quite ready to hang up the skates yet” 

“I almost felt like there was a little bit of imposter syndrome for us because we are athletes and we’re not working full time,” said McLeod. However, after reflecting on how things have gone throughout the year, McLeod said the worry was unnecessary: “You just got to go in there and be confident and be a good person.”

The classroom environment compared to undergraduate studies draws similarities in athletes’ abilities to stay on top of their game.

“It’s super motivating and fun to be in those classes and it makes learning a lot easier because, if you surround yourself with like-minded people, you’re going to try and keep up with them or drive the pace of the classroom in learning,” said Donohoe.

While dealing with an increased workload, varsity athletes view their sport as a way to wind down rather than it being a stress inducer. “It can be very taxing and busy, but being able to have that outlet with varsity volleyball has been quite a blessing, to say the least,” said Tang. 

As an athlete looking to get into graduate studies, fourth-year nursing student and women’s hockey forward Gaby Gareau is open to continuing her hockey career if it means getting an education out of it for her future as well. “I don’t think I’m quite ready to hang up the skates yet,” said Gareau.

Gareau believes playing a sport on top of the extra work of a graduate program is a good “tradeoff.”

“Work ethic and commitment have been such crucial things that I’ve learnt and developed during my stay here and definitely things that I’m going to be using moving forward,” said Gareau. 

Graduate studies offer student-athletes the opportunity to continue their athletic and academic careers but it doesn’t come without drawbacks. 

“The fear of letting your team down and going to a different university or potentially playing against the program you’ve been developing for the past four years is a scary thing,” said Gareau.