A Speech Worth Reading

After more than a month away, I am finally back!

I want to share a speech I wrote for the 2013 Collegiate All-Star Game, which I presented this past weekend. Having played in the CEGEP league for two years and now a freshman at McGill University, I was very honoured to be the guest speaker. It was a great opportunity for me to share my experiences about school and hockey.

Hope you enjoy reading it!


ABOUT ME
J’ai étudié au Collège Dawson où j’ai eu la chance de jouer avec les Blues pendant deux années. Je viens d’entamer un autre chapitre de ma carrière professionnelle et sportive ici à McGill. Retournons un peu dans le passé. J’ai commencé à jouer au hockey à l’âge de neuf ans accompagné par mon frère jumeau Alexandre. Nous étions inséparable – nous devions tout faire ensemble puisque nous étions une équipe. Alors le hockey était en quelque sorte un sport parfait pour nous. Quelques années plus tard, j’ai eu la chance de faire mes débuts avec l’équipe du Québec suivit par l’équipe canadienne des moins de 18 ans. Pendant les dix dernières années, j’ai accompli beaucoup d’exploits, mais il y en a trois qui se distinguent des autres. Le premier est lorsque que j’ai eu la chance de porter le chandail du Canada, le deuxième est un honneur qui me tient a cœur énormément. Le gymnase de mon école primaire a été nommé en mon nom pour mon dévouement et mon implication dans mes études et dans le sport. Finalement, le plus significatif de tous, est l’opportunité d’étudier à une université prestigieuse tout en pratiquant un sport que j’aime. L’éducation et le sport ont toujours été très importants pour moi alors je ne pourrais demander mieux.

HOCKEY
Le sport, précisément, le hockey, est très exigent et entraine énormément de défis qui, une fois atteints, se transforment en souvenirs inoubliables et en expériences à couper le souffle. Quand je pense aux nombreux moments de gloire, de fierté et de bonheur que j’ai vécu au cours des dernières années, je ne peux m’empêcher de me demander s’ils ne sont que des rêves puisqu’auparavant ses moments me semblaient inatteignables. Les athlètes disent et pensent souvent que rien n’est impossible. C’est peut-être l’un des clichés les plus utilisés dans le monde du sport, mais c’est très vrai. Même si un rêve s’avère impossible, il sera toujours réalisable si vous y croyez et si vous êtes confiants en vous même et en vos habiletés physiques et mentales. Rien ne vous empêchera d’atteindre vos rêves…il s’agit simplement de croire et de vouloir.

Ceci-dit, je ne perçois pas la nécessité de vous parler longtemps de mes pensés reliées directement au hockey puisqu'après tout, vous êtes parmi les meilleures joueuses de la ligue collégiale et je crois que vous avez tous le talent, l’éthique de travail et la motivation essentielle pour accomplir vos rêves. Je vous encourage à continuer de poursuivre vos objectifs car, malgré les nombreux défis, plusieurs opportunités se créeront et vous mèneront vers un avenir rempli de succès.

EDUCATION
When we think of school we tend to look at it from a negative perspective. I’m sure no one in this room enjoys writing long essays and studying for exams. I think most of us would rather play hockey all day than sit in a classroom. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality of being female hockey players. For instance, education is crucial, as, unlike men’s hockey, we do not get paid to play. I believe education is essential to having a financially stable future, but it can also positively affect your life both as a student and athlete. There is so much more to school than exams and essays. First and foremost, you meet new people who share common interests and who are all motivated to be successful, and at the same time, who want to have fun. Also, University marks the beginning of adulthood where you become much more independent and responsible.

BEING A STUDENT-ATHLETE
That being said, individuals who combine education and sport are known as student-athletes or etudiants-athletes. Being a student-athlete is never easy, especially when studying and playing on a varsity team. Most you are all very fortunate to be given the opportunity to study and at the same time, play the sport you love. Though, with such opportunity come many challenges. Those challenges are not easy, but with great determination and discipline, they are achievable. Finally, the best thing about such challenges is that they come with unforgettable memories and experiences, and lifelong friendships.

This brings me to my final and most important message I want to share with you. In my opinion, you are at the point in both your athletic and professional career where you must make very important decisions about your future. After CEGEP is a new chapter called university, and after university, is the biggest chapter of all: REAL LIFE.

During the holidays, I was fortunate to go watch a Cirque du Soleil show presented at the Bell Center. It was only my second time seeing the Cirque du Soleil in action, but just like my first time, I was amazed to see the incredible talent, strength, and beauty portrayed by the performers, or in my opinion, portrayed by athletes. For instance, some performers climbed on 7m steel poles, leaping from pole to pole and soaring through the air with breathtaking agility, power, and speed, all at the same time. Others used a Russian swing to catapult themselves up to 12m in the air where they executed amazing jumps before landing either on their feet, on the shoulders of their partners or atop a human pyramid. These are two examples of the many acts in the show. I chose to use these examples as they clearly demonstrate athletic qualities, which we can all relate too, but more importantly, they underline the importance of education and of the decisions that will affect the next four years of your life. You may wonder what jumping acrobats have to do with education. As I said earlier, after CEGEP is university. It’s simple to say but not easy to do. Choosing the right University can be quite the challenge, not from the hockey standpoint, but rather, from the educational perspective. In other words, I believe education should be your main priority in the decision making process because in 4 or 5 years, hockey will slowly come to an end, if not end. Looking back at my examples, there is one similarity between the acts and us that explains the essence of my message. That is, the performers leaping from pole to pole and those jumping in the air and landing on top of a human pyramid all need bases of support, just like we do. For them, their bases of support are the steel poles and the performer standing on the bottom of the pyramid supporting the others on top of him. If a performer falls from a pole or if he makes a sudden movement, causing the pyramid to tumble, the entire act is practically ruined. In the same way, the degree you will have after 4 years is your base, which in turn, will create many opportunities such as enabling you to find a stable job as well as allowing for healthier lifestyle choices. I am emphasizing the importance of education because you need it, as unfortunately, we, female hockey players cannot earn money playing hockey. Finally, when decision time comes, think about you’re future and what you might want it to be, ask yourself if the school is right for you from both an academic and athletic point of view, and lastly, ask yourself “will I be prepared to enter the real world in 4 years?” and “will I be happy?”

I hope you have enjoyed reading and I hope it has made you realize the importance of getting a good education. 

Temporary Farewell

I hope you have enjoyed all my blogs so far! I also enjoy sharing my opinions and experiences related to sports. Though, my time has come to say goodbye for the next month as I have begun my race against time and my battle against final exams. The last two weeks have been very busy, but the next three weeks will be even busier because of final group projects, and without a doubt, fun studying. Studying for four courses can be very demanding and stressful. However, there are always ways to ensure you find the time for each course. You might wonder how I will get all my studying done when I have hockey five to six times a week. Well, since final exams are very important and require a passing grade, my season is "put on hold" during exam period, meaning that I do not have any games and all ice sessions are optional. That way, just like all other students, I can spend most of my time focusing on school and making sure I am prepared for all my exams...or as an athlete would say, making sure I am well prepared for the challenges ahead.

I come to realize that my first semester at McGill has flown by very quickly, especially at this time. I have enjoyed every moment of this experience, regardless of the many challenges I have encountered. In the end, my first experience is worth the ups and downs since it will ultimately help me in the future when I step into the real world.

I guess it's time to go now. I should get back to my studies and hopefully, I will be back in the new year...or possibly before that.

L’inégalité salariale dans le sport

Combien de jeunes caressent le rêve de devenir un Lionel Messi ou un Sydney Crosby…en somme d’être un sportif hors du commun, un héros touché par le talent et le don qui bats des records, qui accède à la plus haute marche du podium et qui fait chavirer les foules? Combien de jeunes souhaitent, comme eux, connaitre les honneurs, la gloire et la richesse? Mais combien parviendront à faire partie des meilleurs, de cette élite qui vit que de sa passion? Seulement une poignée…

Depuis la 2ieme moitié du 20siècle, l’argent a grandement fait son apparition dans le milieu du sport. En effet, l’argent est un moyen très efficace d’attirer un grand nombre d’athlètes ainsi que des passionnés du sport. On assiste à une véritable escalade de l’argent dans le sport, avec l’augmentation annuelle des salaires des joueurs, des droits de télédiffusion et des endettements des clubs. Ceci dit, la majorité de l’argent amassé lors d’important événements est majoritairement redistribué aux athlètes professionnels sous forme de récompense ou sous forme de contrat annuelle, tandis que les athlètes amateurs ne reçoivent que des bourses annuelles. Alors, il est évident qu’il y a une inégalité salariale entre les athlètes amateurs et les athlètes professionnels.

            Premièrement, il est important de définir les mots amateur et professionnel. Un amateur est une personne qui pratique une activité par plaisir, sans être motivé par l’argent. Cette personne est plutôt motivée par la passion et le désire d’accomplir ses rêves. D’un autre côté, un professionnel pratique un sport en tant que métier et il est grandement motivé par l’argent.

Donc, dans le sport d’élite, il y a deux catégories distinguées en fonction des disciplines: les amateurs et les professionnels.

Avant de continuer, j’aimerais spécifier que la catégorie des amateurs n’est pas la même chose que la catégorie des amateurs du sport c’est-à-dire, que les amateurs du sport sont simplement les fans alors que les « amateurs » sont des athlètes élites. Ceci dit, la catégorie des amateurs consiste d’athlètes élites qui ne sont pas salariés mais compétitionnent au niveau international à l’année longue et ils sont récompensés par des bourses, des aides financières et par le sponsoring. Les ressources financières proviennent habituellement de l’État et des organisations nationales qui ont comme objectif de supporter les athlètes canadiens. Ils sont aussi supporter par des conseils, des clubs et des municipalités. Par exemple, au Québec, la majorité des athlètes amateurs reçoivent des bourses annuelles de la Fondation de l’Athlète d’Excellence du Québec.

            Les professionnels, eux, ont la chance d’avoir choisi une discipline dans laquelle les structures, c’est-à-dire, les organisations et associations sportives, les emploient comme salariés. C’est le cas généralement des sports collectifs comme le football américain, le hockey, le basketball, le football, la Formule 1 et le baseball. Les athlètes sont salariés du club, touchent des primes de match et bénéficient bien souvent d’avantages de nature telles que d’être nourris et logé et même de posséder une voiture de fonction. Par contre, les athlètes professionnels ne sont pas seulement ceux qui signent des contrats avec une équipe sportive, mais aussi ceux qui reçoivent une grande somme d’argent en fonction de leur performance dans une compétition. Par exemple, les joueurs de golf et de tennis dont Tiger Woods et Roger Federer, sont classés parmi les athlètes professionnels même s’ils ne sont pas salariés. Vous vous demandé surement pourquoi c’est le cas. Et bien, certains sports dont le tennis, le golf et l’équitation, offrent des récompenses monétaires qui proviennent des commanditaires et des spectateurs aux champions et finalistes de chaque compétition.   

Malgré la passion des athlètes professionnels pour leur sport, lorsqu’ils empochent une grande somme d’argent, beaucoup d’entre eux perdent la détermination et mettent beaucoup moins d’effort pour performer. Par contre, les athlètes qui sont moins payés cherchent continuellement à prouver qu’ils peuvent, à leur tour, gagner un grand montant d’argent. De plus, les athlètes professionnels comme Tiger Woods, Rafael Nadal et Roger Federer gagnent leur vie en fonction de leur performance continuelle dans leur sport pratiqué et aussi en fonction du sponsoring. La commandite joue un rôle très important dans la stabilité financière des athlètes. Celle-ci est une stratégie de marketing qui a pour but de promouvoir des produits à l’aide de sportifs célèbres. Pour communiquer, les entreprises choisissent des sports, des disciplines ou des athlètes qui collent à leur image, l’objectif étant d’avoir de bons résultats. En gros, le sport génère des masses d’argent colossales et représentent une activité économique comme un investissement d’une grande importance pour de grandes entreprises dont Nike, Lacoste, Gatorade et Under Armour.

Cependant, les athlètes amateurs ne peuvent se permettre de seulement participer dans des compétitions car l’argent qu’ils reçoivent est beaucoup plus inferieure, donc la plupart d’entre eux s’assurent d’avoir une autre carrière, c’est-à-dire, qu’ils ont un emploi à temps-partiel. Afin qu’ils puissent s’assurer d’une stabilité financière annuelle, les athlètes reçoivent le soutien du gouvernement et des fédérations sportives. Contrairement aux athlètes professionnels, les athlètes amateurs doivent continuellement bien performer pour atteindre leurs rêves et devenir connus. Pour arriver à cela, ils doivent faire des sacrifices et passer des heures et des heures à s’entrainer presqu’à tout les jours. C’est donc le prix à payer pour être au top niveau le plus longtemps possible et j’aimerais préciser que, sans la détermination et la passion, les grands athlètes amateurs ne seraient pas devenus des champions. Tout ça pour dire que l’argent n’est pas la clé du succès mais plutôt une façon d’utiliser les athlètes exceptionnels pour en faire un divertissement, un spectacle sportif. 

J’aimerais terminer par vous rappeler que l’argent peut avoir une influence positive et négative dans la carrière d’un athlète, peut importe sa catégorie. L’importance de l’aspect financier dans le sport est cruciale dans le développement des athlètes amateurs donc on pourrait explicitement dire que c’est une nécessité. Tandis que, pour les athlètes professionnels, l’argent est seulement une forme de gratuité simplement obtenue par le talent et la grâce. En gros, l’inégalité salariale aura toujours sa place dans le sport, puisque pour certains athlètes, le désir de s’enrichir aura le dessus sur l’ambition de se surpasser alors que pour d’autres, la détermination et la soif de triompher les mèneront vers un avenir riche en bonheur.       

MY NEXT BLOG WILL BE WRITTEN IN FRENCH

I just want to let you know that my next blog will be written in French. I think it would be interesting to share my thoughts in french. I think it would be different and also, on a more political level, french is the official language of Quebec, the province I live in.

Living the "Athletic" Life

This blog will be slightly different from the last five posts. I will use quotes from Michael Dirba’s essay “Commencement Advice” I read last year. The author gives advice to graduate students who are about to step into the real world and begin a new chapter in their lives. Throughout his essay, Dirba uses quotes to illustrate the main ideas, which I thought was very creative. That being said, after reading the essay, I immediately noticed a connection with my athletic career and how, just like graduate students, I have begun my career and I am about to live the “ups and downs” of being an elite athlete. I will use some of his quotes to give my own advice to future athletes about getting through the “athletic” life…not that I’m saying it’s a nightmare, on the contrary, it’s an unforgettable life filled with new experiences.

Here are, what I think, four keys to successful careers.

1. “Life is trouble.” If you think you will be cruising through your career, you might want to consider doing something else other than sports. The life of an athlete is filled with challenges that sometime result in failure, disappointment, and frustration. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” This, I believe says it all. Every day, a new challenge will arise and only you can decide whether or not you want to overcome it and how you chose to face it. I assure you that confronting challenges will make you stronger, both as an athlete and person, and in the long run, it will shape your true character.   

2. “Live all you can. It’s a mistake not too.” One often says they should “live every moment to the fullest”. Now, you might wonder why I am using this cliché to illustrate Dirda’s saying. Well, in this context, “live every moment to the fullest” is not so much of a cliché but rather, an incentive to enjoy being an athlete and at the same time, motivate you to pursue new goals and dreams. That being said, I suggest you cherish every experience, regardless of the outcomes, since you will always learn something new about yourself and more importantly, about the nature of life.  

3. “Choose some heroes and imitate them.” Having role models in your life is very important, especially when overcoming difficult challenges. In some way, they help guide you towards greatness and motivate you to become the best athlete you can be. Role models are very important for your athletic career and in achieving fulfilment in everything you do. So, my advice to you is look up to them and try to follow in their footsteps. Also, believe in yourself and your ability to become both great athletes and people, just like your role models.

4. “Do what you are doing.” John Wooden once said, “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” For you, athletes, this is a powerful saying since it motivates you to do your best and perform to your potential, regardless of what you perceive to be impossible and of course, what other people might think of you. For instance, only focus on the present and on your strengths. By doing this, you will free yourself from any doubtful thoughts and more importantly, from the fear of failure itself.      

         

So, this is my advice to future athletes. My advice is very simple but it can be challenging at times. You just need to take one step at a time and focus on the present moments. Being an athlete may seem easy to some but living an “athletic” life is quite a battle. 

The Importance of Mental Toughness

Ghandi once said, "Strength does not comes from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." 


Just like any sport, hockey requires more than just the physical skills and strength. In fact, in order to be successful, one must have great mental capabilities. Both Ghandi's quote and the picture underline the importance of mental toughness. It plays a crucial role in the success of athletes, teams, and individuals. 


There are many characteristics of mental toughness that affect an athlete’s success and performance. Some characteristics include self-belief, confidence, focus, commitment, motivation, will, and so on. All of these combine to create an athlete’s inner strength. Once we, athletes, have found that strength, nothing can stop us from achieving our goals and dreams. Though, in reality there will always be many obstacles along the road and the only way to overcome them is to use that strength effectively. For instance, mentally tough athletes look at competition as a challenge to rise up rather than a threat to back down. 


Also, many people wonder why some athletes always manage to constantly win medals, titles, championships, as if they were invincible. Well, a major factor in their constant success is mental toughness. In fact, mental toughness separates champions from the average good athletes. For example, why is Canadian athlete Clara Hughes the only athlete ever to win multiple medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games? I’m sure there are many other athletes throughout the world who aspire to do the same, but why is she the only one to accomplish something so unique? Part of the answers to these questions is clearly the fact that she is a talented and gifted athlete. There’s no doubt about that! Though, in my opinion, the main reason for her amazing achievement is her mental ability to be consistent day in and day out - consistently bringing a positive attitude despite difficult challenges, always staying calm and composed under pressure & not letting stressful situations get in the way, staying motivated to achieve new heights, and so on. Being able to do this takes practice…mental practice.

So far, I have only written about the athletic side of mental toughness which is why I think it is important to remember that even though some people are not involved in sports, it does not mean they can't be mentally tough. Being mentally tough in our everyday life is equally, if not more important than in sports, as life is filled with challenges that can easily influence the way we live as well as the way we interact with others. Mental toughness applies to every aspect of life and everything you decide to do. 

Finally, I would like to finish by sharing an example I think clearly illustrates mental toughness in both sports and life. I'm sure most people have once heard of a young man named Terry Fox. Terry, an athlete and cancer research activist, began his Marathon of Hope across Canada with the goal of raising awareness for cancer research. Running with a prosthetic leg was quite the challenge but Terry set out to "conquer his disability, promising to complete his run even if he had to crawl every last mile". His determination and mental strength helped him every inch of the way until cancer sadly took over. I could go into more details about his story and accomplishment but I would rather leave you with a quote from a letter he wrote: "I remember promising myself that, should I live, I would rise up to meet this new challenge [of fundraising for cancer research] face to face and prove myself worthy of life, something too many people take for granted." To this day, Terry's legacy lives on and continues to inspire people to pursue their goals and dreams, and more importantly, to face challenges with courage and determination, regardless of the possible outcomes. 

Terry Fox once said "How many people do something they really believe in? I just wish people would realize that anything's possible, if you try: dreams are made, if people try."