Move over vets

Rookie Molly Wade-Cummings plans to make the most of her first year on the court

Autumn McDowell
Sports Editor

The future of the University of Regina women’s volleyball team just got brighter.

Molly Wade-Cummings, a standout student-athlete from Sheldon-Williams Collegiate, was faced with many decisions when she stepped off of the court as a member of the Spartans for the last time.

While it was obvious to everyone who had witnessed her abilities that she would undoubtedly play volleyball at the next level, the question on everyone’s mind was: where?

“I chose to come to the University of Regina because not only is it close to home, but I have become familiar with it over the years,” said rookie middle, Wade-Cummings. “My two older brothers both came to U of R. They were involved with lots of the activities around the school and both had very positive experiences so that definitely had a big impact on my decision.”

The biggest concern for most first year student-athletes is the added pressure of balancing school and athletics, a task that Wade-Cummings feels that she is more than ready to tackle.

“I’ve been balancing school and volleyball all my life,” said Wade-Cummings, who has been involved with the Cougars Volleyball Club for a few years. “The key is being time-oriented. It’s not easy, but you have to be able to manage your time effectively and know how much of your schedule should be dedicated to school assignments and studying, and how much of it will be filled with practices and training.

“Being involved in sports and extracurricular activities in high school has been a big help in developing my organizational skills, which I’m going to be counting on this year. University will be slightly different because the expectations of both my coaches and teachers will increase, and I’ll have to learn how to cope with that.”

With the school year already underway and the volleyball regular season fast approaching, Wade-Cummings has many goals for her first year of University.

“On the volleyball court, I want to focus on really improving and solidifying my skills." – Molly Wade-Cummings

“My goal for school this year is to just have fun,” said a positive Wade-Cummings. “Of course I want to work hard and maintain a good average, but I also want to become familiar with the university environment, make new friends and meet new people. I want to avoid becoming the “stressed out college student” as much as I can, and I want to find the time for not only school and volleyball, but for a bit of a social life as well.

“On the volleyball court, I want to focus on really improving and solidifying my skills. Playing at this caliber can be a little overwhelming because you’re taking so much feedback from several coaches and teammates on how to do even the most basic things, like passing and setting. It’s great because you realize how much you can improve on a skill just by fixing one small technicality, and each and every day is a new learning experience. I want to start the season with an open mind, build relationships with my teammates and really take advantage of this great opportunity that I’ve had the privilege of being involved in.”

In order to live up to fans and teammates expectations of being able to add depth at middle and also add strength to the team’s defensive game, a large part of Wade-Cummings summer was spent preparing for this season, both physically and mentally.

“When I first agreed to play for the Cougars one of my main concerns was being able to physically keep up with the speed of the game as I knew it would be significantly faster,” she said. “Thankfully we were given a physical training program to help us improve our cardio, jump height and strength, forcing us to become gym-rats and workout every day. The more I trained the more I saw results, and when we did our physical testing at the end of the summer it was very relieving to see that my overall fitness level had greatly increased and I could now keep up with many of the returning players.

“[Our head coach Melanie Sanford] also recommended that we read the book Mindset by Carol Dweck over the summer to help us mentally prepare for the upcoming season. Volleyball is a sport that requires a ton of mental toughness in practices, matches and tournaments. When things get tough you have to be able to persevere, and it isn’t easy to get over that hump especially when you are entering a new environment. I definitely think that playing for the Cougars will be one of the most challenging things I’ve committed myself to and being mentally ready will be important.”

Fans will get a chance to see Wade-Cumming suit up for the first time as a member of the Cougars volleyball team during the 2012 University of Regina Invitational which will run Sept. 21-23.