Sports Scholarships Part 1

SPORTS SCHOLARSHIPS

PART 1

Sporting opportunities beyond Diocesan are continuing to grow and over the past few years we have seen an increasing number of our sporting students offered scholarships to some very prestigious universities in America. This is a great opportunity and an amazing experience, so we have reached out to several of our Old Girls to see how they have found the past few years Studying overseas. If you have been contacted by any universities and feel this is something you would like to explore, please feel free to contact the Careers Development Centre or the Sports Department for further advice and assistance. Part 2 of this feature will appear in the November issue of Dio Today.

Annabelle Paterson

Annabelle left Dio at the end of 2016 and is currently on a swimming scholarship at Harvard University, Massachusetts.

What inspired you most to study overseas? In New Zealand it is very difficult to study at a high level and continue swimming competitively. I wanted to do both, and an American university provided this opportunity for me. The universities in the US combine sport and study, and work together with sport to help student athletes achieve in the classroom and in the sporting arena. In New Zealand, sport and study are separate and don’t work together cohesively. In America, I compete for Harvard and my coaches work with me and my professors, to work out a plan to achieve my academic and sporting goals. Also, in America, college swimming has turned swimming into a team sport, unlike in New Zealand where swimming is solely individual. I now swim for something bigger than myself – I swim for my team and my school and we collectively compete against other universities. This adds another layer to the sport and more motivation to do my best.

What are the hardest things to adjust to? That’s a hard one. Personally, I found the transition fairly smooth. The swim team and school created an environment that felt very comfortable and welcoming. There were so many people around me offering help and support that I never felt lost or too concerned. I did miss my family a lot, but as I was so busy from day one, I didn’t have much time to think about anything other than what was going on in the Harvard bubble. The food in America is not as good as our beautiful country and I miss the beach.

What are the best things about college abroad? My favorite thing about college is the people I have met and the fact that everything and everyone is so accessible all the time. At Harvard we live on campus for all four years, so I am always surrounded by my friends. The environment is challenging, coping with the school work and training, but there are so many people there to help you through any difficulties you may have. As soon as you arrive on campus – even before you arrive – you are walking into a family, the swim team and the college, and that’s what I love the most.

What things from sport at Dio made your transition easier? Probably the ability to manage my time well is the main thing that I took away from Dio. The study and life skills that I was taught I still use today. In sport specifically, in my last year of school, we tried to simulate swimming for something bigger than yourself at my last school nationals. I saw my teammates stepping out of their comfort zones and swimming at their best, and this is when I knew that the team beliefs at Harvard were going to be successful. What are your next steps with sport? I am going to finish my four years swimming at Harvard and then stop after that. I am now focusing on building a life for myself outside of swimming as well. I know I will be forever involved with swimming and water polo but I’d like to explore life out of the pool. At the moment though I’m focusing on helping my team win two more Ivy League Championship titles!

What would your top five items in a care package from home be? Only five? That’s hard! I would say a bar of Whittaker’s chocolate (any flavour), a bag of Pascals’ marshmallows, a bag of Pineapple Lumps, a letter or drawing from my niece and nephew, and a New Zealand-themed card from my mum, dad and the animals.

What would you say to anyone at Dio considering following in your footsteps? Firstly, I would say to start the process early and do your research, so that you know what needs to be done. Also do things yourself and don’t get your parents or someone else to do it for you. Second, anything is possible if you believe in yourself and work hard for it. You can’t just believe but not work for what you want. As I was looking at colleges, I knew I wanted to go somewhere I would be academically challenged as well as pushed in the pool. Make sure you talk to people from the school, maybe even visit campus before you commit to going there, so you have a good idea of what you are walking into. That being said, go in with an open mind, be open to new challenges and opportunities. It’s an awesome environment over there and I would highly recommend it!

Tayla Parkes-Hemera

Tayla left Dio at the end of 2017 and took up the offer of a field hockey scholarship at Rutgers University in New Jersey.

What inspired you most to study overseas? When I was in my final year at Dio I wasn’t 100 percent sure what I wanted to study or where I wanted to study. I had a few friends who had decided to study in the States and play hockey. This definitely sparked my interest and led me to find out more. The one thing that really appealed to me was the fact that I could combine my studies and sport, while still competing at a high level. This is something that’s unique to the United States and something I really value.

What are the hardest things to adjust to? I found the weather the hardest thing to adjust to! Spring semester is freezing during the first few months, and with snow and minus 16-degree weather, it can make walking to class very difficult. I’m not a big fan of the cold. But on the flip side, during pre-season, which begins in August, we get the other extreme of their weather, the summer heat. Training in two four-hour blocks a day in 33-degree heat isn’t easy. But you adjust pretty quickly, and I would take the heat over the cold any day. Lots of water and ice baths in summer, and lots and lots of layers in the winter.

What are the best things about college abroad? The best thing about going to college in America is the people you get to meet along the way. I have made some amazing friends and have already created so many incredible memories and experiences with them. It’s fun to be part of a different culture; it definitely opens your mind up and you are able see so many different perspectives. It allows you to learn new things about their culture as well as yourself. It’s also super fun being from New Zealand – our accents seem out of this world to basically all Americans, and most think we are from Europe. It’s fun because they learn more about our culture and where New Zealand actually is in the world, and I get to learn and experience their culture with them.

It’s good to have friends from different sporting backgrounds, and because we are able to all relate to one another, it creates a really fun environment for all the student athletes. It’s exciting to be able to go and watch different sports as well. The basketball games are my favorite to watch as the atmosphere is crazy! There’s a student section and a pep rally band in the bleachers, as well as cheerleaders. It’s honestly like a scene from High School Musical – even the colours match!

The other thing that is super cool about the sports teams at Rutgers is that we are all a part of the Big Ten Conference (which is the highest competition). Our university’s athletes are sponsored by Adidas. At the beginning of each season we get the latest gear, from new sticks and new shoes to sports bras and everything in between! Another advantage of being sponsored by Adidas is that if we win important games, we get new gear given to us as a reward for our hard work, and we get a first look at their new range before we begin each season.

What things from sport at Dio made your transition easier? My sporting memories from Dio are so precious to me and definitely made my transition easier when I moved to the States. Firstly, my coaches at Dio were always super supportive of me and my teammates, yet competitive at the same time. They taught me hard work and self-discipline, not only during training and games but in life as well. Training four hours daily and having classes before and after training in the States definitely requires some grit and perseverance.

Being fortunate enough to be involved with the First XI from my first year at Dio in Year 9 to my last year, and captaining the team, brought me so many values and taught me a lot about what it takes to be an athlete. I’ve definitely taken these values with me and have grown even more since being in the States. Being involved in a team sport is something that I really love. All the teams I was involved in at Dio always created such a great team culture. Valuing team culture is super important; the girls were always motivated and such team players. It was nice for me to come into a team at Rutgers that valued the same things, and this helped me choose Rutgers when deciding which university to go to.

What are your next steps with sport? Training and playing for Rutgers is my main focus right now. I’m excited to go back in August and see what happens this season. Last season was one of the best Rutgers has had in a really long time as we earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. It was fun and so rewarding to be part of the programme’s growth and I’m excited to keep our progress going!

What would your top five items in a care package from home be? Number one would have to be Tim Tams. Secondly, Marmite – it’s a classic and definitely something that reminds me of home. Thirdly, salt and vinegar Peckish crackers (in the pink packet), and of course chocolate chip oaty slice bars. Lastly, would have to have some Cadbury chocolate, of course the black forest flavour. America’s chocolate just doesn’t taste as good – trust me!

What would you say to anyone at Dio considering following your footsteps? I say, go for it! But definitely do your research about the college you’re considering. It’s a big commitment and it’s hard work so make sure you’re confident in your decision and the university you choose. Be open minded, prepared to work super hard and, most importantly, enjoy it and have fun. It really is an experience of a lifetime!

Nicola Prebble

Nicola Prebble left Dio at the end of 2016 to take up a hockey scholarship at the University of California – Davis.

What inspired you most to study overseas? Having past teammates go to America on full hockey scholarships was inspiring because it showed that it was possible. I think the cash incentive really makes it worth putting in the hours to contact/Skype coaches and research universities. The ability to play hockey (up to three hours a day) while getting a top education is a big plus too.

What are the hardest things to adjust to? The portion sizes. Having to tip. Playing in 40-degree heat. Big cars. The imperial system. Not knowing the correct way to spell certain words anymore. Saying ‘fall’ instead of ‘autumn’. Having to say I play ‘field hockey’ and needing to confirm that no, I don’t play lacrosse.

What are the best things about college abroad? The travel – not only does playing hockey give me the opportunity to travel all over the country, but it also provides connections to friends around the US and the world. Over the past two years, I’ve had the opportunity to visit Europe, Mexico, San Diego, Santa Cruz, Boston, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Michigan with teammates, and I’m sure there’s a lot more to be done in the years ahead. What things from sport at Dio made your transition easier?

The level of hockey and the intensity is very similar. I found transitioning actually really easy (except the transition from our winter to a ridiculously hot California summer), partly because joining a team gives you instant friends – this made moving to a foreign country seem much smaller.

What are your next steps with sport? I’m still unsure about my next steps. I have two more years to accomplish as much as possible with my UC Davis team and then will look to come back to New Zealand, enjoy a much-needed break and then probably dabble in some club hockey.

What would your top five items in a care package from home be? To be honest, I’ve never really been sent one. But it would definitely include Marmite, Oaty Slices, Cheese and Bacon Shapes, Chocolate Thins and Whittaker’s chocolate (hint, hint Mum!).

What would you say to anyone at Dio considering following in your footsteps? In the scheme of things, four years is not a very long time. Definitely go for it and be persistent. If you don’t like it, you can always come home!