Playing one sport at the university level is enough of an extra-curricular activity for most students, so being a two-sport athlete requires that much more time management.
That鈥檚 what life at Quest University is though for soccer and basketball player Noah de Rappard-Yuswack now. He can pretty much guarantee on practices and games through the week for much of his academic year.
Now in his fourth year at Quest, he has only turned back to two sports this fall. He did play soccer as well in his first year but played only basketball during years three and four.
Growing up in the Kitsilano area of Vancouver, he played soccer and basketball as well as volleyball and golf, but when he came to Quest it was for basketball.
鈥淪occer used to be my number one sport,鈥� he said.
He鈥檚 now finished with soccer and hoops season is just underway. At six-foot, four inches, he provides a tall presence up front on the soccer pitch and on the basketball court plays forward.
On the court, he handles rebounding and chips in with points, and with the Kermodes鈥� soccer team, which just won bronze at the PACWEST tournament, he was tied with Yassin Nayel for second in goals, with three on the season.
On the basketball court, the team finished second during last year鈥檚 regular season and won bronze in the tournament, so he is optimistic about the 2016-2017 campaign.
鈥淚 have high hopes for this team,鈥� he said.
The coaching staff at Quest, de Rappard-Yuswack explains, has been accommodating about his practice times and occasionally missing a practice, taking into account his studies and dual-sport status.
鈥淭his year, so far it鈥檚 pretty good,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been pretty flexible.鈥�
He also credits the other players for making the situation easier.
鈥淢y teammates have been very understanding,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey know I鈥檓 not sitting out because I鈥檓 lazy.鈥�
Quest鈥檚 block program intrigued de Rappard-Yuswack and was one of the things that brought him to town, along with a wish to study close to home.
As he advances through his education, he is putting together work for keystone project at Quest, which mixes his classroom work with a world with which he is already familiar. He is working on a study on how team sports can influence mental health and wellbeing.
He describes his own experiences have been positive from when he was young right up to now at Quest, but he knows not everyone has the same story, so he wants to learn what others say.
He is surveying athletes from Quest, Capilano, UNBC and University of Winnipeg in his study, and possibly more schools, as well as non-athletes, who will be asked about their own physical activities.
鈥淭hat helps me determine if it鈥檚 the physical activity or if it鈥檚 the team aspect that鈥檚 making a difference,鈥� he said.
One thing that will help him with his study and managing his time was some summer work experience for which he received a course credit. It will also free up a block in December during which time he can do more work on his study.
In Vancouver, he helped with the Vancouver Street Soccer League, a league for people who are or have been homeless. The league has coaches but de Rappard-Yuswack helped out with running the players through drills and getting them ready for the games at Andy Livingstone Park.
鈥淪undays we鈥檇 get huge turnouts,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 had a lot of fun doing that.鈥�
