BT’s Orzel heading to Kansas Wesleyan
Kansas Wesleyan University was not at the top of Jamie Orzel’s list of schools that expressed an interest in having her play scholarship soccer.
“At first when they reached out, we thought that Kansas was kind of far and I wasn’t sure but then over March Break instead of doing a vacation we decided to do a road trip and visit all the other schools that I was talking to and had offers at,” the Grade 12 student at Blessed Trinity said. “When we went there, they rolled out the red carpet with the way they treated us and the facilities were topnotch. We went out for a really nice dinner with the coach and then they took me on a tour of the school and then I got to play with the team. It just felt so right.”
She was also impressed with Salina, Kan., where the university is located
“It is a pretty small community and it is almost like Niagara-on-the-Lake. It is pretty well kept and it really nice.”
Even with all the great vibes surrounding Kansas Wesleyan, the 17-year-old Vineland resident continued to have an open mind.
“My mom (Ali) and I were almost hoping that we didn’t like it because it is so far away and my mom and I are so close. We were ‘Hopefully this isn’t the one’ but we got there and it was like ‘This is it.’ It was just so great and the coach made me feel so welcome that the distance was nothing. It was fine.”
For due diligence, the road trip, which started with a 16-hour drive to Kansas, continued to three schools in West Virginia.
“I went and visited a few more but they just didn’t feel the same,” she said.
Orzel agreed it wasn’t the usual road trip/family vacation with so much riding on the outcome.
“I was almost anxious the whole time and one night I couldn’t sleep because it was what am I going to do and which school. All these options were laid out in front of me and I could have still chosen to go to Guelph. I got accepted to Guelph and Queen’s and I was waiting on Western. I had so many choices coming at me hot that I was a little overwhelmed.”
Choosing Kansas Wesleyan was a relief.
“It put my mind at ease because now I am sure about what is going to happen next year.”
The school competes at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics level in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
The future undeclared major with an interest in health sciences or math cannot wait to get started on her post secondary career.
“They have a reserve team and a first team and my goal is to be on the first team, just keep up with my grades, be involved in the student life and get an opportunity to train with girls who are on that first team,” she said.
She is looking forward to training every day.
“I love training but right now with school it is so hard to go home, go to practice and try and get a workout in also. Our practices will be scheduled around our classes and that way I will be able to keep busy without sacrificing school.”
She can’t wait to meet new people from all over America and form relationships with them.
“The school has players coming from Kansas, California, New Mexico and all over. In high school, it is very like-minded people and getting to meet people from different backgrounds will be exciting. It’s getting a new start and building a new community there.”
The centre defender/fullback has been playing travel soccer since she was nine, starting with the St. Catharines Jets before eventually ending up with the Niagara Surf Soccer Club. She started on that under-19 squad when she was 15 which pushed her to get better.
“I was improving all the time and now I am co-captain of the team with another girl. I honestly feel that team is why I have this opportunity because we play mostly in the States and get exposure everywhere.”
She is planning to continue to work hard so she will be ready to make an immediate impression with her new team.
“Just last week I got my fitness package for the school which I am super excited about. It’s pretty intense. This week I am scheduled to do lifts and each week it adds another layer. I will be getting my cardio up and that game physicality by doing the suicides and different fitness testing.”
