McQueen commits to Guelph
The COVID pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise for Ian McQueen.
The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student at E.L. Crossley grew up playing hockey but when the sport was impacted by the pandemic, McQueen stumbled upon volleyball.
“One of my friends had started playing volleyball and I’d been playing hockey my whole life —I was always a hockey player. It was COVID, so hockey was kind of like, you’re just practising,” McQueen said.
At the urging of his friend, McQueen gave volleyball at try.
“I figured why not give it a shot in Grade 8 and then I really, really liked it,” he said. “I started on the B team my first year and then we didn’t even play, it was just practising and practising and I was pretty weak. Then the next year the coach took a chance on me because of my just being tall. So he took a chance on me and I still didn’t start. I was on the bench, but I still practised.”
Through all the ups and downs, McQueen was determined to improve.
“I wanted to get better. I knew what my goal was so I just kept training and then eventually I started getting just as good as the other guys and I was taller and so eventually I got a little more athletic,” he said.
He also volunteered at the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games as a ball boy which further whetted his appetite form the sport.
“I got to see the really good athletes. I thought that was like the coolest atmosphere ever,” he said.
McQueen made Team Ontario two years ago and again last summer and recently committed to the University of Guelph where he will major in commerce.
McQueen credits his coach Jacob Barker with the Niagara Rapids for helping him get to the next level.
“He has all the knowledge. He knows always what I’m doing wrong and what I’m doing right and he’s great at communicating what I need to do to be better.”
McQueen admitted choosing a school was a difficult process.
“Not an easy decision at all,” McQueen said. “Honestly, I wasn’t really looking at Guelph before. I just wanted the big volleyball programs but none of them had a lot of programs I really, really loved, so I hadn’t really made a set decision on where I was going.”
McQueen was steered to Guelph by friend.
“One of my buddies was touring Guelph and he’s going to sign as well and he called me and he said it was awesome,” McQueen said. “He said they were looking for a middle blocker and I should check it.”
McQueen did just that and quickly discovered Guelph was a perfect fit, on and off the court.
“They had the exact program I wanted so that was super good and then the coach likes me, I really like the coach, I went home with the team and loved the team.
“It all fell together.”
McQueen is thrilled to have the process in his rearview mirror.
“It’s super stressful. I had to find the program I like, the right volleyball program as well because I want to play volleyball for as long as I can at the highest level I can. So it’s kind of a balance between but getting it all done, it’s so much stress.”
Now that he has finalized the process, McQueen is eager to begin the next chapter in his life.
“It’s a big step but I’m really excited,” he said. “Staying with the team, hanging out with the team, I really love the environment. I know that’s where I want to be. I’m a little nervous, obviously, not being around and having my parents’ support right beside me whenever I need it. But I think they’ve set me up and taught me the skills I need to survive on my own.”
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