Wilson commits to RMC
Royal Military College appears to be a perfect fit for Austin Wilson in the classroom and on the volleyball court.
The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student at E.L. Crossley has committed to the Kingston university where he will major in civil engineering and play volleyball.
“I was at a volleyball showcase around Christmas and I met the coach there and just kind of started learning about the school as a whole and it just really started to intrigue me and interest me,” Wilson said. “I thought that it would kind of end up being just the right fit.”
Wilson visited the campus on two occasions, which sealed the deal.
“I toured around with the team, hung around with some of the guys on the team and I felt like I really fit in there,” he said.
Still, it took some soul searching before making a final decision.
“It was a pretty difficult decision. At times I was wondering if I wanted this right now. Is it the right time? But at the end of the day, after thinking about it enough, I really just thought that it was the right thing to do.”
Once he applied, Wilson said the waiting was the hardest part.
“When I got that email saying that I was into the school, I can’t even really describe the feeling I got,” he smiled. “The process took so long. I started applying to the school back in September. I just found out that I got in in mid-February so it was a long process.”
Crossley volleyball coach Michelle Gibson said Wilson will be missed.
“Austin is a true leader both on and off the court,” Gibson said. “He has been an instrumental and invaluable member of our Athletic Council Executive and Link Crew. In these roles he is always the first to volunteer to scorekeep, organize events, welcome new students and he does so decked out in Crossley colours.”
On the court, Gibson also had high praise for Wilson.
“He has a solid understanding of the game and he sees the court and can anticipate plays,” she said. “ He uses this knowledge to help his teammates. He was a call up in Grade 10 where he played a solid role in our SOSSA (Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association) win and at OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) that year.
“Austin is a supportive teammate who not only wants to improve his own skills but he strives to make others better as well. This season, despite dealing with injury, he rarely if ever missed a practice. He showed resiliency through the injury and supported the team and ultimately was a key player in our ability to attend OFSAA.”
Wilson, who plays for the Niagara Rapids and has also suited up for Team Ontario twice, is hopeful the adjustment period to university ball will be a rapid one.
“I’m hoping to find my spot on the team pretty quickly,” he said. “I know they’re losing a couple of their key players this year, so I’m hoping I can step in and help them out the best I can.”
Wilson grew up playing hockey and baseball before his father persuaded him to give volleyball a shot.
“My dad played a couple years at Brock and my sister (Erica) also played,” he said. “They just kind of encouraged me to give it a try and I really enjoyed it so I stuck with it.”
Wilson credits his parents, Andrea and Paul Wilson, for their support and also appreciates Gibson, Jessica Kropac and the other staff at Crossley for their guidance.
“We are so thrilled that he has reached his goal of playing varsity and earned entrance into an incredibly competitive engineering program at RMC,” Gibson said. “We will all be cheering him on.”
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