Senior Spotlight 2021: Sharlene Siy
In our new series, senior spotlights we are excited to share with you features on VK Basketball's class of 2021 high school grads, all of whom have plans to continue their basketball careers while at post-secondary this fall. These seniors had many things taken away from them and we are excited to take this opportunity to celebrate them and all of their accomplishments. We hope you will follow along as we share them with you!
The challenges brought by the Covid-19 pandemic, like the extra motivation needed to get in the gym and added workload in the classroom, have Steveston-London grad Sharlene Siy ready for the transition from high school to an academic and athletic career at Douglas College next fall. Her job at Steveston-London was great because she had the opportunity to be a leader and find her voice. Her coaches Connie Chan and Rob Urquhart, helped her grow, always opening the gym to get in extra practice.
Siy, the provincial MVP in grade 9 and a member of VK basketball for five years, credits the long days of back-to-back games played in the states with increasing her mental toughness. “Thanks to VK and coach Anthony, I learned not to let one mistake ruin the whole game. Anthony always said if you mess up on offense, make it up by playing outstanding defense, and I took that to heart, it has helped me improve the defensive end of my game,” says Siy.
This mental toughness, along with her signature step-back and catch and shoot 3 will make her an immediate threat at the college level. When asked why she chose Douglas for her future athletic and academic career, she responded, “I chose Douglas College because the whole team immediately welcomed me from the first time I met them. I also felt like it was a good fit for me basketball-wise, and the program I was interested in aligned with the career I wanted to do in the future.” Additionally, by picking a local destination for her college career, as Covid-19 restrictions have loosened, Siy has been able to get on the court with her new team after spending the past months attending their virtual meetings and workouts.
In addition to competing for coach Steve Beauchamp and the Royals on the court, Sharlene will be studying in the Douglas sports sciences program with the future goal of being a physiotherapist or athletic team trainer.
VK coach Anthony Beyrouti is excited to watch Sharlene in this next step of her career; “Sharlene’s caring attitude and team-first mentality make her loved by her teammates. Her love of the game makes her a valuable asset on any team, and I can’t wait to watch her excel at Douglas”.
Siy’s favourite piece of advice she has ever received is “No one’s journey in life will ever be similar, and the things other people accomplish doesn’t mean I'm behind in my own life.” Her experience balancing an increased course load and all the time she put into her game as a part of VK basketball has prepared Sharlene for this transition as the official start of her university career inches closer and closer.
Check back tomorrow for a the final feature on a VK class of 2021 grad!