The only thing in university sports more impressive than a gifted and determined athlete is one who also embodies those same aspects in all manners of their life. Those characteristics have helped Jerusha Osborne leave her mark on Concordia athletics and more specifically the women’s soccer program.
Jerusha played her final game for the Stingers a few weeks ago and this past weekend, she was named a QSSF all-star for the third straight year.
She started off her career as the star rookie who was best known for her ability to make big plays when her team needed them. Over the last couple of years, however, she became the quiet leader that used her on-field play as a way to lead by example and motivate the younger players.
“I was always a really quiet and shy person but the great group of girls that I’ve played with really helped me come out of my shell,” Osborne says. “I’ve learned a lot about myself and that what I have to say is important.”
George Sanchez, Head Coach of the women’s soccer team, is one of the many people who credits Jerusha for her work ethic in sports, school and how she “represents what is the ideal of a student athlete.”
Sanchez has known Jerusha since she was 15 and played for his wife, who coached the Lac St-Louis Lakers. “She [Jerusha] was always very dedicated and showed tremendous ability,” he says.
Leader on the Field
Depending on whom one asks there will be a variety of opinions as to what Jerusha’s greatest moment or accomplishment was while wearing the Stinger uniform.
“Last year in the conference semi-final against McGill they were the only hold-overs from the previous year,” Sanchez says of Osborne and team captain Kathleen Grybowski who will also graduate at the end of this year.
“It was a rough game and the playing conditions were really windy and they just battled for the whole game.”
For Jerusha, her best on-field memory comes from another battle that she took part in against the Martlets. “The first time we played McGill last season we were down by a goal with about a minute left and I scored to tie it. That was a moment where I realized regardless of the situation you just never quit,” she says.
Perhaps one of the most remarkable accomplishments that Osborne got to lend a hand in was the team’s 7-4-3 record last season. It marked the best season for a Concordia women’s soccer team in over a decade. “It meant a whole lot to me and the rest of the team. It felt like we were finishing something for all those teams that played before us,” she says.
Definitive student athlete
Although playing for Concordia has been a great experience and as much as it has helped her grow, Jerusha has always kept her priorities in the right order.
“I came here [Concordia] because I really like the political science program and education always came first for me.”
It’s for this same reason that what she considers being named an Academic All-Canadian as one of her greatest accomplishments in her time as a Concordia student.
“That, along with being able to play and graduate in three years are really big accomplishments for me,” she says.
While she will be taking some time away from athletics, Jerusha says that her academic development is far from over. “I’m thinking about going to law school or starting my Masters…let’s just say I’ll be continuing my schooling for awhile.”
For the team that she will leave, behind the future should be a bright one, largely in part to the impact that she has had on many of the younger players.
“She’s a great example of how university sports should be played,” says Skye Moseley. “You could always trust that she was giving 110 per cent. Her work ethic is something that I really look up to.”
“Jerusha is someone you want to have on your team,” says rookie midfielder Melanie Poirer, who led the team in scoring this year and was named a QSSF all-star.
“She was injured all season and it was just amazing to see how she keeps playing no matter what.”
According to Poirer, Jerusha’s self-proclaimed shyness is something that she overcomes when she has something meaningful to say. “She doesn’t talk too much but when she does it’s important and everyone listens.”
The departing all-star says that she’s even envious of next year’s team and their potential to succeed. “I’m a little jealous because I won’t be there but I’m very confident that I’m leaving it in good hands,” Jerusha says.
She will now spend the next little while getting back to important things outside of soccer.
“I’m going to focus on doing other things like playing piano again and doing more work at my volunteer program (Women on the Rise) where I’m an assistant and childhood educator.”
The thing she will enjoy most from the extra time is the chance to reacquaint herself with another important part of her life. “I haven’t been able to spend that much time with my family over the last few years so I’m really looking forward to that.”
