Shauna Zilversmit has never been happier. She has always wanted to play the sport she loves and study somewhere she knew she would excel. At Concordia University, her dreams came true.
Zilversmit, 19, is on Concordia’s women’s soccer team. With perseverance and a lot of effort, she was able to see plenty of minutes on the field as a rookie.
“In my first year, as a rookie, I got to play more than I could have hoped for,” said Zilversmit.
She also expressed a positive attitude towards the team’s results this season. Concordia finished in fifth place in the standings, one spot short of the playoffs. The Stingers also beat McGill, which was the first time the team has accomplished this feat since 1993. She expects a great season next year and says she really believes in her teammates.
“Being a part of a team that had such a great season full of accomplishments was a great experience,” she explained. “What I loved most about it was not only our accomplishments as a team, but also the girls. Everyone on our team got along really well and we were on the same page towards what goals we wanted to accomplish this season.”
Zilversmit believes if they continue with the same effort they had this season, the Stingers will be able to reach the playoffs.
“I know that with the work ethic our girls have, we will continue to strive for excellence and hopefully find a way to get ourselves to nationals,” she added.
Zilversmit’s love for the sport came from her parents Richard and Jo-Anna, who had enrolled her and her brother Shayne in soccer. From the moment she started playing, she got attached to the game. After many years of practice and games, she finally reached the elite AAA level.
She attended John Rennie High School in Pointe-Claire and was enrolled in the Sports-Études program that was installed there. Zilversmit said being in the program helped her improve her game. The program makes every student athlete go to class, Monday through Friday, until noon, followed by training in the afternoon.
After high school, Zilversmit attended Dawson College, where she studied in the cinema/video/communications program. She believed this program gave her the necessary skills in order to go into journalism, where she is now at Concordia.
“The idea of combining the two things I love the most and making a career out of it by being a sport broadcaster makes me even happier,” she said.
Zilversmit’s future in soccer dimmed as she suffered a torn ACL while playing for the Dawson Blues, her CÉGEP soccer team. She needed surgery on her damaged knee and had to take a whole year off to recover. The injury forced her to stay on the sidelines during the summer soccer season, however it didn’t destroy her motivation to get back on the field.
“It was the first time I wasn’t playing soccer since I first started when I was seven,” she explained. “It was a long recovery, but I was determined to get back on the field so I trained hard to get back.”
She made a return to the Blues at the end of the second season. Since then, she has passed on her talents and leadership to the Stingers, and cannot wait to play next year.