This time of year is a difficult one for high school students; grade 12 students are beginning the arduous process of applying to post-secondary education: devoting countless hours and brainpower towards submitting the perfect applications, being sure not to miss even the tiniest requirement, and maximizing their chances of receiving an acceptance to the school of their dreams. 

Some students have only just begun this process, others have submitted their applications and now begin the waiting for news, others are somewhere in between. A lucky few have already secured their place in the Class of 2023. 

MacKeely Shantz, currently in grade twelve at Waterloo Oxford Secondary School in Baden, is one of the lucky ones. She is an avid student athlete who has recently committed to the University of Guelph on a full athletic scholarship, to play for their women’s basketball team. Her quick decision was made very easy, she says: “I toured around a lot of schools and I really just liked the atmosphere of Guelph the best. It’s a beautiful campus and the athletic complex they just added on is really nice. I also really enjoyed the team and the coaches. I think they’ll be a good fit to help me improve as a basketball player.” 

During her time in high school, Shantz has maintained a high work ethic and grade average, and has been described as an amazingly well-rounded student by many at Waterloo-Oxford who know her. Aside from her aptness in athletics, she is also passionate about her academics; she plans to study human kinetics and is very excited about the opportunities this will afford her in the future. 

Shantz has been playing sports for fourteen years now: soccer since the age of four, hockey and competitive swimming for two years, until she tried out for rep basketball five years ago and has been hooked ever since! She told me an adorable story of the moment she truly fell in love with the sport: “When I was younger, I always wanted to be doing what my older siblings were doing and so I took to playing the sports they did as soon as I possibly could and I loved them. I especially wanted to be like my big sister Kiria. She started playing on our elementary school basketball team and I wanted to be on the team so bad as well, in grade 2 the coach allowed me to sit on the bench with them at the finals and then the next year I was playing in games and although I wasn’t nearly as big as the grade 8’s and not as good, I fell in love with basketball from there. “

About her time in the athletic program at Waterloo-Oxford, Shantz says “I play a sport all seasons in the year so, basketball, volleyball, badminton and track and field!” It is no wonder she is such a valued part of their athletic program! She doesn’t know what she would do with her time if she didn’t participate in sports; it definitely keeps her busy but she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

It’s been a long road for Shantz as an athlete, and in all the time she’s been playing basketball she has developed her skills to a very high level. She can identify and speak to both her strengths and weaknesses without pride or harshness: According to her, her biggest strengths are her communication skills and her ability to see the court and think quickly. One of her weaknesses would be her size in terms of the strength she doesn’t have and the disadvantage that can present. 

It’s said that it takes a village to raise a child, and I think that saying is especially applicable here; it takes a village to raise an athlete. Shantz has had countless people in her life who have influenced her both as an athlete and as a person, and she is especially thankful for two of them:

“My parents are definitely a big one. I owe a lot to them for helping me to become the person that I am and for always supporting me in everything that I do. It took a lot of dedication from them to drive me to practices 3 times a week and to come to all of my games and I would not be where I am today without them. Another one is definitely my basketball coach [Eddie Lopez]. Aside from helping me on the court, he has pushed me to be the very best version of myself in everything that I do and I’m very thankful for that.”

Eddie Lopez, Shantz’ coach, has been working with her for five years now and is naturally a huge role model for her. He is always there to encourage and inspire her: “Everytime I have a big event that day, whether it’s a game, tryout or something on related to sport, he texts me “be confident and trust yourself”. I think that advice has stuck with me the most because at the end of the day, you know the work you’ve put in and the reps you’ve took and the person you are so you just have to be confident in those skills and know that you are capable of doing great things with them.”

This advice from Lopez has been incredibly helpful for Shantz, she says, and has led to her own private pre-game ritual. “One thing I always tell myself when stepping onto the floor is, I might not be the best player on the court but I’m going to be the hardest worker. And so I always start a game with the mentality that in the next hour or two, nobody is going to out work me.”

Shantz is eternally thankful for the opportunities she has been given while playing basketball at Waterloo-Oxford, and looks forward to her future playing for the Guelph Gryphons. She shared with me her advice to any students looking to make a team during their high school career or beyond: “I think the most important thing is to have a good attitude and show the coaches that you are coachable. It’s easy for them to teach skill, that’s why they are there but they can’t teach you to listen. And so if you appear in tryouts like you’re not listening then a coach won’t want to take you because they don’t think they can teach you. A few things you should try to do is to make eye contact with the coach when they are speaking, nod your head when they tell you something so that they know you heard them and finally if they give you a tip about how to tweak something you’re doing, try to implement it right away. This shows that you are coachable.” 

Shantz continues to work hard both on the court and in the classroom, determined to finish her grade 12 year strong. She maintains a constant attitude of humility and enthusiasm, and is looking forward to the continuation of everything she has worked so hard for.