The November bye week swam by quickly, giving our UFV varsity athletes a week off and much-needed rest. Among the athletes is Google Sidhu, a rookie guard on the women’s basketball team. Sidhu stepped into her first game against UBC and showed herself to be an adept defender with stats in every defensive category. She equaled this performance against TRU. During the bye, The Cascade was able to catch up with the rookie guard to ask how her adjustment to this crazy year has been, and how the women’s team has been able to remain strong in this tough Western division.
So Google, how has this crazy year with COVID-19 and school adjustments affected the team’s training and their dynamics with each other?
Well, it was weird in the beginning, I had signed on when COVID-19 hit. The first training calls and workouts were all done over Zoom, and I didn’t get a big chance to know the other girls. It felt like I didn’t really know anyone up until we actually started practising in person, and then everything clicked into place. The team dynamic has become so awesome! We’re all so close, and we all care about each other to our core.
Let’s jump to your first game against UBC. You go from only playing a handful of minutes to stepping into a game to cover for an injured starter. How nervous were you?
Well, yeah, as you mentioned, our starting point guard Maddy [Gobeil] was injured and before the next game, Coach Al said, “We need players to step up for this game.” I really saw that as an opportunity to play the best I can to show the team and coach that I am able to play at this level and in the role they need me to be in.
Was there a fundamental of basketball that you focused on, or still focus on to keep that mentality locked in and the nerves away throughout the game?
I always tell myself to start on defence and offence will come. So, I start there, on defence. You can [have] control through just hard work and effort. At the end of the day, so many skills come from how you navigate your defence.
I wanted to touch on your defence. You’ve shown you have a knack for steals, a stat in every defensive category. Have you always had such rogue-ish hands and qualities?
Thank you, but I think knowing when to dive for a steal is just what defence is about. Defence is all effort and you just need to be willing to dive on the floor and be winning those 50/50 battles. We [the team] have sticky notes that we write our goals on and post on the walls before each practice. Every day my sticky note-goal is to be the most annoying defender on the court. So if the ball is there, I’m diving for it. I don’t care if my opponent is in my way. That’s my ball!
What has been the biggest hurdle to overcome with the team, classes, and fitting in everything to your busy schedule?
Honestly, time management. I make a planner that has the times when I’ll be at practice and when I will be doing my homework and studying. And holding [myself] accountable throughout the week. The team is such a great help; we are close and keep each other accountable, being there to support and help out in many little ways that it’s really hard to describe.
Is the team open and forward with giving each other help and support?
Oh, yeah! Our whole team is open and forward with each other, whether they’re veterans or not. I’ve got the best role models both on and off the court! Victoria [Jacobse] is amazing at making sure I know the play and am watching the game film. ‘Lex’ [Alexis Worrell] is such an encouraging leader as well! Every player adds an important contribution to the team. It’s nice knowing that those leaders are there and it doesn’t matter to them who’s playing; they just want us to succeed.
Throughout our conversation, you circle back to putting in effort and your team’s dynamic. What’s been motivating you and the team to continue performing the way you have?
We have a sheet we made at the beginning of the year of the team’s goals. Our two main goals are win Canada West [and] be in the final four at nationals. Those are our non-negotiables. And it all comes down to effort. That keeps you motivated and thinking you just got to put in that work — you can do that. Then we can win Canada West. We can be in the final four for nationals. When you look at your goals and see they’re reachable if you just put in the time and effort, you’ll be where you want to be.
Interview was edited for length and clarity.
Image: Gibi Saini / UFV Athletics
Teryn Midzain is an English Major with ambitious goals to write movies and a full-time nerd, whose personality and eccentrics run on high-octane like the cars he loves. More importantly, Teryn loves sports [Formula One], and doesn’t care who knows. When not creating and running deadly schemes in his D&D sessions, Teryn tries to reach the core of what makes the romantic and dramatic World of Sports, the characters and people that make the events so spectacular.
