LONDON, Ont.- This will be the last year for Eric Simon (London, Ont.) as a member of Western's varsity men's volleyball team at The University of Western Ontario. A soon-to-be graduate, Simon has been a varsity athlete for five years. He started off as a right-side in first year, taking on a left side position in his second year. By alternating from right to left, Simon has become more versatile.
Simon finished the season with 166 kills, 103 digs, nine solo blocks, 21 assisted blocks and 217.5 points. He also received several awards including CIS Academic All-Canadian, OUA Player of the Game, OUA First Team All-Star 2009-2010 and OUA Player of the Year 2009-2010. As well, Simon was a Western Purple Blanket recipient, which is awarded to an athlete upon graduation if they have committed significantly in sports.
In contrast to his accomplishments at Western, his most recent injury was one of his worst moments. During a match against Guelph, Simon made a poor landing, tearing his anterior tibiofibular ligament.
Simon suffered a third degree sprain during this set against Guelph, but he eventually returned to play against Queen’s in the semi-finals.
“Originally the doctor said I couldn’t play for the rest of the season. If I played, there was the risk of worsening the injury, which would require surgery,” Simon says. “But then again, I didn’t want to go out like that.”
Even though he was benched for four to five weeks, Simon pushed himself during rehabilitation. In the first week, Simon could only use ultrasound or ice the injury. He was adamant on returning to the game and he took the necessary precautions to prevent further injuries.
Although the team lost in the five-set match against rival Queen’s, there are no regrets.
Surprisingly, Simon didn’t start with volleyball. He played basketball throughout high school. This was followed by a strong desire to play football. Simon was tempted to try new sports similar to fellow Mustangs athlete, Jason Milliquet, who played on varsity football in the first term and basketball in the second. Simon considered football. However, his passion for volleyball overcame his curiosity.
So how did volleyball jump into his life?
“It was my first coach in grade nine. His name was Vaughn Peckhan. Even though I was only in the C level, the coach made it fun,” Simon says. “I actually got cut from the competitive team.”
Far from his current stardom, Simon has worked hard to reach this point. Training everyday for two hours, in addition to working out three times a week and participating in weekend matches, Simon also shares the same obligations as every other student in Engineering Science.
The gruesome 30-hour weekly schedule consisting of continuous classes is not a walk in the park. In total, only 44 varsity athletes are enrolled in Engineering. Four of which are also varsity athletes for the men’s volleyball team.
Even though Simon will be graduating from a well-received program such as engineering, he wants to pursue volleyball.
“I want to travel or play professional in Spain or Denmark,” Simon said.
His priorities are set on volleyball and he still has time to explore his options.
“Maybe ten years down the road, I will focus on having a stable job and maybe even a significant other,” Simon suggests.
