In the dying days of summer, very few students embrace early mornings and long days quite like Adrian Gaspar does. Eating meals with hundreds of people both young and old is an experience that many would dread as the expiration date of summer nears, however it is a component of Gaspar’s life that remains persistent and complementary to finding his purest self.
Well before the second-year athlete steps foot on the TMU volleyball court, he has already encompassed a vast amount of training and learning that continues to be traced back to one of the biggest volleyball camps in North America, as well as a place Gaspar can only describe as “life changing.”
The Ottawa, Ont. native has been making the multi-hour trek to Camp Madawaska ever since he was in elementary school and has struggled to find the right words to describe its personal impact on him ever since.
What began as a jumpstart into the sport of volleyball quickly became one of best decisions of Gaspar’s life, and has annually enumerated life-changing experiences both on and off the court.
“This camp really dragged me to loving volleyball,” said Gaspar, who believes the summertime encounter is responsible for his intimate relationship with the game today.
“If it wasn’t here, I don’t think I’d have the skills or the passion to want to continue,” he added.
But It isn’t just the advanced training that motivates Gaspar to make the annual trip to Palmer Rapids, but rather the lessons he’s learned while being submerged in a volleyball-driven environment.
One of his main values revolves around the talent and quality in which a player like himself both possesses and continues to add onto with every passing day. Understanding that “you’re never too good to learn” has propelled the second-year player to invariably become a student of the game – which he believes has served him exceptionally well during his time away from the court.
“You can always learn no matter who you are or how old you are,” said Gaspar, adding that this lesson taken from his time at camp has helped him grow tremendously in all facets of his life – one of which being his current passion for coaching at Madawaska.
Shifting from the camp bench to the coaching chair has led Gaspar’s love for the game of volleyball to skyrocket and has opened up a potential career path for the 19-year old.
Playing an active role in helping kids develop the skills needed to play the sport at a collegiate level is an element of the job that fills the libero with joy, as he hopes to one day be a catalyst for the future of the game.
“If there was a perfect job for me, that’s what it would be,” said Gaspar, who aims to manifest both a personal and genuine relationship with the players he coaches while mentoring at Madawaska.
“Through heart to heart, you can teach something better,” mentioned Gaspar. “I just want to see someone else light up from volleyball practices and games.”
While he’s pacing the camp’s sidelines, however, Gaspar finds shades of his current head coach – Niko Rukavina – to circulate within him, whether that be his coaching style or motivational presence to get the most out of his players.
“He’s a really good example of what I’d like to do with my life,” the second-year added, crediting Rukavina as one of the pillars of influence during his blue and gold career.
Now in his second season with the Bold, Gaspar has spent the bulk of his time at TMU playing behind last year’s OUA All-Star Lhexen Rabit. Being the adherent to one of the league’s most convicting liberos has taught Gaspar exactly what it takes to be a starter amongst a strong lineup of players, and has helped Gaspar climb the ladder in the team’s system as well.
“To see [Lhexen] and the way he does his things, it’s super inspirational,” said Gaspar, who has spent the last pair of seasons keeping a close relationship with his predecessor in the middle of the court.
Whether it’s on the bench or on the court itself, all roads lead back to Camp Madawaska for Adrian Gaspar. It’s a place where his passion for the game can flourish, a program that pairs him together with lifelong friendships, and most importantly, allows himself to get in touch with his most genuine self.
“When you’re in a camp in the middle of the forest with nothing but volleyball and other people, you can be the most purest form of yourself,” said Gaspar.
“It takes me out of this world and all the crazy stuff that’s always happening,” he added.
The footprint in which this two-week volleyball camp has left on Gaspar is indescribable. Not only did Madawaska conceive the idea of a volleyball career for the Ottawa native, it has actively continued to shape the pathway in which Gaspar has followed to get to where he is today.
“The reason why I’m playing university volleyball is because of what I learned from the people at Madawaska,” said Gasapar.
“I just want to give back. I know I’ll never be able to give back what I got from it, but I’m going to try my best,” he added.
It is this give and take relationship that keeps the backend of summer busy for Gaspar, and will for many years to follow. The impassioned effect it’s had on the former camper continues to play an imperative role in tracing down Gaspar’s most genuine self, and has not only allowed him to survive in the world of volleyball, but rather put him in an assertive position to thrive within the world outside of it.