聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Jordan Gudmundson, daughter of Dale and Tammy Gudmundson, will be attending Lake Region State College (LRSC) at Devil鈥檚 Lake, ND, next year where she will be taking psychology and playing both volleyball and softball at the school having signed her national letters of intent to play earlier this year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Becoming an LRSC Royals athlete took a lifetime of dedication beginning with taking up baseball in grade three when Jordan鈥檚 family moved to Carlyle, followed by volleyball a couple of years later.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 think I started baseball for the first time when we moved here, I don鈥檛 really remember playing it before then,鈥� Jordan explained. 鈥淚 started volleyball in grade five, I think is when you can start here, and I struggled a lot but I really enjoyed it.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In grade seven, Jordan said she had first heard about club volleyball and tried out. She didn鈥檛 make it that year, but worked hard on her skills so she would be able to try again with hopes of making it.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 played with the Stingers for two years, then the Vipers for two years, and I was with Weyburn this year,鈥� she explained of her club seasons.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 She also played as a Carlyle Cougar at G.F.Kells and says that each one of her coaches helped her develop.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hey all have different ways of doing things and because of that I was able to figure out what worked best for me,鈥� Jordan said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Throughout her years Jordan has played, mostly, as a middle in high school, left side for the Vipers, and right side for Weyburn this year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 With baseball she added, 鈥淟equeyer鈥檚 coached one year and the Grimes boys coached us last year, but mostly I鈥檝e been coached by Tara Bendtsen.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Baseball has kept Jordan in Carlyle, while volleyball led her to play out of Carlyle, Arcola, and, most recently, Weyburn.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭here were actually fewer girls trying out than here,鈥� Jordan said. Though fewer girls they were of high calibre as the Weyburn Elite earned fourth place in the province. 鈥淚t was kind of intimidating playing with girls you don鈥檛 really know.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This experience though will help Jordan as she moves to North Dakota along with Weyburn teammate Hannah Hextall.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Hextall was heading down to play in at LRSC and when discussing a possible fit for the team the coach became interested, leading Brigitte Freschette (head coach of the women鈥檚 volleyball team at LRSC) to contact Jordan.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 was nervous when I got the phone call,鈥� Jordan explained. 鈥淪he called and I was on my way there within a week, so I was excited, but thought, 鈥業 have no time to prepare!鈥欌��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The phone call came just before May long weekend and a decision then had to be made after Jordan visited the school. She had already been accepted into the University of Regina for Psychology, but now had to choose with a new option presenting itself.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 take long to decide,鈥� she said. 鈥淎fter that phone call the decision was pretty easy, I want to do this. It鈥檚 a small school and so if I miss classes for volleyball, I鈥檒l be able to get the work that I missed and the teachers will know who you are. It鈥檚 better than being in large classes to me.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 She will still be taking psychology and after two years at Lake Region will transfer back to a Canadian University or to Minot.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢y parents have been very supportive,鈥� Jordan exclaimed. 鈥淢y dad said, 鈥業f she has a chance to play she should.鈥� They both wanted me to because they had been talking to people who had the chance, but didn鈥檛 take it and they regretted that choice.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jordan will be headed down to Devil鈥檚 Lake on Aug. 5 to begin training with her team on Aug. 7. It will be a short summer for the recent high school graduate and one that will test her work ethic as she explains the summer training program she was sent is 鈥減retty hefty.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚鈥檝e had to Google some of the exercises we鈥檙e doing for the pre-season, but I鈥檝e started it,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen I was down there the girls said the first few weeks are the worst, so I want to go into it as good as I can. They told me though that if you can make it through the pre-season you鈥檒l be fine.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be tough, but that鈥檚 expected.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Jordan will be playing as a left side and a defensive specialist at LRSC in volleyball and will be playing as a utility player in softball as she doesn鈥檛 yet have a set position.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In addition to the sports she will be playing at LRSC, Jordan has also taken part in track and field as well as badminton in Carlyle, which have helped her develop as an athlete and as an individual.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Carlyle has given the young athlete a good base to pursue her future in North Dakota.
