The Nipissing Lakers men’s volleyball stuck with their northern theme, bringing in another recruit from New Liskeard, ON.
This marks the third straight year the Lakers have added a northern Ontario product, as they have signed Sheldon Flannigan, a soon-to-be graduate of Timiskaming District Secondary School.
Flannigan will join the Lakers as a setter/libero and will be enrolled in the nursing program when he begins his journey at Nipissing.
Flannigan said he’s already thrilled with the prospect of becoming a Laker and is counting down the days until he suits up.
“I chose Nipissing because it has everything a student-athlete could want; small class sizes, great facilities, a friendly atmosphere, and a very competitive volleyball program,” he said.
“I hope to bring an eagerness to learn along with a willingness to work hard. Not only as a volleyball player, but as a teammate as well.”
Flannigan will join former teammates Curtis MacPherson and Randy Beauchamp who have also made the jump from TDSS to the Lakers.
And all were coached by Nikki Cambridge, who believes the Lakers are getting a quality student-athlete who should be able to help continue the progress of the program.
“Sheldon will be greatly missed by our program as he took on a leadership role at a young age. He's a real team player who is always helping others to better themselves and to help better the team and program at TDSS. All of our up and coming players see Sheldon as a role model, Cambridge said.
“His work ethic is tough to beat, he is determined to be the best player he can be by working hard on and off the court. He's a very coachable player who is always wanting to learn more about all aspects of the game."
Flannigan has an impressive resume, which includes success in not only volleyball, but also basketball and soccer, showing he’s a complete athlete.
He has played in four OFSAA championships with volleyball, two with soccer and another with basketball, all within his high school career.
Lakers head coach Eric Yung believes that Flannigan’s knowledge of the game and work ethic will go a long way in not only allowing him to adapt to the U Sports level, but also allowing the Nipissing program to continue their progress.
“We are thrilled to add another Northern product to our program; this will be the third consecutive year we are adding a TDSS athlete and we want to thank Nikki Cambridge for her dedication and effort in preparing these outstanding student-athletes for the next level. We are looking forward to working with Sheldon as he brings a tremendous work ethic on and off the court,” Yung said.
“A multi-sport athlete who has a high sport IQ and thinks quickly on his feet. He is a student-athlete who truly compliments the culture of our program, Sheldon is a great addition to the Laker family.”
Flannigan knows it won’t be easy and he won’t just jump in and dominate, but he is looking forward to the challenge and wants to come in, contribute in any way he can and become a key part of the Lakers future.
“I look forward to the challenges that will come with playing volleyball at the next level alongside many top athletes. I would like to get to know each individual teammate and eventually become as close to them as they are with each other. I believe this next step will help me to become not only a better athlete, but a better student and person,” he said.
