Being on a national team can offer an athlete many different opportunities as well as the chance to learn from the greatest competitors in their sport. It is a major achievement to be able to compete at this level, but it can be extremely intimidating, especially if the athletes on your team are several years older than you.
Abbie Langille considers herself to be a “baby” in comparison to her fellow teammates on the Canadian Deaf National Volleyball Team. The 16-year-old Truro athlete was the youngest player on the team when they competed in France last year. She was constantly surrounded by teammates well into their 20s and 30s. Despite being the youngest athlete in the group, she helped her team win a gold medal in France and has continued to grow and improve her volleyball skills. She recently traveled to Edmonton, where she tried out for the Canadian Deaf National Team once again. After playing in a tournament watched by Team Canada coaches and attending another tryout the following day, she was selected for the team. The Canadian Deaf National Volleyball team will be competing in the Pan American Deaf Volleyball Regional Qualification in Brazil with the goal of a top-three finish to secure their spot in the Deaflympics, taking place in Italy in 2021. The event includes teams from North America and South America.
Having a parent who is passionate about being involved in sports can have an incredible influence on a child. That was certainly the case for Abbie and her mother. Abbie’s mother still plays volleyball and helps Abbie run fundraisers for her national team pursuits. From the early age of two, Abbie was around the game of volleyball and fell in love with the sport. When she turned 11, she got involved with the local club team in Truro and played with athletes several years older than her. That experience prepared her for playing with older national team athletes and helped to shape her volleyball abilities.
Abbie is not only a phenomenal volleyball player, she is also an all-around athlete. She played basketball, soccer and was involved in track and field. Abbie’s schedule is very busy, competing in volleyball and basketball for both club and school teams. Eventually, she was faced with a choice and had to decide which sport she wanted to pursue. She followed in her mother's footsteps and focused all of her attention on volleyball.
The love Abbie has for volleyball continues to grow and her skills continue to improve. In grade 11, Abbie was faced with the challenge of changing positions. She started playing as a left side attacker and had to make adjustments to transition to becoming a middle. In addition, she has also had to adjust to a completely new environment while playing for the deaf national team. At the international events, she cannot use her Cochlear implants, and during games, verbal communication is not possible. To communicate, players use hand gestures and eye contact. When officiating matches, referees have to use sign language and also shake the net when necessary to catch the players eyes and get their attention. Abbie has made it her personal goal to learn more sign language before heading to Brazil.
As for the future, Abbie plans to attend Holland College to become a firefighter and wants to continue playing with Team Canada for as long as she can. She is still undecided on whether or not she wants to continue playing volleyball at the post-secondary level. Abbie’s piece of advice for younger athletes who have big dreams is to “practice hard, be dedicated in attending practices and school, and to not give up!”. She hopes she can help Team Canada qualify for the 2021 Deaflympics and we wish her and the team luck in achieving their goal!
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