Playing for Team Canada, Tonya Mokelki knows what volleyball is all about. Playing at the national level since 2007, the athlete has gained experience that makes her not only an asset on the court, but her Weyburn roots means that local volleyball players are able to receive the benefits of this experience as well.
Mokelki has been playing volleyball since a young age. "I started playing volleyball in Weyburn when I was in grade five," said Mokelki. "In grade nine, my coaches encouraged me to go to a Provincial Team tryout and I continued from there. I started playing club after that in Regina, since there was no club team in the Weyburn area at that time. My high school coaches, Blake Johnson and Katie Fong, were great influences on me and my career, as well as my Regina Radz club coach Miles Kydd. He was the one that moved me from being the typical high school middle to a right side player, and that was where I really began to excel."
Mokelki was asked to try out for the Canadian Junior National Team in 2001. Even though she ended up being cut that year, her hard work and dedication impressed the coaches resulting in a invite back in 2002, when she ended up making the team. It was at that point, that opportunities really arose for Mokelki who was recruited in both Canada and the United States.
With a full ride scholarship offered by Colorado State University (CSU), Mokelki's volleyball career took her to the United States where she feels she really developed. "There [CSU] is where I really came into my own and lifting and conditioning became a big factor as well as technique," said Mokelki. "My University coach, Tom Hilbert, is an amazing coach and I'm not sure I would have been able to continue furthering my national team career had it not been for the entire CSU staff."
Mokelki's senior national team experience began in 2006, when she was asked to attend tryouts. While she was unable to attend that year due to an injury, Mokelki attended the 2007 tryouts where she captured a spot on the team.
"In 2007, I was asked again, and my coach sent me on a plane back to Canada for tryouts," stated Mokelki. "I remember that first selection process being so stressful. They simply hand you an envelope and all you had to do was open it. My parents surprised me the night before, by driving to Winnipeg to be there to support me when I found out if I made it or not. When I found out I had made it, I couldn't believe it. I had to double check the name on the letter to make sure I had the right one."
From then on, the athlete has had a place on the national team playing a significant role on the team. While "playing at the national level has been phenomenal" for Mokelki, being a Team Canada athlete means a primary focus on volleyball and a lot of hard work.
"There is always room to improve because there's always a team out there in the World that is better than you, or working hard to be better. The training has gotten more and more intense each year, and with each coach change."
"Being a Team Canada athlete has a lot of perks. Being able to play the sport of volleyball for a living and traveling around the World is great. There are sacrifices that go with it though, as well as a huge time dedication. For instance, you can't just book time off work or make plans when you want. Our lives are pretty structured and you can't really make many changes once the schedule is set."
"Nutrition and training are crucial aspects of our life and are monitored very frequently. We get body composition testing done to determine fat versus lean muscle mass, and changes are made to our nutrition plans as needed. We usually train about 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. Competing against other teams all over the World is an amazing experience and I recommend that everyone watch an international game, regardless of what sport it is."
As for career highlights, those moments are ones that will never be forgotten for Mokelki. "The highlights of my career would have to be in University, being on the All Mountain West team and winning the conference four out of my five years there, beating Mexico in 2009 to qualify for Worlds, and of course, competing at the 2010 Worlds in Japan."
Mokelki is hoping to offer some of her knowledge and experience to the young athletes in the area. She not only has tips of the trade to offer, but she knows the skill set that is required to achieve high level play.
"To the young athletes out there, if you are serious about trying to pursue volleyball at an elite level, I would recommend playing as much as possible and developing your technical skills to be as strong as possible. There are a lot of good athletes out there, but the technical side is where most players are lacking. Once you have a strong balance of athleticism and technique, then you have a higher chance of making it into a strong university team and going from there." "Really, at the young age, it all comes down to the coaching you have at the beginning. Once you develop bad habits, it is very hard to change or break them. Taking care of your body is also crucial. You must have a strong and balanced body, and eat well. What you put into your body is what you're going to get out of it."
Mokelki is looking forward to the possibility of working with young athletes in this area. The athlete will work with both male and female players, regardless of the age. "Coaching at a young age is critical to developing athletes, especially since volleyball is such a technical sport. And being a farm girl myself, I understand the struggles one can go through to try and attain the high level coaching there is out there. This is a way I can give back to the area that was so good to me when I was just starting out my volleyball career."
For those interested in having Mokelki work with them in a one-on-one setting, as a group or as a one-time clinic, you are encouraged to contact her at tmokelki7@gmail.com or 891-9419 for rates and availability.
