Sport: Soccer

Kingsley Boasiako, a fifth-year student at Humber, exemplifies excellence in all its forms, balancing a packed schedule split between athletics, academics, and working in the field. Born in Ghana, Kingsley was two years old when he came to Canada, where he was raised. He was only five when he began playing soccer, and he hasn’t looked back since. As a student at St. Edmund Campion Secondary School, Kingsley won OFSAA for soccer twice, and in Grade 12 was named Athlete of the Year. The accolades have kept coming at the college level for him too, having won at both provincials and nationals three times.

Already having studied business at Guelph-Humber, Kingsley is currently enrolled in Accounting, for which he has made Humber’s Honour Roll. He has also won Humber’s Pinball Clemons Leadership Award, which is awarded to a student with high academic standing and community involvement. Indeed, Kingsley also dedicates time to helping others, having worked at a soup kitchen last year. And if this all wasn’t enough, Kingsley, who aspires to work in the financial field with accounting or auditing, currently works for Toronto-Dominion Bank, earning valuable experience for his future.

Sonia Rocha has been a member of the women’s varsity soccer team at Humber for 4 years. She currently captains the team and feels that motivation is the key to displaying excellent leadership. Rocha says, “Getting everyone off to a certain level and leading by example are important. At practice, if you want your players to perform at a certain level you have to perform at that level.”

Over the years that Rocha has been with the varsity soccer team, she has helped them win many titles, including provincial gold and a national bronze last season. Rocha has received individual awards as well. She has honorably accepted the OCAA Athlete of the Week award, OCAA Tournament All-Star award, and CCAA Tournament All-Star award. Her dedication to the team and ability to lead by example on and off the pitch make Rocha a well-rounded athlete. She is in her second year of sports management at Humber College.

Hayley Green is a 4th year veteran on the women’s varsity soccer team at Humber College. She has received many accolades during her playing career. Some of which include: Rookie of the Year for women’s varsity indoor soccer, an couple OCAA gold medals, and she was also a part of the bronze medal winning team at nationals last year. Green has been an active leader on the women’s varsity team throughout her time here at Humber. One of her most memorable moments was the first OCAA final she played during her first ‘ year on the team. “I hurt myself 15 minutes in and I played the rest of the game limping pretty much, but we won, so it was a great feeling,” said Green. She has proven to her team­mates, coaches, and other Humber athletes that her dedication to the team is undeniable. Green doesn’t let anything affect her game and, like her injury in the finals, doesn’t allow anything to get in the way of playing the game till the very end. Green is in her first year of the sports management program at Humber College.

Daniele, who may be viewed as diminutive in size at 5’ 6”, is a powerhouse on the pitch for the Humber Hawks men’s soccer team. The fourth-year midfielder was a key contributor on the Hawks squad that swept its way to winning both the OCAA Provincial and CCAA National championship titles last year. In fact, he played a significant role in the national gold medal game, as the Humber squad had to battle after going down two men early in the first half.

This season, the Hawks have not skipped a beat and are ranked as the number one collegiate men’s soccer team in the province and in the country. Daniele, from his position as a midfielder, has to read the play, challenge for the ball consistently, and distribute to the strikers for opportunities to score. This is one of the most intellectual positions in soccer.

He is striving in the classroom as well, currently in his second year in the Culinary Management Program at Humber. Great things come in small packages, and that is the basis of Daniele receiving the 2016 Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship.

Brittany Verge is a sophomore midfielder that brings veteran leadership and confidence that has proved to be invaluable to Humber’s young squad. After transferring from Sheridan College, Verge established herself as a prominent student-athlete in the Practical Nursing program. Last season she was named to the OCAA All-Star team in addition to OCAA All-Academic and CCAA Academic AllCanadian honours. Now she is working towards winning provincial and national championships.

Verge said Humber has impacted her goals thanks to such a welcoming and motivational support system. In turn, she hopes to set the example that athletes can be good at their sport while doing well in school. Verge said life experiences have directed her to a growing passion for health care. She said she wants to be able to bring attention to health, well-being and quality of life through her studies and through volunteering with blood pressure clinics, health teaching in hospitals and with organizations like the Heart and Stroke Foundation.