The new school year will bring a lot of excitement into Sarah Dacuycuy’s life. Not only will she start a new page at the Lakeland College at Lloydminster, but she also will continue playing basketball, now at the collegiate level.
She recently signed with the college and will start in the fall, however, she was still having a hard time believing it.
“It feels great. Honestly, I didn’t think I would make it this far, but I guess putting in hard work (paid off),” said Dacuycuy.
At the same time, Dacuycuy's coach at the Estevan Comprehensive School (ECS), Jessie Smoliak, had no doubts in her.
"I’m so proud of Sarah. I have coached her for the past three years at ECS. Sarah has always shown the potential to play at the next level and she just proved it to herself she could do it. She was always in the gym before and after practice working on her fundamentals,” said Smoliak.
Dacuycuy wasn’t sure about the choice at first, but going to Lloydminster, touring the school and playing side by side with the Lakeland Rustlers erased any doubts she had. She did feel that the team was playing at a different level, however, she also felt that she was pretty good too.
“I had to go there and show my skills in order for me to make it to the team. And I think the biggest challenge is playing with college girls ... And just playing with them made me realize how good of a player I am to be able to make it in such a high-level team,” said Dacuycuy.
Lakeland women’s basketball team head coach Chris King, who was making the decision on the other side, received high recommendations from Smoliak and also had a chance to see Dacuycuy playing several times.
“Extremely hard worker, showed some really good skills… She’s got a good skill set, extremely athletic and willing to learn,” said King.
So by the time Dacuycuy visited Lakeland College, he already knew how much potential she has and also was happy to see that she fit really well with the team.
“It was a real no-brainer for us to get Sarah,” said King.
He added that they will only be getting a few new players this year, but later down the road, there will be more graduates and he was very happy to have a player like Dacuycuy for the years to come.
“We are looking at her as a long-term player … She is one of these kids that was targeted as a solution for us to continue to be one of the top teams not only in our conference, but in the nation. So we are excited with what she can do and hopefully, her growth is high in our program,” said King.
Dacuycuy will be taking a bachelor of science in general sciences. She doesn’t start until September and plans to move to Lloydminster in August. She said she expects to be dedicating a lot of time to training and playing basketball.
“When the season starts we work probably every day,” said Dacuycuy.
The team Dacuycy is joining is really strong. The Rustlers recently won the 2020 ACAC provincial title for women’s basketball. They were supposed to play at nationals in Nanaimo, B.C., however, the COVID-19 outbreak changed the plans.
Dacuycuy will soon be playing with one of the strongest teams, but it was the Estevan Elecs that allowed her to grow into the player she is now.
“They were a big impact. The coaches here and me playing here made a huge impact on me playing at a post-secondary level and high level. My coaches, honestly, they were such a big impact on me. They were the ones that pushed me and made me the player I am today,” said Dacuycuy. “I just want to recognize my coach Jessie Smoliak. She was the one who helped me from the very beginning and till now she is still the best. And I hope that whenever I get to a higher level, she will still be there by my side.”
Dacuycuy will be missed by the ECS Elecs, but the fact that she will keep playing and is going to play for the defending Alberta provincial champions makes Smoliak really proud.
“Sarah is going to be greatly missed next year as she served as one of our team captains and a leading scorer on the team. We wish her all the best in the fall as she becomes a Lakeland Rustler,” said Smoliak.
“As a coach, I am always so proud to watch young female athletes transfer out of my basketball program and further their fundamentals at a post-secondary level. It’s a different level of competition but I know Sarah is ready for the challenge. She is going off to a great program in the fall with a knowledgeable coach. Chris King has a lot of expectations for his athletes and will only hold Sarah accountable to achieve those goals that he has laid out for his team.”
Graduating from high school and progressing with her life, Dacuycuy encouraged the generations to come.
“For the people that are coming up into high school, honestly, just play the game and don’t let anybody or anything get you down.”
