Shania German living out her dream of being a collegiate athlete
SISSETON, S.D. (BVM) — On May 17, Shania German made history and accomplished a childhood dream by signing her letter of intent to play volleyball at the College of Saint Mary (Omaha, Neb.) next year.
“It felt great. I’ve had that dream since I was a little kid,” German said. “I wanted to be able to pursue volleyball beyond high school even if it was just for those four years. Sitting at that table knowing I accomplished something that I always wanted to just felt really great.”
The moment was the culmination of years of work going back to when she first began playing the sport in seventh grade. German first noticed the sport when some kids were playing it at a park she was at.
“It intrigued me,” German.
From that initial exposure, it did not take long for the young German to fall in love with the sport.
“It was something that came naturally,” German said. “It felt good when I played. It really made me happy. It gave me purpose. It gave me something that I knew I could do.”
However, it wasn’t until her senior year that German realized that her dream could come to fruition. In large part due to her new coach, Demi Dumarce, who told German she had the makings of a collegiate volleyball player.
“She really pushed me” German said. “She made me believe that I could go beyond and I could pursue it.”
The inspired German worked even harder than she had in the past and continued to push toward her goal. Along with coach Demi, she had her cousin Johnny and uncle James in her corner, and with all of their support, German persevered.
“When you surround yourself with people that are willing to help you like that it’s a game changer,” German said. “Because when I had my bad days I would just talk to them and then I’d be like, ‘alright got to get back into it.”
“No matter what it was, bad game, good game, they would always help me. Constructive criticism was the biggest helper for me because they would help me with my game, my mentality, they really worked with me on my mentality and my mindset. It really helped me and on those bad days I would go to them.”
It was her uncle who helped her get past her frustration at the lack of recognition she would receive for her defensive work out on the court. Originally a setter when she got to high school, German was drawn to the defensive side of volleyball and found a home in the back line. But that side of volleyball can sometimes go unnoticed as people are drawn to the kills and what takes place at the net.
“You just have to be willing to hit the ground, be willing to go for the ball and you have to be willing to know that you’re doing your part and you’re doing it well,” German said. “You don’t need to be recognized for it because you know you’re a part of your team and you are working as a team to be able to do something great.”
That mentality of not needing the attention finally got the attention this past year as she received All-NEC honors. German actually found out about the news through Facebook as people she knew tagged her in posts congratulating her on the accomplishment.
“Hard work pays off,” German said. “I wasn’t looking for that and then when it came to me it felt really good. I was like, ‘Yeah it’s paying off, somebody is seeing me somewhere, somebody is paying attention.’ It just felt amazing.”
It wasn’t just the NEC that was paying attention. Colleges started to take notice as well. With the help of coach Demi, German began reaching out to schools to initiate the recruiting process.
“The recruiting process, that’s long, that’s hard, it’s a big waiting game and I waited a long time,” German said.
Her wait ended when she began talking with coach Rick Pruett from the College of Saint Mary. German was drawn to the school for their efforts to empower women.
“It made me feel empowered,” German said.
Along with that, she was impressed with their facilities and it didn’t take long for her to be certain that she wanted to be a Flame for the next four years.
But more than just living out her dream, German has become a role model in her school and community. When the news broke that she was receiving a scholarship, it showed those both at the high school and kids younger than that that they could do what she is doing right now.
For German, it only motivates her even more to succeed at the college level, but it also pushes her, “to show my big heart more,” she said. Reach out to younger kids and talk with her fellow high schoolers to help them achieve their own dreams, making sure that when she leaves for Omaha the school is in good hands and she has left her mark.
German has certainly left her mark on her high school but now it is time for her to leave her mark on the collegiate level.
