X-Ring profiles
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Davonte Provo- X-Men Basketball
Davonte has been on the StFX basketball team for 5 years. He is the team’s point guard. He is also one half of the StFX dynamic basketball duo, with his sister Chelsea Provo, the point guard on the women’s team.
1. What does getting your X-Ring mean to you?
"When I made the choice to come to X, I hadn’t seen the X-Ring very often, but seeing how excited my older teammates were to get their rings made me excited for mine. I couldn't wait for that day to come for me. Getting my X-Ring is a major accomplishment in my life. By no means was it easy to get to this point, but I'm almost there after all my hard work and I will have something to show for it."
2. How do you balance school and basketball?
"With school and basketball, I really struggled my first year to balance. It was just so much for me at the time and I wasn't fully prepared for it; I'm not ashamed to say that. With all the road trips, practices and work outs it was tough to balance school. As the years went on, I've learned to balance better. With the help from Coach K and with Denton Anthony, it really helped me to know I had people in my corner. It wasn’t easy but I just reminded myself that 'nothing worth having comes easy' and to 'stay on course' because the more you work at it the better it gets."
3. What’s next for you and basketball?
"Basketball has been something I've loved since the day I picked up a ball. When this year is done, I will look to continue playing basketball at the pro level. I feel I have a lot to offer the game that I haven't shown yet, so by no means would I call it quits. I'm optimistic about the future. I would love to play somewhere in Europe for a couple years or in the NBA. If I decide I don't want to play basketball at any point, I will always have something to fall back on with my education. I'll always be around the game whether I play, coach, or I'm watching."
Sydney Kelly- STFX Dance Team
Sydney has spent 3 years on the dance team at StFX. Her role this year is the co-media director, along with another teammate. Together, they managed the dance team’s social media page such as Instagram, Facebook, and Youtube. Their goal is to inform the StFX community of all the dance team’s performances and events.
What does your X-Ring mean to you?
"To me, my X Ring is about family. One: all the friends I have made at StFX have become my family! Two: many members of my family have graduated from StFX and my ring symbolizes me becoming part of StFX alumni with my aunts, uncles, and cousins."
How did you keep balance between school and dance?
"I think taking on anything extra such as a job, sport, or dance, you just have to prioritize your time. For me, dance was a really nice getaway from the stress of school. Letting the creative juices flow, getting active, and performing for people at X, allowed for the anxiety and stress of school to be alleviated."
What is next for you and dance?
"I hope for dance, I can continue to take classes wherever I am and try to continue to teach classes as well. I truly hope that dance will always be a part of my life. Music and movement are important elements of who I am."
Dylan Bell- Football
Dylan has been on the StFX Football team for 4 years. He plays free safety and is number 14.
What does getting your X-Ring mean to you?
"The X-Ring’s meaning to me is pretty simple. It symbolizes how X is about family. After losing a former teammate this past year, I found myself thinking about how much each and every teammate and friend I’ve met here means so much to me. No matter how far away I go from the people I’ve been blessed enough to meet here, they will always be family to me."
How did you balance school and football?
"I learned the hard way that you need to go to all classes and keep track of due dates. Other than just actually doing those things instead of blowing them off, the biggest trick that helped me was using the windows of time to study during the day."
What’s next for you and football?
"Next step for me is training for the CFL combine and doing everything I can over the next few months to have a chance at getting drafted this spring to the CFL. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll play football for my final year of eligibility before possibly going to Europe to play."
Katie Kirkham- StFX Cheerleading
Katie has been on the X cheer team for 4 years, once as an athlete and three as a coach. Prior to this, Katie has been a competitive cheerleader since the age of 8. An injury moved her from athlete to coach, but she continues to make and maintain strong friendships through cheerleading.
What does getting your X-Ring mean to you?
"My X-Ring represents hard work, determination, and patience! Throughout my university career, the course load has only gotten heavier, my circle of friends has been increasing, and my goals for X cheer have become larger than I anticipated they would ever become. My sister was diagnosed with a life threatening illness, my Dad passed away, and my eldest sister lost her baby early in pregnancy. I’ve had bouts of depression and anxiety. Getting the X ring means that I persevered through each and every challenge, academic or personal, and made it to the finish line! Not to mention it stands for academic excellence. The ring represents a high quality education, integrated with a rich social and professional culture that is recognizable worldwide."
How did you balance school with cheer?
"During my freshmen year as an athlete, balancing was challenging! Check lists were a must! Being able to know what’s done, what needs to be done, what time you need to be somewhere and planning ahead of time is truly the key to balancing sport with academics successfully. Moving into a coaching position only made things more hectic. During my first coaching season, I often felt overwhelmed. All it took was organization, time management and not being afraid to ask for help!"
What’s next for you and cheer?
"I am currently still coaching the team. This year I made some key changes to the program, such as team workouts, cheering at both football and men’s basketball games and having 2 separate teams (one for competing and one for performing at varsity athletic events). I plan to round out this year strong with stellar routines at our two competitions in the new year, and perfect varsity athletic performances. I will be returning to X for a fifth year of study, so I would love to continue having a hand in coaching the team and helping them improve!"
David Matthews- Men’s Rugby
David has been on the rugby team at StFX for 4 years. He is the current captain and 8-man of the team.
What does getting your X-Ring mean to you?
"It’s a big part of the reason why I came to StFX. Since I’ve started studying here, I’ve had numerous encounters with alumni all over Canada and made instant connections. I’m looking forward to having my own X Ring and become a part of such a big network."
How did you balance school with rugby?
"I lived with other academically-inclined Mac Dawgs and teammates, who I owe all my academic success to. They were all highly motivated students and we helped each other push through every midterm, paper and final season together."
What’s next for you and rugby?
"The plan as of now is to take Education at the University of Victoria, and give elite level rugby another shot by playing there. After that, I look forward to coaching rugby at the high school and age grade provincial level."
Nicole Halladay - Women's Hockey
Nicole has been playing hockey for 17 years. On the StFX women’s team, she is a right-handed defense player. After 4 years together, Nicole sees her fellow teammates as her sisters.
What does getting your X-Ring mean to you?
"Surprisingly when I first came to StFX I had no idea what the X-Ring was, but now it is all I think about. For me getting the X-Ring means I will have a way to show off my X pride everywhere I go. It’s a huge accomplishment to graduate from StFX and be a part of such an amazing Xaverian family. I can’t wait to wear my new bling!"
How did you balance school with hockey?
"There was a lot of trial and error involved. First year was definitely the biggest adjustment, but that is the same for most students. Over the four years it has become more routine to find ways to manage a heavy work load and a busy hockey schedule. It is crucial to plan ahead and to see when your hockey schedule will interfere the most with school and starting to prepare yourself for those times instead of getting behind. Having an open line of communication with your professors is also key. "
What is next for you and hockey?
"I don’t want to say that I am hanging up the skates because I know hockey will always be a part of my life, but my competitive career is definitely coming to a bitter sweet end. Next year I will most likely join a recreational women’s league to get on the ice from time to time and scratch that itch. Beyond that, I do want to coach a minor team eventually to give back to the game and stay involved with developing women’s hockey."
