Wolves Spotlight: Sophie Deveaux

How did you get started in lacrosse?

I started lacrosse when I was 6, so I’ve been playing for about 15 years. I don’t really remember why I started playing but if I had to guess, it was probably because my brother played it, so I wanted to play too. 

How has being a part of the Wolves Lacrosse community influenced your lacrosse journey?

The Wolves allowed me to play boy's lacrosse before there were female teams. I was the only girl on my team when I started to play, so it's great to see how much girl's lacrosse has grown in our province, especially within our community.

How have you enjoyed your experience at your university, both as an athlete and student?

This year has been so much fun as a student and a varsity athlete. Being part of a championship team has been a blast! As a student, I've had to learn to balance my schoolwork and lacrosse. It's challenging, but I'm learning to manage my time better and do my best in both areas. 

I'll be honest, though— I would have described it as a complete disaster if you had asked me this during my first year. I broke my foot my first week, then needed surgery to fix it, and had to relearn how to walk and run again, all in the span of my first year at university. Outside of my injury, the worst pain by far was when one of my best friends passed away during my first semester. It really put things into perspective— the pain was awful and so much worse to go through in comparison to my injury. 

My recovery took longer than expected, so I spent another year sitting on the sidelines, but this time with many more hours of physiotherapy. Despite the setbacks, with lots of physio and hard work over those two years, I finally played my first season this fall. The start of my years here at Western was rough, but I’m now in my third year and can genuinely say I am having a great time and love to be here!

Leaving home for school while having an opportunity to play a varsity sport has been great, but the best part is the friends I've made, especially my teammates. They were a big part of my recovery process alongside my coaches and trainers, and I probably would have quit if it hadn't been for them. Looking back, I'm thankful I didn't give up when I was struggling because I wouldn't be an OUA champion today alongside 25 of my best friends if I had.

Can you share a memorable game or moment from your lacrosse career? Is there a particular highlight or achievement that stands out to you?

It’s hard not to say winning the OUA championships against Queens on their home turf last month for this one. But outside of that, I would say beating Alberta at Nationals in Halifax in 2017. It was the first and only time at nationals that team Nova Scotia beat Alberta on the female side, so it was pretty incredible to be a part of that team and that win. 

Advice for young players: What advice would you give to young lacrosse players aspiring to play at the University level?

There’s no question you have to work hard at your sport to play at the university level. But I think too many athletes get caught up in letting their performance in their sport define who they are, so I would emphasize the importance of not stressing about the things you can’t control. You’re more than your injuries, the number of minutes you played or the goals you scored — those are things out of your control. Focus on what you can control, like how you treat others, your work ethic, attitude, and being a supportive teammate.