For NAIT’s Jordan Teliske, one sport wasn’t enough. This fourth-year athlete is currently playing for both the NAIT Ooks men’s soccer and volleyball teams. This year Teliske has stood out as the starting centreback for the men’s soccer squad; achieving the ACAC All-Conference award as one of the best defenders in the conference. He’s also a strong outside hitter for the men’s volleyball team.
Teliske started playing soccer at nine and, by the age of 12, after seeing his older sister play, he began playing volleyball for his junior high team. Throughout his high school years, Teliske played for Vimy Ridge’s men’s soccer and volleyball teams, while also playing with his club volleyball team.
Athletics and academics
His athletic and academic abilities are rare, as he’s able to play two sports at an elite collegiate level, while still focusing on school; a very tough thing to manage. As a carpentry apprentice, Jordan is able to manage his time with the workload and with his practices and games in both sports. Aside from soccer and volleyball, Teliske enjoys working out and playing baseball when he has time.
“Volleyball is a very mental game, so sometimes it’s been a fight to stay focused after being physically drained from soccer,” said Teliske “but it helps keep things interesting and exciting.”
The multi-sport gene runs in his family, as his younger brother Ryan Teliske, a second-year business student at Concordia, also plays soccer and volleyball for the Thunder. The two play against each other in both sports in the ACAC league. But do they let their emotions affect their game? Not Jordan, at least.
‘Exciting’
“It’s different. You always want family to be successful and I want him to do well,” said Teliske, “but at the same time, it almost makes you want to play better to beat him. It’s exciting, to say the least.”
The battle of the Teliske brothers continued last weekend as the NAIT Ooks swept the Concordia Thunder to close out the first term with an 8-4 record. They meet again next semester on Feb. 12.
Jordan also mentioned that the best part of being able to play the two sports is that he enjoys having more teammates and making more friends. He finds that playing on two teams is a very special thing to be a part of. Jordan has already led the men’s soccer team to a bronze medal at the 2015 ACAC Conference Championships in Fort McMurray and is now is now working hard with his teammates on the men’s volleyball squad to perform at their conference championship, which NAIT hosts at the end of February. Jordan may not be NAIT’s first multi-sport athlete but his fans, teammates, family and coaches are very proud of his commitment to NAIT athletics and his education.
Catch Teliske in the new year at home court as the Grande Prairie Wolves visit on Jan. 8 and 9 to start the second half of the season.
Mia Simon
