Matt Dionne | Sports and Health Editor
Featured image: Ghoneim has played well enough that she looks poised to defend her title as CIS female athlete of the year. | Courtesy of York Lions
Excalbur’s featured athlete for September is Nour Ghoneim, a fifth-year psychology major from Aurora, Ontario.
Ghoneim, who is in her fifth and final year of athletic eligibility, has led the York Lions women’s soccer team as they remain undefeated this season after their first 10 games. The Lions are currently 8-0-3 on the season, and Ghoneim is leading the Ontario University Athletics in goals with 12, points with 14, and game-winning goals with 3.
Excalibur: When did you first start playing soccer?
Ghoneim: I was put into competitive soccer when I was 12, which is considered “late,” but I would always play around with my dad before then. He was actually the reason I started playing because I knew I had his full attention when I was playing soccer, compared to the rest of the time when I had to share him with my four older siblings.
E: Did you ever play anything besides soccer?
G: I played everything when I was younger, including volleyball, basketball and squash, and I swam. Basketball and soccer were the two that got very serious. However, the two training schedules eventually started to really conflict each other so I had to make a decision. Although I was a better basketball player at the time, I chose soccer because I loved it more, and so did my dad.
E: When did you decide you wanted to play at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport, or CIS, level?
G: Playing in the CIS was never my plan. It was always to play in the NCAA. I was offered a full-ride scholarship to [the University of] Memphis in my last year of high school, but the summer before leaving I decided I needed to stay closer to home due to a family illness. I then decided to play for York because my club’s assistant coach, Paul DeAbreu, was also the assistant coach at York and he ended up luring me in, which I am thankful for.
E: What was the rookie initiation process like for you?
G: The traditional rookie initiation involved the vets choosing a rookie and dressing them up in something completely ridiculous. They were allowed to do absolutely anything and everything to your appearance, from hair-spraying your hair to throwing paint on your body—the options were endless. Then the rookies were sent out on this treasure hunt all around campus looking for a list of specific things. My vets were known to be the biggest “bitches” on the team—they were not at all—and they both chose me as their rookie. Of course I was expecting to look like a disaster, but I didn’t stop them from anything. They ended [up] making me look super-cute. I was the best-dressed, best-looking rookie to have ever gone through York’s women’s soccer initiation—they took it very easy on me to say the least.
E: Did you struggle fitting in with the team during your first year?
G: It was hard for me to fit in at the beginning, but not because of the other players. It was more so because of me. CIS and York were never in my soccer career plan, so I felt like I didn’t belong and things didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to. I was very angry and disappointed all the time because of that, but with help from tremendous support at York they helped me change my perspective. I was able to open myself up to where I am in the moment and be the best I can be in the present moment instead of holding on to past expectations, and that’s where things took off for me. I will forever be grateful to you, Bart Zemanek.
E: What is your training schedule like?
G: If games fall [on] Saturday and Sunday then we practice Tuesday to Friday. If the games are scattered during the week then we will most likely train Tuesday to Thursday and one day on the weekend.
E: Does Coach Isacco have you guys on a strict diet?
G: Our coach doesn’t forbid us from doing anything, because he knows that we’re grown women who know what we should be doing and eating to be at our best. Those who don’t eat well usually don’t play. He doesn’t hold our hand like that. Of course, during training and [the] season in general I stay away from the typical fatty junk foods and eat foods about the preparation of which I know. I typically eat very, very clean, or at least try to do so. My biggest weaknesses are nachos or homemade peanut butter—yes I know PB is healthy but excessive amounts are not and that’s where I fall. It’s not so hard to stay away from stuff that doesn’t benefit you when you want to succeed bad enough.
E: What does a typical week look like for you?
G: We train Tuesday to Friday when games fall on the weekends. When they don’t it’s usually Tuesday to Thursday plus a weekend day. I also like to do my own workouts Tuesday to Thursday in the mornings to have enough recovery time during the day before practice. I have class Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the fall. I also coach a U-13 team and help out with another team the same age, but at the Ontario Player Development Level. Their schedule is Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6-9 p.m., and game days are Saturdays.
E: Do you have any pre-game rituals?
G: My pregame ritual game consists of me waking up and writing in the group chat: “IT’S GAME DAY. IT’S MOTHERFUCKING GAME DAY.” Then I get out of bed and I MUST shower. Then pack my stuff, get a coffee on the way to the game and finish it by the time I hit the parking lot. Then I get into the change room and proceed to act completely obnoxious to get everyone going and excited.
E: Do you plan on playing after you graduate?
G: Yes, I absolutely plan on playing after York. I plan on going off to Europe—Germany—to play and experience what it’s like over there. Just so I can say that I have touched base on every aspect that soccer has to offer and to get it all out of my system.
