I always imagined myself competing in sport at a high level – but it took me awhile to figure out that I was fit to take my talents south of the border. My name is Hayley Manners and I’m a division 1 track and field athlete at the University of Central Florida, and this is my story about my experience as a Canadian Division 1 athlete.
I grew up in the suburbs of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. I’ve always been so proud to be from such a culturally diverse and exciting city. Growing up, I was always the sporty girl who was racing the boys during recess and playing on every single sports team during school. I was raised by my parents who were both athletes in high school and college and have always been very supportive of my athletic endeavors. They put me in every sport you can think of from gymnastics to soccer, to basketball, to dance, and more. My first love was artistic gymnastics, where I competed competitively for around 6 years. When I decided to retire from the sport after growing to about 5’10, I found a love for a new sport in track and field. It’s funny to reflect on how my best gymnastics event later turned into the event that would take me to a division 1 athletic program.
During my junior year of high school was when I truly started taking track and field seriously. I found a coach who saw my potential, and he helped me develop my skills in the long jump. After the first year of dedicating time to this new sport, I finished my first season as a provincial runner up in Ontario and as the Canadian under 18 national champion. It was from this point that I knew I was capable of reaching the next level. I started getting messages from coaches at Canadian universities asking me to go on visits and emailing coaches in the United States. I ended up committing to the only U.S. school I visited – Central Michigan University. As one of the only athletes from my high school graduating class to pursue division 1 athletics, I was super excited about this new opportunity.
I spent 4 wonderful years in Mount Pleasant, Michigan as a Chippewa. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. When I look back on my experience, I remember having minor “culture shock,” at first the way people did things and how they spoke south of the border. Some of the main differences I remember was the slang – the word “y’all” made its way into my vocabulary very quickly. I recall my body having to adapt to the food in America – although Canada is The USA’s next-door neighbor, our regulations with food are very different, and so adjusting to a new diet was a shock for me as well. Other random things like people calling me out for saying “washroom,” instead of “bathroom,” was always funny to me, and joking to people about how in Canada everyone drinks maple syrup for breakfast and rides a moose to school (some people actually believed me!)
In 2021, when the regulations regarding NIL changed, I was so excited to learn more about it. I’ve always had a bubbly, outgoing, personality and have loved to share my experiences with others. However, once I understood that international college athletes would be excluded from participating in NIL, I was a little discouraged. I felt as though this was a huge step for college athletes, but a large number of us (international athletes) would have to watch from the sidelines. I decided that there must be a way around it and grew more and more passionate about learning how I could be part of the change to help international college athletes become eligible to participate in NIL activities. During my internship this past summer with Navigate, I wrote an article that was published by the company about this topic, and it’s something I’m super proud of! I’ve also learned that there are ways to build your brand and create a name for yourself outside of signing huge NIL deals. It’s been a rewarding experience and I hope to inspire others to do the same.
Now that I’m into year six of living in the U.S. and reaching the end of my journey as a student, it’s becoming more important to think about my future. Something that I feel like is not talked about enough is international college athletes after graduation and our unique experience. For our fellow, domestic athletes, they can go home and start the rest of their lives with no issues. However, as an international college athlete, there’s a big decision to make on whether or not you plan to go back to your home country – foregoing everything you’ve built over the last 4,5, or sometimes 6 years, or attempt to get a new visa to be able to stay. It’s a very tough decision, often one that results in going home due to the extremely difficult process of obtaining a permanent visa here in the United States. As I navigate this journey myself, I hope to shed more light on this process for athletes to come!
If I could give any advice to international college athletes who are here in the U.S., or thinking of coming here for school, I’d say to never forget where you came from, soak up every opportunity you can while you’re here, and set a good foundation for yourself post-grad. I’ve spent more time in the U.S. at this point than in Canada in the last 6 years, but I’ll always remember to connect with those who helped get me here. I would suggest doing the same to other international athletes, as one day that may be the best option for you to return to. Next, take full advantage of everything that the college athlete experience has to offer. Every student discount, all of the free stuff, the networking events, etc. You truly never understand how valuable something is until you’ve done it, or you’d wish you had tried it. And lastly, try to choose a degree program that will help you get a job after graduation. It will likely make life much easier if you’re in a field where jobs are in high demand, and could potentially help you stay in the U.S. longer, if that’s what you desire.
