Basketball (W) 2/1/2021 1:00:00 PM Emile Riga

Hoops with honours: Mikaela Dodig and her nationwide excellence

When Mikaela Dodig was a U17 Team Ontario basketball point guard and a senior at Bill Crothers Secondary School in Markham, her post-secondary school of choice came down to two options: Ryerson University or the University of New Brunswick (UNB).

"I really wanted to come to Ryerson," Dodig said, "but they didn't have a Kinesiology program and that was the deal-breaker for me."

Dodig, a Bolton, Ont. native, remembers watching Ryerson earn a U SPORTS silver medal during her first year at UNB, a championship her school hosted that year.

"I was there watching saying, 'agh they're so good, I wish I could play!'" she said before laughing.

That is not to say that Dodig's time at UNB was anything short of remarkable both on and off the court.

After a strong rookie season despite playing limited minutes, the next three years saw Dodig become UNB's floor general and program cornerstone. In the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons she led the Reds in points, assists, steals, and minutes per game, which saw her earn the Team MVP award and AUS All-Star selections for both seasons.

Dodig's academic success and community involvement have also earned her a multitude of awards, including four straight U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian honours, a U SPORTS Sylvia Sweeney Award (Outstanding Student-Athlete) nomination, and the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) 2019-20 Community Service Award.

The award Dodig is most proud of, however, is the 2020 UNB Garnet Copeland Award for Top All-Round Student-Athlete. "It was really neat because it touches on all the different aspects of who I am as a student-athlete.

"I don't want to just be a basketball player, I want to be more than that," she added on the topic of her numerous awards.

Dodig is currently enrolled in Ryerson's Ted Rogers School of Management pursuing a Master's of Science in Management. An element that inspired her to pursue a Master's in Management was her establishment and involvement in the UNB Women in Sport Conference.

As a fourth year Kinesiology student, Dodig founded and became co-chair of the conference, but COVID-19 got in the way of an inaugural event last March. "We worked really hard to put something together that never happened," she said in good spirits.

Despite having graduated from UNB, Dodig is still working with the conference's club and board to try and organize a virtual event this semester. After all, this conference represents a topic she feels passionate about, now more than ever.

"I think it's a great place to be in with the women's game now progressing and the talk around media, sponsorships, investments, and even participation being brought up. I wanted to raise those topics, engage girls to participate, and to educate themselves in that area," Dodig explained.

Much of Dodig's current work and research with Ryerson surrounds gender equity in sport, working alongside her supervisor and Ryerson Assistant Professor Dr. Katie Lebel. Dodig is also currently a Teaching Assistant in one of Lebel's courses at Ryerson.

With a one and a half year program that she is looking to stretch for two academic years, Dodig plans on returning as a Ram next year to play out her long-awaited first and final year for a program she already feels connected to.

"It made for an easier transition since I already knew Carly and some of the girls," Dodig said. The AUS All-Star played under Rams head coach Carly Clarke during her time with Team Canada at the U18 FIBA Americas Championships in 2016.

"Carly actually told me on my visit to Ryerson in 2016 that I was invited to Team Canada's tryouts, so that was exciting also knowing that she was going to be my coach," Dodig recalls.

Dodig has also played with current Rams Emma Fraser and Bronwyn Williams at the club level with the North Toronto Huskies, Marin Scotten at the Team Ontario level, former Ram Hayley Robertson, and fellow transfer Tiya Misir at the high school level.

Whilst Dodig's addition to the reigning OUA silver medalists raises great expectations for next season, her focus on academics is something she'll always have as a student-athlete. She actually credits her all-around success to the game of basketball.

"Having to work really hard to develop in basketball taught me a lot about discipline and hard work," Dodig said. "[That] definitely helps with school and transfers onto life as well."

For more academic profiles on our student-athletes, stay tuned to ryersonrams.ca

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Players Mentioned

#4 Marin Scotten: G; 5' 11"; 3

#10 Bronwyn Williams: F; 6' 2"; 4

#24 Hayley Robertson: G; 5' 8"; 5

#25 Emma Fraser: F; 6' 2"; 4

#21 Mikaela Dodig: G; 5' 5"; Redshirt

#23 Tiya Misir: G; 5' 3"; Redshirt

Players Mentioned

#4 Marin Scotten
: 5' 11"; 3
: G

#10 Bronwyn Williams
: 6' 2"; 4
: F

#24 Hayley Robertson
: 5' 8"; 5
: G

#25 Emma Fraser
: 6' 2"; 4
: F

#21 Mikaela Dodig
: 5' 5"; Redshirt
: G

#23 Tiya Misir
: 5' 3"; Redshirt
: G