Getting to know Michael Marousek

BLG awards nominee Michael Marousek hasn’t taken the typical path to becoming a CIS athlete. Born and raised in the town of Jihlava, near Prague, Czech Republic, Michael came to Antigonish, NS as an exchange student in the fall of 2007, speaking very little English, joining the X-Men soccer team and the StFX university family. Tonight he will be honored as one of four finalists for the Doug Mitchell Trophy, presented to the CIS male athlete of the year at the prestigious BLG Awards Gala, as sponsored by the law firm of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP.

This year’s AUS nominee for the national award, Michael quickly excelled in all facets of life as a student-athlete upon attending StFX:  learning the English language, becoming a respectable student, leading the X-Men soccer team in scoring, and giving back to his community. In his four years at StFX, Michael has grown into a Dean’s List student in the Bachelor of Arts in Human Kinetics program, and is arguably one of the best athletes to ever wear the X-Men soccer jersey. This past season Michael broke the StFX all-time career goal scoring record and is now the school’s leader with 31 total goals. He currently sits 14th overall on the AUS all-time leading scoring list with one season of eligibility left to play.

The 2010 soccer season was not only a good one for Marousek, but one for the StFX record books. Led by CIS Coach of the Year Graham Kennedy, the X-Men were the only team in the country to go undefeated in the regular season with an 11-0-2 record. They tied for first in the CIS with only five goals allowed against, and led the AUS conference in points (36), goals scored (31), and shutouts (9). The X-Men were ranked No. 1 in the CIS for three consecutive weeks to close out the season, the first time ever in team history they were ranked top spot in the country. Their only loss came in heartbreaking fashion as they fell in a shootout in the AUS quarterfinals.

Michael Marousek was a huge part of the X-Men’s success this past season. Moving to the midfield position from striker where he had played the three previous years, he remained a major offensive threat on the field, as he was third overall in the AUS in both goals scored (8) and points (19), including a league-leading five game-winning goals. He was also amongst the top five in the country in total points scored. Michael’s efforts earned him the nod as the AUS Most Valuable Player and CIS 1st team All-Canadian accolades.

Over his career, Michael has been honored four consecutive seasons as an AUS all-star, he is the two-time consecutive StFX MVP and was the 2011 StFX Male Athlete of the Year. He became only the third X-Men soccer player in StFX history to be named Male Athlete of the Year and the first since current X-Women soccer head coach Trevor Reddick received the honor in 1994. The other former X-Men soccer alumnus to receive the award is current StFX University President Dr. Sean Riley in 1974.

As the BLG Awards Gala approaches this evening in Vancouver, Michael realizes the significance of being nominated for such a prestigious honor. “I feel honored to be acknowledged for my successes as a soccer player,” he says. “Being considered a candidate for the BLG award is a great reward for the hard work and I am incredibly thankful for this opportunity.”

X-Men soccer head coach Graham Kennedy is quick to offer his praise on his star, “In my opinion, Michael Marousek is the finest soccer player to have ever played at StFX,” says Kennedy. “His athleticism and technical competence are at the professional level. He became an all-around leader whose integrity, humility, and gratitude are known throughout campus and around the league. Michael is modest, unassuming and caring, and when he competes he makes everyone around him better. It almost frightens me to think about our team without him, such are the levels of his contribution. Michael is that rare player who can win you a game with an individual piece of skill that few can perform.”

Growing up in the Czech Republic as an only child, Michael was born into athleticism. His father was a former hockey player who participated in the top junior division in the Czech Republic, and his mother was a high school track and field star. His parents support motivated him to stay active and eventually become an athlete. Michael was dedicated to sport since he was very young, participating in soccer, basketball, volleyball, beach volleyball, and track and field throughout elementary and high school. A soccer player at the ripe age of four years old, he was coached by his father until he was 15, and he continued on playing competitive soccer.

He participated on Czech junior national teams and attended training camps prior to his university career, and he played semi-professionally in Prague in the highest level junior league in his country. Michael’s number one supporter and mentor in life has been his father, who dedicated all his free time to making him the best possible individual he could be.

In the off-season, Michael’s interests include more sports. He enjoys adrenaline sports, fishing and beach volleyball. He also likes watching sports and outdoor-related shows and movies, and is a big lover of Chinese cuisine. His academic minor while studying at StFX is art history, and he therefore enjoys visiting art institutions all over the world. Michael has travelled to almost every country in Europe, to a number of U.S. states and to several provinces in Canada.

While at StFX, what little spare time he has left between his busy academic and varsity soccer schedule is spent giving back to the community. Michael has done volunteer work with the StFX Fit 4 Life tots program with local children under the age of five. He has donated his time at the Tim Horton’s Cupful a Cure fundraising event, and at the annual X Athletes for Charity event, a multi-sport event which raises funds for local charities. He is one of the X-Men soccer representatives on the Student-Athlete Advisory Council and he has been a soccer instructor at several summer camps in Nova Scotia, along with the Premier Blue Soccer Academy.  

Michael’s impact on the StFX community has not gone unnoticed by his teammates. When Paul Oppenheim joined the X-Men program, Michael was one of the first people to reach out to him. “From my arrival at StFX, Michael embraced me as a friend instantly and eased my transition; that is the way Michael is.”

“He is so kind and generous with his time and the attention he gives you, that one instantly can recognize him as an outstanding person,” continues Oppenheim. “When I first got on the pitch with Michael it became quite obvious to me that I had the privilege to be playing with a special talent. Through my time playing with Mike, I hold no reservations saying that he is by far and away the best soccer player I have ever played with. His speed, power and game intelligence is remarkable. What makes Mike so special is also how humble he is. He is always quick to praise others around him, whilst diverting the spotlight away from himself. He was the centerpiece of our team, he is a man opponents’ fear and teammates love.”

“He leads by example, treats everyone with respect, and would do anything to help a teammate out. Michael will be a lifelong friend of mine no matter where life takes me. I am truly blessed to know him.”

The worthy sentiments are echoed by X-Men teammate Josh Weinberger, “Mike is certainly a deserving recipient of the BLG Award. He is without question the finest player I have ever had the opportunity to play with. With routine ease, Mike executes the kind of brilliant soccer moments which are usually reserved for professionals. Furthermore, Mike is a phenomenal teammate and great close friend. He has assumed an increasingly important and respected leadership role on our team.”

Michael will be playing soccer this summer in Victoria, BC with the Victoria Highlanders in the USL Premier Development League, alongside a pair of X-Men teammates in A.J. Gray and Jamar Dixon. He will be back at StFX this fall to play one more season with the X-Men. His long term goal is to become a professional player in Major League Soccer.

The BLG Awards Gala is scheduled for 6:30 pm Pacific tonight at the Centre in Vancouver For Performing Arts. Joining Michael as finalists for the prestigious national award are McGill hockey player Alexandre Picard-Hooper, Carleton basketball player Tyson Hinz, and Calgary volleyball player Graham Vigrass. The winner will receive a $10,000 post-graduate scholarship to a Canadian institution, while all nominees receive a commemorative gold ring.

The BLG Awards are based on athletic accomplishments, outstanding sportsmanship and leadership. Each of the 51 CIS schools selects one female and one male athlete of the year. From these nominees, one female and one male athlete are chosen within each of the four regional associations: Atlantic University Sport (AUS), Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ), Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA). To be eligible, a student-athlete must have competed in a CIS sport for a minimum of two years and cannot be a previous recipient of a BLG Award.
This year’s BLG Awards ceremony will premiere on TSN on Saturday, June 4th at noon Eastern.

Story courtesy Krista McKenna, StFX Sports Information