Behind the motivational mindset of Cree and Ojibwe athlete Dallas Soonias

Connected North Impact Series blog prepared by Jennifer Corriero

Former pro volleyball player Dallas Soonias is introduced to students by teachers as one of Canada’s top male players of all time. His career took him around the world, playing in countries from South Korea, Italy, Poland, Spain, Turkey, UAE, Puerto Rico to Qatar. As a First Nations athlete, he asks the students he speaks to during Connected North sessions to think about how they define success and shares his own definition as he reflects on his career milestones.

In a recent survey with teachers who book sessions with Connected North, an educator shared “Students like developing rapport with people other than their school teachers. It gives them different perspectives which is very important for their essential skills and confidence building.”

Dallas takes an approach that is relatable, friendly, funny and humble with a willingness to respond to curious questions. He stands by the door in the room he is in to show his height of 6”8 and when asked how high he can jump, he mentions that for 6 minutes, he broke the record in Canada having jumped 12 feet before someone else on his team took his place.

“Having the possibility to get experts in different areas has been great support for me in the classroom. The sessions I booked were very engaging and the students were looking forward to our Connected North sessions.” Teacher Survey Response

Dallas allows himself to be vulnerable, sharing stories of a time that he cried on the bus home after the game and how he had to recover from painful moments and injuries and trauma. He reflects on his role models and how he draws inspiration from family members including his parents and grandparents. He speaks about the power of the love that he has for his wife and his son, and his commitment to helping to inspire upcoming generations. Most importantly, he emphasizes how much he has learned about what success means for him throughout his career.

Our team at Connected North is incredibly grateful to have role models such as Dallas take the time to provide motivational talks to classrooms involved in the program.

He shares “I know the session is going well if I can see a high school kid giggle…if someone couldn’t hold a giggle in anymore, a session is going ok.”

Participating teachers are grateful. “I love how the presenters shared their personal stories of overcoming difficulties, challenges, and hardships to succeed. Their words inspired and motivated the students. Likewise, sharing the significance of physical exercises and sports to one’s mental health and emotional health and well-being surely engaged everyone in the session.”

To learn more about Dallas, you can watch his Fireside Chat.