EDMONTON, Alta. - For the past two seasons Toni Burse has backstopped the NAIT Ooks women's soccer team. In the 2020-2021 season, Burse will be a member of the NAIT Ooks women's basketball team. 

Due to COVID-19, the ACAC has postponed the 2020-2021 soccer season to the spring. NAIT has opted out of participation this season and will instead compete in futsal. The Ooks will be without their star goalkeeper who backstopped them to back-to-back ACAC Championships while leading the league in both wins and goals against. Due to recent injuries, Burse has elected to suit up for the women's basketball team this year. 

"I've started listening to my body a bit more. Futsal, being played on the gym floor, is a lot harder on my body than a grass field. It was a tough decision because I love soccer, but it was the right choice for me," said Burse. "I would have loved to play both and be a dual-sport student-athlete, but with COVID-19, we can only train with one cohort."

Toni was a three-sport athlete in her time at Archbishop O'Leary Catholic High School. She competed in soccer, track & field, and basketball. On the track team, she ran the 4x100 relay and competed in the triple jump, discus, and shot put, where she broke a provincial record. Burse didn't begin playing basketball until grade nine. 

"I began playing basketball in grade nine because I had a goal of winning athlete of the year. To do that, you need to compete in three sports," said Burse. "I tried out for the slo-pitch team, which didn't go well. I made the wrestling team and the basketball team, but the two seasons conflicted, so I chose basketball. It was also a way to keep my endurance up between soccer seasons."

Burse made the right choice as she won MVP of the junior women's basketball team in grade eleven, and rookie of the year for the senior team in grade twelve. She also accomplished her goal of winning athlete of the year in her senior year of high school. 

NAIT women's basketball head coach Todd Warnick explains how the whole situation came to be, "We lost a few recruits late due to the unknowns surrounding COVID, so I was looking to fill one or two spots with experienced post-secondary student-athletes."

"I reached out to Carole Holt, the former women's soccer coach, and she mentioned Toni, which then reminded me that I had watched her play at O'Leary when I was recruiting."

Toni was skeptical at first, expecting to be very far behind the rest of the girls, "It's been good, my teammates have been super supportive. Todd has also been super helpful, taking the time to help me out, and reassuring me that I'm not as far behind as I think." 

Warnick is optimistic about his recruit, "She's been good. Obviously she hasn't played competitive basketball in a few years, so she has a little catching up to do. The one positive to COVID allowing us to only train during the first semester is that she has plenty of time to get up to speed. Her athleticism gives her a huge head start."