Amou Madol, the third-year defender out of Regina, Saskatchewan, came to the Huskies this season after spending three years at the University of Regina playing both Soccer and competing in Track and Field. Madol played 767 minutes this season for the Dogs and will look to play a crucial role for Saskatchewan next season in their quest to make it back to the playoffs.
 
Huskie Athletics had a chance to sit down with Madol and discuss Black History Month.
 
Madol contributes the team atmosphere to being the reason she chose to pursue soccer. "Honestly, I like the team atmosphere having a close nit family almost. People you can rely on and it's not just an individual sport only you have contributed so you have a support system in that way, and you all have the same goal so you can kind of push each other in that way."
 
Madol didn't always know that soccer was going to be an option in university. "For me I didn't think I would be able to make it to this point and I started to play soccer to just get exercise honestly." It was as Madol started getting more into soccer that the coach at the UofR believed that she could make it at the next level. "I did have a coach coaching at the university in Regina, and he kind of opened me up to that idea and possibility. He really pushed me, believed in me, and told me how good I was and that's sometimes something you don't really realize."
 
In athletics Madol is no stranger to success in both soccer and track and field. Winning provincials in soccer and advancing to nationals in 2016, winning provincials in high jump as well as winning a Canada West Bronze medal in high jump while at the UofR in 2018-2019 as well as qualifying for U SPORTS in the event in both season with the Cougars.
 
Representation in soccer is something that was a challenge for Madol playing soccer growing up. "I think the main thing playing sports that I noticed is there isn't a lot of people that look like me. Definitely playing against other teams it was mostly white athletes in the sport so I think that comes with a challenge as well because if you don't see people that look like you can be tough. You kind of have an internal conflict because if there is not someone to look up to or that looks like you playing you sometimes don't believe why you are there."
 
When thinking of what younger generations could take from herself Madol only had one goal in mind. "I just want to inspire young athletes. I didn't really have that representation for myself so I hope I can be that person for those athletes. Whether it would be to play post-secondary soccer or track or whatever it may be even in school. I don't think black people should just limit themselves to sport, I want to see people excel on the academic side and in every aspect of life."
 
When thinking of areas Canada West, U SPORTS and Huskie Athletics can do to help support black athletes listening is the Key for Madol. "I think the main thing is listening to black athletes and their experience because we see the world in a greatly different way, so I think understanding where we are coming from as athletes and what we need as support is the main thing. Just being open to our ideas and listening to our ideas and ways that we can highlight the black people in our respective sports, and I think just reflecting not just listening but seeing how they can incorporate that into our sport and Canada West, U SPORTS, and Huskie Athletics."
 
When talking about the importance of Black History Month Madol believes it is a time to reflect but it should be something that shouldn't be minimized. "I don't really have anything specific, but I guess like just in Black History Month as a whole, just talking about the importance of it. I think it is an important time to be able to reflect, listen to the stories of black people and their experiences because of the trials, tribulations, and the struggles that we've gone through to get here as a whole. I think it's important for people to understand that and learn about that, because then you'll understand how we see the world and you can support us in better. I also think it's important not to just minimize black history into one month because it's something that we face every single day. We live this every day, and it's important that it is a starting point, and I think that you can open up conversations in your own life, but it's important to when you do open up those conversations, you're listening and really thinking about it to see how it applies into your life and checking your biases and not just to glamorize this month because it is our struggles and racism is still alive and well, and it's everywhere that we see it. So, I think it's important to recognize that and to understand and to just be a listening ear if you do want to learn and just being open to that."