Testing athletic limits

Hope Manglal-lan is aiming high – both on and off the court. 

The second-year University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) Business student has travelled the world playing the sport with the Philippines’ women’s national basketball team, Gilas Pilipinas. She also was shooting guard for the Humber Hawks’ women’s basketball team during her first year at U of GH, having since retired from the team.

“Humber was the number one school that I wanted to play for,” Hope, who donned the number four on her Hawks jersey, recalled with a smile. Students at U of GH can join varsity sports teams through the Humber Hawks (Humber Polytechnic) or the Guelph Gryphons (University of Guelph) and aspiring to become a Hawk was a major reason she chose to apply to U of GH when she was a high school student.

Before joining Gilas Pilipinas or the Hawks, Hope, who hails from Mississauga, Ont., grew up casually playing a variety of sports like volleyball and competed in track and field, though she never stuck to just one sport – until she discovered her passion for basketball when she was in grade seven.

At the time, Hope met a girl a year older in the eighth grade, who shared a mutual admiration for basketball superstar Michael Jordan. She inspired Hope to join the school’s team. Since then, Hope has been a fierce enthusiast of the game.

But that all ground to a halt with the COVID-19 outbreak’s lockdowns and physical distancing restrictions, which left her feeling unengaged with basketball.

When restrictions eventually lifted, Hope tried out for her high school basketball team and made the cut. Around that time, she became involved with a group called Fil-Can Nation Select, which is an organization that uplifts young Filipino-Canadian athletes in basketball. Through Fil-Can Nation Select, people of Filipino heritage play sports tournaments globally, and that group is affiliated with the Gilas Pilipinas. 

With this connection, Hope tried out. That summer, she trained for two months in California with the goal of joining the team. Ultimately, she was accepted into the official roster at only 17 years old. 

"[Joining the team] was a really big calling and a very big blessing,” she said.

Playing on the Gilas Pilipinas under 18 team in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) league led this young athlete to a “very eventful” year. Hope had the opportunity to compete in the Philippines, and to play with the team in a tournament in Bengaluru, India. 

“It happened really fast. And I was very surprised because it was just out of the gate,” she gushed. 

When it came time to apply to post-secondary schools, Hope hit a crossroad: go to the U.S. or Philippines (which has “deep-rooted nostalgia” to her) to play basketball or apply to schools in Canada. She knew her choice to stay in Canada meant one thing: she had to play for the Humber Hawks; it was her number one team of choice.

“Everything that Humber [athletics] has to offer, I think that their morals and values really aligned with what I want to do,” the former Hawk said, noting that she adores the team’s school spirit and passionate culture that really “rubs off” on others. “I love the [Business] program here at GH. I love the environment. I'm more of like a home body, so I love how small and homey [Guelph-Humber] kind of feels,” she added about her choice to attend U of GH.

Hitting the court is a commitment and with that dedication comes juggling athletics with academics. Hope’s advice for student athletes is that when you love what you do, that passion propels you to work hard to stay on top of schoolwork. Also, it’s always ok to ask for help.

“Not only does Guelph-Humber offer a lot of resources, but the Athletic Centre at Humber [Polytechnic] also offers a lot of resources, and they recognize that students are struggling and they notice that there's a lot of pressure,” she stated. “I felt really comforted when there were a lot of people that actually cared about my academic success, along with my athletic success.”

As an athlete, Hope said she’s learned transferrable skills on the court that could be applied to her academics and future career. Playing basketball has allowed her to hone her communications skills and break out of her shyness. 

With her own unforgettable experiences, Hope wants students to know that they’ll never really know if they enjoy playing varsity sports unless they try, even if they’re afraid. 

“If you really invest in the community and the culture, it's a memory that just sticks with you for life,” she said. “Test yourself and your limits, and there's nothing really bad that can come out of an experience other than you learning.”

Interested in watching the Humber Hawk’s Women’s Basketball team play? Check out the full schedule here.