by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Carey-Leigh Vyse knew who she competed for at an international elite level. She also knows how to empower others to aspire to be great.
Carey-Leigh Vyse, 27, is from the Cayuga Nation and Deer Clan. Her Indian name is à e yò and translates to ‘She’s arrived’. Carey-Leigh was born and raised on the Six Nations Reservation, Ohsweken, ON. She currently lives with her family and coaches at Six Nations.
“I earned a Gold medal at North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in 2008,” said Carey-Leigh.
“I played on the Junior Women’s National Team in 2011, at the age of 17, and we traveled to South Africa for the World Championships placing 5th,” said Carey-Leigh. “At the age of 18, I made Team Canada in 2012 where I played in my first World Championships held in Whitehorse, Yukon, and we placed 4th best in the world.”
“I’ve played with Team Canada in three World Championship years where we competed in Whitehorse, Yukon (4th place), Netherlands, Amsterdam (4th place) and Surrey, British Columbia (bronze medal),” said Carey-Leigh.
“I’ve played on the Senior Women’s National Team from 2012 to 2017, while taking 2013 off to have my first daughter), playing a total of five years with the Senior Women’s National Team and one year with the Junior National Team Canada,” said Carey-Leigh. “I played and started in all games at Syracuse University playing third base. Set a record as a rookie to start and play in all season games. Hit 12 homeruns in my rookie year, and the first person to hit a homerun in the Carrier Dome.”
“I’ve been inducted into the Hall of Fame for Ontario PWSA (Provincial Women’s Softball Association) for the Brantford Bobcats club team I had played for when I was growing up,” said Carey-Leigh. “We were the first team to win both provincials and Canadian Championships in three different age categories in 2006, 2008 and 2011.”
“While attending the Canadian Championships before playing the final games, they announced the All-Star winners for the round robin,” said Carey-Leigh. “I won the all-star short-stop award for the years 2006, 2008, and 2011. The criteria for the award included the highest batting average and no errors and lowest infield errors.”
“I was recognized with DreamCatcher Charitable Sports and Recreation Award at the Dreamcatcher Gala 2016,” said Carey-Leigh. “I was also honored with the Recognition of Excellence by the Six Nations Council.”
“For the past 3 years, I have coached my daughter’s team with two years of t-ball and one year of Tyke,” said Carey-Leigh. “While my main focus is my daughter’s team, I make sure to make time to help and assist practices for various leveled teams on Six Nations when their coaches ask me if I can help whenever I can.”
“I play for our Shogwaiyodisoh (Creator),” said Carey-Leigh. “He made us special, unique and one of a kind. There’s no one else in the world like you and that is very special. He gave us all gifts. When I play for our Creator it reminds me to always have a good mind towards every aspect in my life, whether it would be practices, games, conditioning, school, work, being a mother or wife, etc.”
“Having the right attitude and keeping a good mind,” said Carey-Leigh. “Never giving up and never start something and not finish it I was always told by my elders. Believing in yourself and the Creator would never put anything on you that you couldn’t handle.”
“We face challenges everyday,” said Carey-Leigh. “If one way doesn’t work, find another. When going after what you want in life, you need to have that fire with no excuses. Being Indigenous, we as people, are faced with different challenges alone than other athletes. Beating all of the odds and coming out on top was what made me making the Jr. and Sr. Women’s National Teams even more empowering because I worked so hard and I knew that I deserved to be there and I beat all of the obstacles in my way.”
“Being a part of a sport, taught me not only specific skills but it also taught me life lessons that I put towards my everyday life,” said Carey-Leigh. “I used my hard work ethic, teamwork and dedication towards my schooling and I was able to graduate from university with Bachelor’s of Science and Bachelor’s of Education degrees and provide a secure future for me and my family today. Being on the National Team was always a dream come true, but to me, as I got older, it became far more important than just fun. Opening doors for our people, getting them motivated, etc… are also important.”
“I have these quotes written on posted notes on my mirror:
Take everyday as an opportunity to get better!
I can only fail, if I stop trying and that is never going to happen!
Each and every person should move to the beat of their drum, and not somebody else’s, because not everyone has the same path in life.
Don’t look at the whole staircase, just take that first step,” said Carey-Leigh.
“They say it takes a whole community to raise a child,” said Carey-Leigh. “I was and still am positively influenced by my community, I strive to make my community proud. All throughout my softball career, my community was very supportive. In my speech given at the ‘Dreamcatcher Gala’, I stated, ‘When one native strives, we all strive.’ As Indigenous athletes we need support. There is no one person who helped me achieve my dreams it was a community of people. First and foremost, my parents, Shelley and David Thomas, my husband, my daughters, my friends and family, my coaches on Six Nations while growing up, my coaches when I played my years with the Brantford Bobcats, my Syracuse University coaches, my Jr. and Sr. National team coaches, the coaches on Six Nations who would allow me to practice with their teams, etc…”
“There is no easy way or a manual to achieve your dreams. I thought I had it all figured out when I first made the Sr. Team but then life throws curve balls and when life throws curve balls, you can either handle them two ways, you can either let them beat you or you can use it as motivation to get where you want to be. I had a series of doors close but with a good mind and dedicated heart, I found ways to work harder to get what I wanted and it was the most rewarding feeling ever when I made my comeback after having my daughter. I remember telling head coach Mark Smith, that I would be back next year and he said, ‘We’ll see,’ and those two words resonated with me that whole time until I could make my debut at try outs and was successful!” added Carey-Leigh.
Carey-Leigh provides words of wisdom that help guide her along her journey. “I encourage you to go out and chase your dreams,” said Carey-Leigh. “Overcome all of those battles, prove someone wrong, learn from your mistakes, get knocked down but get up twice as fast. Thank those who have helped you along the way! Living in a community, as special as this one, anything is possible. I am proud! Now let’s go make our dreams come true because I believe in you! Anything you do or find, leave it in a better place. Leave the game, dug out, that uniform or school in a better place than the way you found it. I play because I love the sport, positive role model for our future youth and next generations to come.”
“I retired after my 2017 season with Team Canada after the Qualifiers in Puerto Rico,” said Carey-Leigh. “The reasoning for retiring is because of family. I currently live on Six Nations where my husband, Danny Vyse, and I, are raising our family of four now. Our daughter Lyla-Shae is seven years old and our newest baby girl, Lahnee-Leigh, is six months old. I am an Elementary School teacher on our reserve, teaching at Jamieson Elementary.”
“I’ve made it a goal to keep playing softball on our Six Nations reserve,” said Carey-Leigh. “I also have goals to keep playing in the All-Ontario Native Championships and the Native Canadian Championships. To keep in ball shape during this pandemic, I make sure to stretch in the mornings and evenings. My family and I practice yoga in the living room to demonstrate healthy practices to our daughters and I go on runs with the jogging stroller with my littlest. I play catch and practice hitting on a tee with a net with my oldest daughter, teaching her what I know, and passing on my knowledge.”
“I play for all those little girls who have the same dream as I did when I was their age but most importantly: I play for little girls who call me mommy (kno:ha),” said Carey-Leigh. “They motivate me, and my community motivates me. Go out and find what motivates you!”
Photo Credit: Dirk Steffen
