Boots to Scrubs, This Caper’s Next Steps

When searching for his ideal university, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Science, Nursing graduate, Hugh Parslow, based his hunt on a checklist. Originally from Dartmouth, Hugh set out to find his second home based on three criteria; the school needed a strong soccer program; a reputable nursing program and a location far enough from home to enjoy a new experience. 

“I really knew this was the place for me when the coaches took my family and me out to dinner to see if CBU would be a good fit,” says Hugh. He’s been a Caper ever since.

During his time at CBU, Hugh says the school’s relatively small size allowed him to connect with professors and their lessons on a deeper level, which helped him gain opportunities as a research assistant. Hugh praises the athletics department for the quality of players they recruit, but says what sets CBU apart from other athletics programs is the high set expectations of the players and coaches. “We knew the quality we had, but we also knew that hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard enough,” says Hugh. “For every training session and game, we had both the coaching staff and the players hold each other accountable to our expectations and push each other to get better.”

Hugh says he found student-athlete life difficult at times, but always manageable thanks to professors being very accommodating to his schedule. “They were happy to go over things we missed or help figure out ways for us to catch up,” he says. Hugh was named Academic All-Canadian twice with the Capers, meaning in both 2020 and 2021 he achieved an average of 80 or above. Hugh gives credit to his teammates for having the largest impact on his student success, saying “they were always there to give me advice and push me to get better”. 

Injuries were definitely the biggest challenge Hugh experienced during his career with the Capers. Recovering from two sports hernias limited Hugh’s time to 5 minutes for the entire AUS season. Luckily, he chose his time wisely and played in the 2021 U-Sports men’s soccer bronze medal game, winning player of the match for his efforts.

While playing for the Capers, Hugh was a part of a historic 5-year AUS championship run. Looking back on his Caper career, Hugh says winning the U-Sports men’s soccer national championship in 2017 is his most memorable CBU moment. He says it was a feeling like no other winning nationals, and that his teammates really became like family throughout his time as a Caper. 

Hugh also shows gratitude to every fan that has come out to CBU games. “In soccer,” he explains. “The fans are the 12th man on the pitch; thank you for coming out and showing your support, it goes a long way.”

Looking forward, though he is not ready to hang up his boots quite yet, Hugh is now focused on being a nurse and working in the field of mental health. During his time with CBU, Hugh became a national champion, national silver medallist, 2-time national bronze medallist and a 5-time AUS champion. We can’t wait to see what he accomplishes next!