The list of ailments is long.
Mononucleosis.
Scabies.
Severe right ankle sprain.
Scabies. Again.
Left ankle sprain.
The list pretty much sums up what Jordan Foot's rookie 2013-14 season was like as a middle blocker for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack volleyball squad.
Yet, there he was, the former standout from D.P. Todd secondary, still smiling as a guest coach at the WolfPack's camp held in late August in conjunction with the Prince George Youth Volleyball Club.
"It was definitely a challenging first year," said the six-foot-six athlete who's double majoring in business and computer science. "It was probably the most unlucky year possible that could happen to someone. It was frustrating.
"I'm looking forward to a great pre-season and hopefully I have no more [injuries] in my system."
A year ago as Foot took to the court for practice in Kamloops as the WolfPack prepared to compete in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport Canada West conference, everything was fine.
He liked his teammates, including three others from Prince George - senior setter Colin Carson, senior libero Spencer Reed and junior middle blocker Nic Balazs - and the competitive dynamic of the group.
In the pre-season, he was a starter in the WolfPack's lineup, getting a lot of playing time. He even collected 14 points against the University of Guelph in a pre-season tournament.
"It showed I could compete and excel here at the CIS West level," he said. "It proved training in the north and what the coaches put in was worth it."
Right around October, just as the exhibition season was winding down and the regular season dawned, the first on the list of maladies struck: "a really bad case of mononucleosis."
Foot was on the disabled list. Out four weeks. Doctor's orders.
"It motivated me more," he said.
No sooner had he recovered from mono, in November he came down with scabies, a contagious skin disease that causes severe itching.
Foot was bed-ridden for a week. Doctor's orders.
Finally back in the WolfPack's fold, he rolled his right ankle during practice, right before an exhibition road trip to the University of Hawaii.
WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly told Foot he was going to start. Instead he found himself on the disabled list for eight weeks. Doctor's orders.
He did everything he could to get better and strengthen up.
Physiotherapy. Exercise. Ankle braces. Tape.
He was fully recovered when he returned to TRU after the Christmas break.
Then he suffered another case of scabies and was out for 10 days at the end of January. Doctor's orders.
And the injuries weren't over yet.
During the CIS West bronze-medal match against Brandon University in February, he sprained his left ankle in front of his family and friends. The WolfPack won the bronze medal with him on the sidelines.
Through it all, the ups and downs, he watched videos of TRU's matches, he immersed himself in what he could do to make himself better.
He rehabbed again and was good enough to compete for Team B.C. at the National Training Centre Challenge Cup in Gatineau, Que., in July. B.C. finished third behind Ontario and Alberta.
He played well enough to be selected as one of six all-stars but was not named to the national junior squad.
"It was great that I could go four weeks without any injuries," he said. "I excelled pretty well playing against the top guys in the country."
Foot and the WolfPack have resumed their preparations for the 2014-15 season. Their pre-season begins Sept. 17 with a slate of games against UBC, Trinity Western, the University of Victoria and Vancouver Island University.
They open the regular season on the road Oct. 10 at TWU in Langley.
"It's a battle every practice - it's two hours of war [every day] and I'm determined things will get better and I'll get a starting spot," said Foot. "The dynamic of every person on the team is that we're pushing each other to do well. We're hungry to improve."
But he knows he couldn't have gotten where he is today without the support he received growing up in Prince George. That includes the joint WolfPack and TRU camps.
"It's one of the biggest camps Prince George really holds for volleyball," he said. "It's great seeing Prince George club teams placing at provincials and seeing guys on Team B.C."
His advice to up-and-coming youngsters?
"Listen to your coaches and give everything you've got."
