Nashim rediscovers volleyball passion

By Lethbridge Herald on March 3, 2025.

Kodiaks ATHletics photo Ethan Nashim celebrates with his teammates during a game.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks men’s volleyball player Ethan Nashim only played one season with the club but it was chance to resurrect his passion for volleyball before closing out his collegiate career.

Nashim previously played at Northwestern Polytechnic from 2017-2020, where he experienced strong coaching and players but could never put success together.

 He attended MacEwan University for the 2021-2022 season where the volleyball team only played Alberta university teams every weekend  due to COVID and often faced tough teams and struggled with results.

“When I finished at MacEwan, just mentally I was not prepared to go back and play again,” said Nashim.

“I still had a year left and I just decided not to use it and I decided to start working. I thought I was gonna start moving on with life and Greg (Kodiak men’s volleyball head coach Gibos) gave me the opportunity and at first I kinda just brushed it off.”

Then it was after speaking with his parents and friends that he decided to give it another shot.

“It’s like why not?,” said Nashim.

“I’m still young, (I) might as well try it out and honestly that decision was the best I could have made. It helped me figure so much stuff out in my life.”

Nashim said the boys were very accepting.

“I’m an older guy and that never influenced anything,” said Nashim.

“It’s a brotherhood here, we’re almost family, we do everything together.”

Nashim said It’s just a great culture here in Lethbridge. “It’s been an absolute blast,” he said. 

trust and confidence is what Nashim gained more of over the season since coming to the Kodiaks.

“I came in here and right off the bat I had to prove myself,” said Nashim.

“After a couple weeks, my teammates, my coaches, they trust me with the role that I had and it allowed me to be like I said confident in myself.”

Nashim said it’s been awesome, when asked about representing the Kodiaks.

“To play for a coach like Greg, it’s been an honour,” said Nashim.

“He’s such a respected person in the community, the Kodiak name is so respected in the community … You see the value this school has. Every time I put on that jersey, I’m not playing for myself, I’m playing for that team and I represent that team.”

Gibos says maturity is created for the program when you have a player like Nashim.

“We couldn’t ask (for) more of what Ethan’s done since he’s been here,” said Gibos.

“He’s taken every ounce of feedback, every roll we’ve given him fully in stride and I think he’s really changed a lot of what it means to be a Kodiak and we’re thrilled that he chose to come here for his last year.”

The Kodiaks won a silver medal at the ACAC championship a couple of weeks ago.