Outstanding contributions off the field and a remarkable third-year season in net have earned Nicholas Reitsma the Canada West men's soccer Student-Athlete Community Service award for the 2019-20 season.

To win the student-athlete community service award from the conference—one of three major awards in men's soccer for student-athletes—a student must have outstanding achievements in three areas: soccer, academics and community involvement.

Photo Credit: UBCONicholas Reitsma

Reitsma's standout season as the Heat goalkeeper started with his durability. The Human Kinetics major started all 16 matches for UBCO and he was on the field for every minute of every game.

That effort helped him share  the conference lead in minutes played with 1,440. He also led the conference in save percentage at .791 and his six shutouts were good for third in Canada West. Those six clean sheets represent the second-highest single-season total in UBCO history, and his six wins and 68 saves this year are both new single-season school records.

In the classroom, Reitsma has also excelled—earning Academic All-Canadian status in 2018-19 and he is well on his way to repeating that feat this season.

Fiery and in charge as UBCO a keeper , Reitsma likes to talk to his backline the entire match in an effort to communicate what he sees from the far end of the pitch.

 It's that gift of communication, that helps Reitsma finds his passion while helping in the community.

A strong believer in spreading the word on mental health issues, the Aberdeen Hall graduate has taken it upon himself to spread his own message about his mental health struggles with the goal of providing support for those in a similar position.

Photo Credit: UBCONicholas Reitsma

To spread the word, Reitsma has spoken at local schools, been a featured speaker at Heat varsity games, and has been asked numerous times to speak at fundraising dinners and events. One video during the campaign has achieved more than 40,000 views on social media.

The Heat coaching staff could not be more proud of their keeper.

"We as a staff are very happy that Nich [Nicholas Reitsma] has been recognized for his work in the community while balancing being an AAC and a varsity athlete," said Reitsma's head coach Dante Zanatta. "We are not sure how he finds the time for all that he does, but we are extremely proud that he is a member of our program. We applaud that he is active and making a difference during his time away from school and the pitch."

Along with sharing his mental health message, Reitsma has also volunteered at Kelowna General Hospital in multiple roles, including operating a mobile library cart. And he continues to help spread his love of soccer with local youth teams, working with kids ranging in age from 8-18 with Kelowna United and the Central Okanagan Soccer Association.

This is just the second major Canada West award earned by a UBCO student-athlete. Last spring Jordan Korol won the Sylvia Sweeney Award as the student-athlete community service in women's basketball, the only other major conference award.