Heart of the Axe: Nick Pilichos

I was late into the sport of football.

I played tons of sports growing up, but football was not initially one of them.

However, in Grade 11, I was fortunate enough to find my passion and love for football.

I guess you could say that I found my calling later in life, but that is the beauty of sports.

At that time, I never would have imagined that I would be in the position I am in today, a fourth-year offensive lineman and team captain at Acadia University.

Choosing to play football and come to Acadia have been the best decisions of my life.

Throughout my high school career, I was blessed to have some great coaches, mentors, and teammates that helped me become a better football player.

These individuals also pushed me to test my skills at the national level, where I was able to start for Team Nova Scotia at the 2018 Canada Cup in Calgary, Alberta.

It was during this time, competing against the best players my age in the country, that I realized I wanted to play football at the next level.

The recruiting process was intense, and I was in contact with several schools, however, I made the right decision in choosing Acadia.

I chose Acadia for several reasons.

First and foremost, I wanted to play football here and contribute to the rich history of the program.

Coach (Jeff) Cummins and the alumni whose shoulders I stand on, have done an excellent job of making Acadia a winning program, and I wanted to be a part of that.

I also chose Acadia because of the highly esteemed kinesiology program.

Education has always been important to me, and I wanted to go to a school that could help set me up for life after football.

Lastly, it was nice that Acadia was close to home, as I grew up just 45-minutes down the road from Wolfville.

It was a no-brainer to come here, and this is a decision that I’ll never regret.

The Beginning

The transition from high school to university was a culture shock, athletically and academically.

Football-wise, I was extremely undersized at my position, so it took a while for me to add some muscle and strength to my body to compete at this level.

Academically, being a full-time student was an adjustment as well. I had to learn the art of time management to support both my academic and athletic endeavours. However, having the support and guidance of my teammates, coaches, and professors, to become a better student and athlete, made all the difference.

I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done.

I also cannot thank my family enough for always being in my corner, I would not be where I am today without their love and support. I can honestly say that I have had the best time of my life at Acadia the past six years.

My teammates have become brothers, my professors have become mentors, and my classmates have become colleagues.

I have been able to experience so many great memories around football with my teammates. My favourite memories with them are winning the AUS championship my first year (2019), staying in Wolfville over the summers to train with them, living with an assortment of them off campus, and all the daily banter in the locker-room, weight room, library, and meal hall.

This season has been a special one for me. A great memory so far this year is beating StFX in week three to snap our losing drought against them over several years and to get a big win on the road to start this season. I am grateful for every moment, but I am hungry for more.

Axemen pride has no equal!

Balancing academics and athletics

One of the biggest challenges of being a student-athlete is finding that balance between your academics and athletics.

There are going to be times when you have papers due and exams to study for, but you still have to put in the work in the weight room and on the field.

It’s not easy, but I’ve been able to find a routine and stick to it, and it’s helped me be successful.

I think one of the things that people don’t realize is how much discipline it takes to be a student-athlete.

You have to be disciplined in your workouts, your diet, your sleep, and your study habits, and that discipline has helped me in all aspects of my life.

Coach Cummins always says that the pain of discipline hurts much less than the pain of regret, and I’ve tried to carry that with me throughout my time here.

There are going to be times when you don’t want to get up early to go to the gym, but I promise you that you’ll feel a lot worse if you don’t do it.

I’ve been able to accomplish so much in my time here, and I think a lot of that has to do with my discipline and work ethic.

The Future

I am currently taking my Masters of Applied Kinesiology in the Applied Research Stream under Dr. Jonathon Fowles, and I plan to graduate next year. I am also one of the lead strength and conditioning coaches for Acadia Athletics where I oversee the sports performance for the men’s hockey team, women’s rugby team, and men’s and women’s swim teams.

I plan to continue working in the sports performance field once I graduate, whether that is the university, professional, or institutional setting.

I am also trying to pursue a career in football if the opportunity presents itself once I am finished at Acadia. However, for the time being, my focus is helping my team win as many games as possible, doing the best job in the job I have with my athletes, and focusing on my research.

I am living the dream, and I could not be happier with the direction my life is heading.

Heart of the Axe is a weekly feature from the perspective of Axemen and Axewomen student-athletes. It dives deeper into why they decided to attend Acadia, what drives them athletically, how they got started in their sport, the impact Acadia has had on them during their time in Wolfville and much more.