There are very few duos in U SPORTS that have the same shared history as Queen's Gaels teammates Ally Smith and Amy Hagman.
From the moment they spotted each other at a Barrie Royals tryout in elementary school, the pair have been inseparable on and off the court.
Their journey has taken them from medalling at OFSAA with Orillia Secondary, going their separate ways for prep school, and finally reuniting at Queen’s in 2022. Now the duo will look to write their next chapter – leading the Gaels back to nationals.
OB.SESSD got the chance to chat with Ally & Amy about their journey together.
Here’s what they had to say.
Where it all began
For Smith, her first encounter with Amy is as clear as day. A familiar face would enter the gym, a former opponent turned teammate.
“I remember seeing her at the Barrie Royals tryouts in grade two or three, and looking at her in the gym, and I was like, ‘Who are you and why are you here?’” Smith said, laughing.
“I remember playing against her the year before and she was like, ‘I’ve moved to Orillia and I’m playing here,’ and the rest was history.”
For Hagman, the encounter is just as memorable.
“When I think of playing basketball growing up, I think of Ally. Like, I don’t really remember not playing with Ally. She just kind of looked at me like, ‘Why are you here?’ and I was like, ‘I’m actually new.’ said Amy, laughing”
Their initial meeting would start a lifelong partnership. The guard - forward duo would grow together throughout their elementary school days, eventually leading them to Orillia Secondary School.
OFSAA Run
In their second year of high school, the pair helped lead Orillia to a AAA OFSAA silver medal, an impressive achievement as the team was mostly composed of grade 10s.
The lessons learned from the memorable run have stayed with them to this day, continuing to influence how they navigate life at Queen’s.
“I think one thing we both learned is kind of a ‘never give up, never quit’ mentality,” Hagman said.
“We knew that our age was going to be really impactful, but we came together and we were like, 'we can't let this define us, and we can't let this hold us back from our goals.' And I think that just continued on with our team into university.”
Smith agreed, adding that the run proved how much daily preparation matters.
“We were a really young team and ranked as a lower seed going into the tournament, and then we ended up competing in the gold medal game. I feel like that can relate to us now and our current team.” said Smith.
“People will have predisposed opinions about a young team and having less experience and whatnot. I feel like if you stay connected and control what you can, for example, taking care of yourself, sleeping well, eating well, putting in the work in the weight room or investing time in your connections with your teammates. The rest will fall into place. Just controlling what you can.”
The amazing run and lessons learned opened the door for Hagman and Smith to attend prep schools. The duo would go their separate ways for Grade 11 and 12. Ally would leave behind Orillia and enroll at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School in Sudbury; while Amy would move to London and attend Southwest Academy out of Regina Mundi Catholic college.
Reunion at Queen’s
After a successful preparatory career, a mutual love for Queen’s would see the pair shortly reunited.
For Smith, the decision to commit to Queen’s came early in her Grade 12 year.
“I committed pretty early in my grade 12 year. I went on a visit in October and I absolutely fell in love with the program and the institution itself,” said Smith.
“I think when Amy committed, it was definitely really comforting. We weren't as close in grade 12 when we went to separate prep schools, but it just felt like having a very similar home feeling with Amy committing, like knowing that we both chose a great program with an amazing culture, it was comforting. So I was really excited when I found out that Amy committed there as well.”
For Hagman, she was glad to have a friend alongside her to help navigate the transition.
“Honestly, I just remember being so connected as the guard and forward duo and having so much fun playing with her growing up,” Hagman said.
“Going into a program with someone that I was so familiar with. Especially with the challenges of university, like moving away from home, being by yourself, and experiencing all of those changes. I was really happy to have a familiar face alongside me. Looking back, I don't know if I would have been able to manage all of the difficulties that come with transitioning as a university athlete and I was grateful to have Ally.”
Priming for Nationals
Since putting on the tricolour, the guard-forward duo has made back to back U SPORTS final 8 tournaments in their first two years. Their third season would see the roster riddled with injuries and struggle to maintain consistency.
Entering their fourth year, the roster is reloaded with key transfers, senior leaders, and young stars. The Gaels are primed for another run at nationals. But one of their primary obstacles will be avoiding the injury plague.
“I think, honestly, it's staying healthy. I think our team faced a plethora of injuries last year and got hit pretty hard in that sense. In hindsight, it's funny to reflect on it now, but there was a time where we were dropping like flies,” said Hagman, laughing.
“But if there is anything that the last year taught us, it’s that this group is incredibly resilient And so I think trying to make a U SPORTS final 8 run again this season, it's just continuing our drive, our dedication and our discipline and then staying healthy first and foremost.”
Smith emphasized the importance of focusing on what you can control.
“Yeah, getting to nationals is really hard. Coach Claire [Meadows] talks about how difficult it is after her many experiences in the final eight championship, and it takes a lot of work and there are a lot of uncontrollables,” said Smith.
“I think we're entering an era where we have a really, really great, deep team.We're experienced, but we're young and we're healthy. And I think, like Amy said, injuries are always uncontrollable. But if we're doing what we can control, taking care of ourselves, like coach Claire likes to say, if we want to do well, we have to be well. So making sure we're taking care of ourselves, our bodies, each other, putting in the work in our recovery, eating, sleeping, then the rest will fall into place.”
A Mutual Respect
Beyond their shared journey, the duo have a lot of respect for what each other brings to the table. OB.SESSED asked Smith and Hagman about parts of each other's game, on or off the court, that they admire the most.
“Well Amy does a lot of great things on and off the court.” said Smith, “She's a great shooter but my biggest thing would be in the weight room, and that really shows on court. She's one of the only people on our team that I've seen bench a plate so that's pretty awesome. She works really hard and it's really difficult to defend her in the paint. But yeah, Amy's always been a very strong, strong person. And I feel like when we're in the weight room together, she definitely pushes me. And on the court, it's a really big value for our team.”
For Hagman, she admired Ally for her toughness.
“I would say her mental toughness and defensive toughness. She’s a lockdown defender and a great teammate and friend. She’s someone you want on your team, not playing against.”
Looking Ahead
From a chance meeting at a Barrie Royals tryout to leading the Queen’s Gaels into their next chapter, Ally Smith and Amy Hagman’s journey has been special. What’s carried them through elementary school gyms to U SPORTS arenas is nothing but simple trust and a belief in each other.
Now entering their senior years at Queen’s, the guard-forward duo sets their goals on returning to nationals. With a deep roster and the lessons from the past with them, the Gaels are poised to make another run. And if history is any indicator, when Ally Smith and Amy Hagman are together, there’s little that can stand in their way.