Rowdy Rustler Roundup - Trent Bloch-Hansen

Sport:  Men’s Basketball

What year(s) did you compete for Lakeland -   2007 - 2012

How did playing for the Rustlers help you get to where you are today

Playing for the Rustlers helped me achieve countless goals on and off the court.  I learned to persevere through difficult scenarios and to communicate effectively as a leader and teammate.  These skills must have caught someone’s attention as I am currently employed by Lakeland today and have been working here for 6 years now!  I can honestly say Lakeland College is a great place to compete at the post-secondary level, earn an education, and even start a career.

Where are you working right now and what are you doing? 

I am currently working full-time for Lakeland College in the Facilities Department.  I also contract for the Music Department as the Guitar Instructor! 

Are you still involved with basketball now?  Coaching/ playing etc.

I do still like to keep involved with the Rustlers teams indirectly.  Occasionally I will even suit up for practice and help both the basketball and volleyball programs out on the court and in the community.  In my spare time I took up refereeing basketball and have had the opportunity to officiate some ACAC games

What was your favorite moment at Lakeland as a student-athlete?

My favorite moment, hands-down, was meeting my girlfriend Des! She played for the volleyball team at the time and earned a CCAA National Silver Medal when Lakeland hosted volleyball nationals.  We have been together ever since. We now both live and work in Lloydminster and are expecting a set of twins right away!

Are you still close with any former teammates?

Living in Lloydminster, I still see many previous student-athletes out and about and always make time to see what they are up to now.  A few years ago, my rock band Artificial Lift was on tour in Western Canada and we stopped in Winnipeg to play a few shows.  I called up a few of my former basketball teammates that were living there to see if anyone would be interested in checking it out.  We showed up at the gig, and there were 3 of my former teammates Colin LaPlante, Xavier Smith and Mike Smalley taking up a table to watch our performance. They stayed for the entire show and we even shared a beverage after the gig.

If you could give a couple of words of advice to our current Rustlers what would it be?

Take some time to get to know the people around you, both on campus and in the community.  Lloydminster is a small community with a big heart. Once you introduce yourself and get to know the people around here, they will come out and support you at your games.  Many athletes from abroad have even stayed here in Lloydminster to live and work after getting their diplomas or degrees. This is in thanks to the connections they made along the way.   Oh yeah... and don't forget to thank your coaches/instructors!! They are always going to bat for you and will have your backs when the going gets rough.