‘I have been around CBU my whole life’ Mitchell Mersereau grows up to be CAPER men’s basketball standout 

'I have been around CBU my whole life'

Mitchell Mersereau grows up to be CAPER men's basketball standout 

By Corey LeBlanc  

It wouldn't be surprising if Mitchell Mersereau wore orange diapers when he was a baby, considering his deep connection with Cape Breton University (CBU). 

Son of long-time and highly-regarded CBU staff members – Helen and Walter – the Sydney native has gone from the youngster looking up to CAPER student-athletes at basketball camps to the one sharing his passion and knowledge of the game with others as a veteran captain with the men's varsity program. 

"I have been around CBU my whole life," the smooth shooting 6'5" forward said. 

As for how he made his way to the hardwood, Mitchell – like many other kinds from the area – played a variety of sports. 

"Surprisingly, the only sport that I didn't try was hockey, which is kind of funny, being a Cape Breton boy," he said, with a laugh. 

When it comes to basketball, Mitchell remembered, "I just genuinely liked it." 

He explained, "I wasn't the most confident kid, so I wasn't really comfortable in a lot of sporting situations. But, with basketball, and working with a team, it was kind of something that allowed me to get comfortable and I thrived in it." 

Mitchell steadily improved while playing minor basketball before making the roster at Riverview Rural High School. 

"I think one major keystone of my career was playing for Team Nova Scotia on the U17 team in 2019," he said, of when he started believing that he could compete at a high level. 

Mitchell recalled he and some of his friends decided, almost on whim, to attend tryouts. 

"I did quite well. When I made the team, I started to realize that maybe I am not just a good local kid; maybe I am actually good at this sport… so I decided to put even more effort in because I might have a future in it," he said. 

That exposure at a high level also put him on the radar of university programs, including CBU head coach Matt Skinn. 

"It was a very easy decision for me," Mitchell said of committing to donning CAPER orange. 

Remembering how much he looked up to CBU players growing up, he describing becoming one as a "bit of a surreal moment." 

His first year at CBU coincided with the "peak of the [COVID-19] pandemic," so the CAPERS only practiced with the cancellation of the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) regular season. 

"I was grateful for my first year, it was very much a learning process," Mitchell remembered, noting that the transition from high school to university – in every aspect, including basketball – is "more significant that a lot of people think." 

He credited veteran CAPERS – such as Osman 'Ozzy' Omar and Paul Watson – for helping him learn how to be "an actual CAPER." 

More than hoops 

As passionate as he is about it, Mitchell is keenly aware that there is much more to having a fulfilling CAPER experience than playing basketball. 

"You have this amazing opportunity – not only to play for the CAPERS, but also to get a quality education from CBU," the Bachelor of Science student said. 

He added, "People [at CBU] are always willing to help … they just want you to see you succeed. I think, as a CBU athlete, it is so easy to do well because we have a university that supports us so much." 

Mitchell noted that academics have always been "very important in my life." 

He said of his mother, a senior instructor in CBU's health sciences department, "She is one of the smartest people that I know, and she is always driving me to work towards that [strong academic performance]." 

Mitchell reflected further on what being a student-athlete means to him. 

"The 'student' part really comes into play after you are done being an athlete, so you have to do the work during your time as an athlete so that you are successful after the fact. All of us – all of the athletes at CBU – are quite attuned to the fact that we have to work towards becoming a successful athlete; to be a successful athlete, you have to be a successful student," he explained. 

Mitchell added, "You are a student of the game and you have to learn some things. I think the academic side is sometimes overlooked, but I think it is integral not only to your internal discipline, but also your success as well." 

In the classroom, he practices what he preaches. Mitchell maintains a very high average, while garnering Academic All-Canadian and CBU Dean's List status for three consecutive years. He was also in the running for CBU's President's Award the past 2 years, competing with student-athletes at the university who earned very high averages over the academic year. 

When it comes to his career aspiration, he said, "Physiotherapy has been my academic dream for a very long time," while describing how it combines his interests, such as athletics and biology. 

Mitchell added, "It has always been something that I have been working towards. Ever since high school, I have known that's what I wanted to do." 

So zealous about the field, he partners with CBU "to provide a pathway" for students, like him, who are interested in physiotherapy. 

"I am almost there," Mitchell offered, with a laugh, noting that he will start applying to schools that offer physiotherapy studies in the coming months. 

He added, "And, I am very excited about that." 

Giving back 

Mitchell not only excels in academics and athletics, but also in the community. 

"I understand the impact that we, as CBU athletes, have on the youth," he said. 

Mitchell added, "I didn't really realize that [until] I was that player that is now in those shoes of the athletes that I looked up to 10, 12 years ago. It is interesting to see myself in a position where I have the same influence that those athletes and coaches have had on me." 

As soon as he became a CAPER, he noted he realized the influence he could have on others. 

"I knew what they [we] did for kids on the Island," Mitchell said of the men's basketball program. 

He was recognized for his commitment to giving back earlier this year, when he garnered the 2024 AUS Student-Athlete Community Service Award for men's basketball.  

"It was a huge honour," he said. 

Mitchell has served as manager of CBU's Youth in Motion Program for the past two years. It welcomes elementary school students to campus to take part in physical activity skills, drills and games that are aimed at encouraging fundamental movement skills in youth. 

He is also the lead student coach at all CAPER basketball camps and Monday night basketball schools. 

As well, Mitchell was a key contributor to the establishment of the Basketball Cape Breton's (BCB's) wheelchair basketball program. This year, he also staged a promotional event that not only brought the sport to the CBU campus, but also helped establish it as a BCB mainstay. 

At Coxheath Elementary School, he started an afterschool program for at-risk young boys. The 10 participants in the mentorship program participated in behaviour exercises, sports and other weekly activities. 

"I want to do as much as I can," Mitchell said of having an "amazing opportunity" to give back.  

As for how he juggles so many commitments, he described time management as a "learned skill." 

"Honestly, it is just putting your head down. As athletes, it is easy to work hard at something you like. Luckily, for me, I like school and I like basketball, so it is easy for me to work hard. And, if you work hard, everything kind of falls into place.  

"I think all athletes understand that – it is a direct relationship between how much work that you put in, to how much success that you are going to get on the other side," Mitchell added. 

'Close-knit community' 

When asked to wear the hat of CBU recruiter, he said, "Obviously, I have a bit of a bias towards CBU but, honestly, it is such a close-knit community and institution that it doesn't even feel like a school." 

He shared some of the message that he delivers to prospective CAPERS when they make their campus visits, including that CBU is "not like any other school." 

"It is a little bit different. The teachers here, the support staff, the coaches – they all want you to succeed," Mersereau reiterated.  

 "I know that every school probably says that, but, truly, they want you to succeed. They know who you are. Everybody knows that you are a CBU athlete and they all want to see you have success; not only on the court, but also in the classroom." 

He added, if you are focussed on the court and in the classroom, "It is so easy to thrive in a situation like this because, if you are struggling, there are multiple people to help out. If you succeed, there will be multiple people to help you.  

"There is so much support within the institution and within this community that it is, honestly, amazing. Not even just in the university itself; me and some my teammates will be out getting groceries and we will get stopped by little kids [and] families, mothers and daughters, congratulating us for having a great game. 

"Everybody knows who you are and they all love what you are doing, and truly support you." 

The headband 

No conversation with the consummate student-athlete would be complete without touching on an addition he made to his game-day wardrobe this season – a headband. 

Describing it as a "recent development," Mitchell noted that he has had the "same haircut my entire life." 

"Last year, all of sudden, I said let's change it up a little bit, I will grow my hair out," he added. 

Although pleased with his choice, there was a drawback; as it grew longer, his hair kept falling into his eyes after taking a jump shot. 

"I was completely against it. I said, 'I can't do that – I will look foolish,'" Mitchell remembered of the suggestion from some teammates to don the fashionable headwear. 

One or two headbands later, he said, "It is now kind of my thing." 

During home games at Sullivan Fieldhouse this season, he was not alone. 

"If anybody came to CBU games and watched the intro, you always see me pointing to a guy in the crowd. It's actually my dad – he is wearing a headband; he finds it silly that I wear one. If you ever see a guy in the CBU stands wearing a headband – and he doesn't look like he should be wearing one – it is probably my dad," he laughed. 

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