Rohan Barlow was the heart and soul of the Ballenas Whalers senior high school football team last season.
Despite being plagued by injuries in his senior year and playing with a Whalers team that had a short bench, Barlow didn't lose confidence. He showed resiliency, determination and character in leading the Whalers both defensively and offensively in BC Secondary Schools Football Association play.
The 18-year-old's leadership on and off the field has been lauded by his coaches at Ballenas, along with his versatility on the field.
Barlow was the kind of player the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds were looking for and he committed to play for the T-Birds this coming school year. It's an honour, Barlow said, that he truly appreciates. He plans to take full advantage of the opportunity.
"I am excited to be going to UBC," said Barlow. "I feel good about it but I know there's still a lot of work to be done. I am not satisfied yet. I want to improve on everything. I want to be bigger, faster, stronger and smarter by the end of next year. I will get there."
One of the Whalers coaches and president of the Ballenas Whalers Football Society, Dan Smith, a member of UBC Thunderbirds and BC Football Hall of Fame, watched Barlow's progress in football and considered him to be a shining example for others to follow.
"They're pretty excited about him," said Smith, who talked to the UBC coaches about Barlow. "They love his athleticism and will be using him on defence. My opinion in coaching Rohan, he was the heart and soul of our team. His emotion and passion was visceral. Every practice he really led by his efforts. And to have a player like him who's got that talent but worked that hard to get better, he was a real pleasure to coach."
Barlow was the Whalers' Most Valuable Player last season. He was also named outstanding linebacker, outstanding receiver and was presented the Ragnar Award, an honour which embodies the heart and spirit of being a Whaler, which is “finishing strong and together." He was also named to the 2023 BC All-Star Team.
Head coach Scott Childs said when he presented Barlow with all his honours and accolades at the Whalers awards dinner earlier this year, that he will assume any role he is asked to play in.
“Playing seven different positions over the course of the season, Rohan set the tempo for us every game whether it be a bone crunching hit, or catching a pass over defenders, he kept us in the game and our success on the field would have been greatly limited without him,” said Childs. “When looking at an MVP player, we always ask the question ‘would our team be the same without him?’ And for this year, without question, our team would have been different.”
Barlow's journey in football started when his best friend Cole Reid convinced him to join the Oceanside Lions Community Football Club. He was in Grade 6 at that time and was also involved in other sports like soccer, volleyball and track. Once he started learning how to play football, he was hooked. He continued when he entered high school at Ballenas Secondary, where he honed and sharpened more his skills and also developed a close relationship with his coaches and teammates.
"Football became my number one sport, hardcore," said Barlow. "I believe, all of my time with the Lions was instrumental in helping me. I got to learn more about what football is all about. It's not all about winning. I made a lot of friends there. Then I joined the Ballenas Whalers football and being a part of that family have especially given me some of the best memories of my time in high school."
Barlow is still uncertain what he wants to pursue scholastically. For now, he has enrolled in the Forestry and Natural Resources program. He left for UBC over the weekend to attend the Thunberbirds football camp.
Knowing he will be joined by former Whalers teammate Carter Brett, who was recruited by UBC two seasons ago, and other football friends, Barlow said it's going to make his transition to university football much smoother.
