The WCSA season is almost here, which also means school is almost here. For most of campus, that just means longer lines at the coffee shop. For Jayden Segstro, it means the calendar is about to get ridiculous again.
Jayden is heading into her fifth and final year with MRU softball. She’s also a nursing student, which, if you know anything about nursing programs, is not a thing you casually do on the side. Clinical shifts, care plans, exams, and somewhere in there…batting practice.
“I’ve noticed there aren’t many softball players in the U.S. [NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA] who are also nursing majors, because of how demanding the program is,” we mentioned to her. She’d noticed too. And it’s actually part of why she ended up staying home.
She Picked the Degree First
Softball almost wasn’t part of the plan at all. Nursing was.
“When I was deciding where to go, my priority was getting into the program I wanted, so I originally chose MRU for nursing,” she said. “Finding out I could also continue playing softball made the decision even better.”
There’s also a less romantic, more practical reason she stayed in Canada. “One of the biggest reasons I stayed in Canada was because nursing programs don’t transfer very well between the U.S. and Canadian universities,” she said. So, staying home wasn’t just sentimental; it was one of the only ways to keep both doors open.
“I knew it would be challenging, but I also knew I would regret not trying,” she said.
Year Two Was Tough
Ask her when it got hardest and she gives a very resolute “second year.” That was the year a required nursing class only ran Friday mornings. Which was exactly when the team bus left for road games. Add in the actual weight of clinicals, the prep beforehand, the write-ups after, studying for the next shift while still traveling for softball, and something had to give.
What got her through it was her coaches being willing to problem-solve with her instead of just telling her to pick one. They found a way to make it work, allowing her to travel with her parents to games on Friday nights.
“There were times when I felt exhausted and wondered if it would be easier to focus on just one. But every time softball season came around, I remembered how much I loved being part of the team. Playing gave me something to look forward to outside of school and reminded me that life couldn’t be all school all the time,” she admitted.
What Actually Gets Her Through It
Not some grand system. Bus rides, mostly. “On travel days, I would use as much of the bus ride as possible to study, work on assignments, or prepare for upcoming clinicals,” she said. But she’s just as quick to say the opposite matters too…putting the laptop away, talking with teammates, being present. “Some of my favourite memories from university softball happened on those bus trips.”
Her coach describes her as having this constant positivity that rubs off on everyone around her. Segstro traces it straight back to the hospital floor. “Nursing has shown me that people can be going through some of the hardest moments of their lives, yet still find reasons to smile or stay hopeful,” she said. “Softball is supposed to be something we enjoy, and I try to bring that mindset to the field every day.”
Two Sides of the Same Coin
She’s rotated through pediatrics, postpartum, labour and delivery, mental health, and right now she’s working gynecology oncology and surgery. Every placement, she says, is a reminder of why she picked this career in the first place. Getting to know patients as people, not just charts. Even for a short time.
When asked if nursing and softball feel like two totally separate lives, she said it’s the opposite.
“Nursing has helped me become a better communicator, stay calm under pressure, and work effectively as part of a team, and those same skills carry over onto the softball field,” she said. “At the same time, softball has taught me resilience and discipline, which are qualities that make me a better nurse.”
Advice From Someone Five Years Deep
If there’s a first-year version of Jayden out there right now trying to figure out how to do all of this, her advice isn’t complicated: “Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to do everything perfectly,” she said. “Stay organized, communicate early with your professors and coaches, and don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. People genuinely want to see you succeed, but they can only support you if you let them know what’s going on.”
And don’t feel guilty about the breaks. “Taking a break doesn’t mean you’re falling behind. It helps you recharge so you can come back feeling more focused and motivated.”
Jayden’s fifth season starts this week. Same juggling act as always, but for the last time. And for the next wave of athletes wondering if nursing and university softball can actually coexist — Jayden’s already proven that you don’t have to choose.
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