Author: Andrew Maggio

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Sports

The Concordian looks at why athletes should and shouldn’t be heroes

-Why athletes should be heroes

Andrew Maggio

There are people who believe that athletes are paid too much money, that they are spoiled, arrogant and undeserving of the good life that most professionals are able to afford.

It’s probably true that athletes who simply play sports, even if it’s at the highest level, don’t deserve millions of dollars simply to entertain. Why not use that money to pay surgeons, doctors, firefighters, police officers, and teachers?

For one thing, that money belongs to whatever wealthy businessman or businesswoman who owns any particular team any particular athlete might be playing for. They pay whatever they need to pay because they want the best people, the best athletes, the best teams. That is their prerogative. If you think that doctors and first responders and the like deserve to have seven-figure salaries (and believe me, I do), then complain to their employers: the government.

I say all this because the common misconception is that athletes cannot be heroes because they don’t necessarily do anything for anyone while actually carrying out their job. The job description does not call for an athlete to save a life or put out a fire.

However, it is also not in their job description to visit sick children in hospitals. It is not in their job description to donate millions of dollars from their massive salaries to help a worthy cause. It is not in their job description to allow a sick child into their world for a few hours and allow them to live out their own dreams, the way pro athletes do every day of their playing careers.

I could write a 10-page essay on acts of heroism from athletes, but I will stick close to home; literally and figuratively.

Saku Koivu was, and still is, my favourite hockey player. I am almost 22-years-old now, but I would probably still be as awestruck around him today as I was when I first met him when I was eight-years-old.

He smiled and said, “Yes, we will.”I first met him at a Little Caesars pizza chain he used to co-own in the West Island. We chatted and took pictures. It was like talking to an older brother, (and remember, older brothers are often idolized by their younger siblings). I asked him if the Canadiens would be good this year.

That’s all I needed to hear. A hero was born.

Koivu was diagnosed with cancer a few weeks later. I was crushed. But his will to live, his resolve, and his courage, not only carried him through that battle, but also spurred on his teammates to a playoff berth. Not only has he inspired millions simply by beating the cursed disease, he has helped raise millions of dollars for Montreal hospitals, enough for the Montreal General to purchase the city’s first Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanner, a vital piece of equipment for patient’s fighting cancer.

No one told him to do it. No one paid him to do it. It was an act of selflessness — that’s what heroes do. They think of others before they think of themselves. He’s but one of the countless athletes who have done things like this for their communities.

All of this, however, is subjective. No one should tell a child who can and can’t be their hero. Kids can idolize musicians,

actors, writers, etc. Everyone relates to whatever interests them. Some of us have a deep-rooted passion for sports. We look up to the people we aspire to become, or are inspired by. It is only natural. Someone’s parent might have the most menial of jobs. They are not famous. They receive no fanfare, no glory. They do their job and they go home, but at home there might be a child there who idolizes them.

Anyone can be a hero.

 

Why athletes should not be heroes

Sometimes, at least to fans, they seem bigger than life. Whether it was Sidney Crosby scoring the golden goal, Usain Bolt living up to his name, or Michael Jordan reinventing the game, sometimes athletes affect more than just the scoreboard. They motivate people and can lift a nation, but should they be seen as heroes?-Tim Lazier

No. Now before you stop reading and turn the page, let me explain.

There is nothing wrong with young athletes dreaming of making the big leagues, but that doesn’t mean that they’re entitled to hero-status. Some athletes have clearly forgotten that. More and more often, some hero-like athletes have fallen from grace to remind us that they should not be praised and admired, but punished and disgraced.

Baseball is known as summer’s pastime, a sacred sport that brings people together. But in reality, their record books are becoming more tainted with frauds and phonies. Players like Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire inspired a generation to swing faster and hit harder, only to let the sports world down by injecting themselves with steroids. Cheaters, not heroes. The New York Yankees are the most successful franchise in the major leagues, but when Alex Rodriguez dragged the pinstripes down in his recent steroid scandal, even his own club wouldn’t stand beside him.

If there is anything that steroids has taught athletes it’s that, if caught, your downfall will be long and painful. Heroes are supposed to inspire, not disappoint. Right?

Easily the most obvious example of a fallen “hero” is Lance Armstrong. As a person, his organization has helped countless people battle cancer and he has been a beacon of hope. Beyond a doubt, what he has done off the bike is heroic. But as an athlete, he is just another disappointment who used drugs to get ahead.

Oscar Pistorius was the star of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He was the double-amputee sprinter who embodied adversity and was South Africa’s fondest athlete. Yes, a hero. But after February 13, 2013, the world would have a very different view of Pistorius. That morning, he allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp, after he claimed he mistook her for an intruder. A day later, the chosen-one would be formally charged with murder.

Yes, athletes are great at what they do, and no, not all of them are cheaters or murderers. But, they can be seen as super-natural athletes that are to be admired and applauded. Exciting, but not heroic. If you love sports, save that praise for your old man who works 40 hours a week, only to get up at 7 a.m. on Saturday morning to take you to practice. Save that praise for your grandpa, who taught you how to hold a seven-iron. Save that praise for your older brother, who still invites you to play road hockey with his friends. Save that praise for someone who does what they do, without being given a penny. Save that praise for someone who won’t let you down.

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Patrick Boivin: a year in review

The recreation and athletics director still adjusting in his new role

When Patrick Boivin was hired as Concordia University’s Recreation and Athletics director, he knew he was undertaking a major endeavour in rebuilding the school’s athletic department. A lack of success on the field and the lack of facilities and resources off of it have resulted in a sort of “lull” in the school’s storied sports history. Boivin has used his first year on the job to assess all his teams and administrative structures. While only a few major changes have been implemented, Boivin has begun to slowly put his mark on the Stingers brand.

“I think it’s gone well,” said Boivin. “I think coming into any new job we are expected to make changes, there needs to be a period of inputting and there needs to be a period of taking-in not just what’s going on in general, but taking-in what’s good here, since not everything needs to be changed. I think overall things have been good so far, it’s not like I’ve been able to effect any real change so far on the field or on the ice – when I came in everything was done, recruiting was done – but luckily enough we’ve been able to start making some changes in football, where I saw an opportunity to make a change while keeping it in the long term perspective.”

Boivin believes the recreational side of Concordia is already in good hands, which is one less thing to worry about for him.

“The recreational side of things is really well off, the programming is well off…the facilities are what they are,” Boivin said. “We’re limited in the size, and the time that we have, and balancing anything that’s varsity and recreational, but Le Gym downtown is at capacity, if not overflowing, so there’s only so much you can do. As long as you keep improving, step-by-step, whether it’s in the offerings that you have or general service. The general load has been on the inner workings of the department, especially in relation to the varsity teams.”

One of the main things Boivin emphasized was the program’s inability to get the most out of the new PERFORM Centre. The impressive athletic complex is in reality only being used as office space by the school’s athletics program. Since the PERFORM Centre is a research center first and foremost, anything done with the resources available must be done for research purposes, whereas the athletes would mostly need it for clinical reasons, such as treating and rehabilitating injuries. Boivin hopes that the school and the PERFORM Centre can ultimately come together and create a working synergy that benefits both sides.

All of the initial administrative changes made up to this point are just that – initial phases. There is still much more work to be done.

Boivin understands the plight of the student athlete in terms of balancing school, sport and life. His vision includes adding more study hall hours for athletes that work conveniently in their schedules, along with more specific academic counselling and advising that will be tailored to the busy student-athlete lifestyle, all things that Boivin says are disassociated with the games the athletes are playing on the weekend.

In terms of real change, Boivin believes the most important change comes in the form of changing the overall culture of Stingers’ sports.

“The biggest change for me personally is the culture change going on,” said Boivin. “I think we need to accept the infrastructure and financial reality that we are in. It doesn’t mean it’s not going to get better, we just need to accept where we are now and not continue to push on comparisons to other schools. Other schools have decided to put a priority on sports well before we have, in some cases 20 years before we did. I look back to [Université Laval], they’ve been at it since 1996. Being here now and saying ‘oh, look at [Université Laval], compared to them we haven’t done anything in the past couple of years is not fair. I’m bringing it back to football for example but it could be said of other sports too.”
Boivin also said that demographics have a lot to do with why Laval is so competitive year in and year out.

“We’re in Montreal, pretty big population taking into account the island and surrounding areas, but there are 50,000 students at Université de Montreal, give or take 46,000 here, about 35,000-40,000 at McGill, and UQAM [Université du Québec à Montréal] has, I would assume, about the same as McGill,” he said. “So you have four schools that account for over 150,000 students, so we’re all reaching out to the same Montreal audience. [Université Laval] has the whole of Quebec City to themselves.”

Despite the challenges he’s faced in trying to rebuild the school’s ‘Stinger Pride’, Boivin has pointed out a few moments that have been uplifting and important in the program’s growth and development.

“We had some good sporting moments; the women’s rugby team going 7-0 was big,” said Boivin. “Unfortunately they [lost] to McGill in the finals but they had a great season. It’s not often [that we] see teams dominating the way they did. So there are some bright lights already within our program that we want to continue to support and bring them to that next level. But there are different levels of progression for each team. For the football team, them going 0-8, it’s not as difficult to progress from that. At 7-0, with the rugby team, you need to find a way to make them progress the year after.”

Boivin highlighted the hiring of football head coach Mickey Donovan as the program’s biggest moment during his tenure. Being able to bring in a coach whose work ethic and energy will breathe life into a team that has lacked it over the past several years was big, according to Boivin. He is of the mind that Donovan is a “superstar in the making” amongst Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) head coaches, not to mention the fact that Donovan is a young, innovative players coach and a Concordia alumnus who bleeds maroon and gold, having been a Stinger himself; a man who accepted the job because he cares deeply about the school, the program, and its athletes.

Now that the first year has come and gone, Boivin has pinpointed what needs to be done going forward and he knows that in order to achieve his goals for the program, he’ll need the support of the entire Concordia community.

“Now the final thing is combining the communications, marketing efforts and bringing people to the games and creating a strong interest in what we’re doing, to get them involved and engaged,” he said. “Yes, it’s about getting people to games, to some degree, but it’s also about people getting engaged [in the Stinger teams]. It’s something that’s becoming harder and harder to do in today’s world just because there are so many more options out there, because everything is more accessible, more timely with the touch of a smartphone. So I think we have a big job in trying to find a way to engage people, and you can be a casual fan and follow our success by coming to watch one game, but at least being interested in what’s going on.”

If there’s one thing Boivin wants to work on the most, it’s bringing more Concordians, whether it’s students, staff or alumni, to watch more Stingers’ games. Boivin said he learned a lot about how to create an entertaining game during his decade long tenure working with the Montreal Canadiens.

“It’s one thing to go to the Bell Centre and be entertained, it’s another thing to come here and be entertained, but a lot that can be done to make the event and the game fun and attractive to students, alumni, and families in the community around here, so that’s one of the big things we’ll be working on too,” Boivin said. “After that there’s a snowball effect, because your teams are being successful, people are talking about it, and it starts to roll.”

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Lovatsis’ legacy: remembering his time at Concordia

The long-time Stingers sniper says adieu to the University’s program

They say all good things come to an end. They never say how they might end, though.

With the Stingers down 8-4 in the third period of game two in their Ontario University Athletics (OUA) conference first-round playoff series against the McGill Redmen, time was running out on George Lovatsis’ Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) men’s hockey career.

The Stingers had lost game one and a loss in this game would eliminate them from playoff contention, much earlier than any of the Stingers would have ever hoped, especially Lovatsis.

The fifth-year captain did everything he could that night to drag his team back into the game; but the deficit was too great, the Redmen’s lead was insurmountable.

The normally mild-mannered Lovatsis had two outbursts of emotion in the final game.

Photo by Brianna Thicke

The first was a moment of blind rage.  Lovatsis gave a solid hack to the back of a Redmen’s player’s leg. Lovatsis then slammed the penalty box door behind him as he was sent off for slashing.

Lovatsis was watching his career end in the last possible way he could have ever imagined, but he made sure to make his presence felt one last time.

The second was the outpouring of heartfelt tears into the shoulder of his head coach, Kevin Figsby. They stood alone on the ice near the Stingers bench in a long embrace, exchanging a few words as the moment overcame them.

“I’ve been here for five years. This is what my life has been the last five years. This is pretty much the end of the era of me being here,” said the Markham Ontario native. “I was thinking about all the things I’ve experienced here, all the good things and the bad things. I’ve learned so much over the past five years from being here.”

“He [Figsby] just said that he was proud of me, that it was a good five years together. That was pretty much it. It was more just emotional, just tears flowing more than anything else,” said Lovatsis.

“George has been a pleasure to coach over the past five years. He’s matured as a player and as a young man,” said Figsby. “We don’t usually have players with us who stay for the entire five years, since a lot of them are [major junior] players who’ve already been going to school before coming here. We’re lucky when we have a guy for three, four years, so to have a guy come in as early as George did from when he got here to him graduating now, it’s been a real treat to watch.”

After half a decade of early morning practises, late-night road trips and countless glorious on-ice moments, you’d think Lovatsis would have a few special stories to share. Instead of specific moments, what he’ll fondly reminisce about the most were the people he spent those five years with.

“I think it’s all the teammates I’ve had over the years,” said Lovatsis. “Every single one of them have been a great teammate. I’ve never had a problem with anyone. I think that’s one important thing to take from the past five years, just the relationships I’ve made over the time I was here with my teammates. That’s the thing that stands out the most.”

Lovatsis was rewarded for his strong play and leadership qualities over his first four years by being named captain by Figsby before this season. Figsby could have put it to a players vote, but he knew that either way, Lovatsis would be the one wearing the ‘C’ over his heart.

“You get the opportunity to watch the guys grow and mature,” said Figsby. “George came in and he was a quiet, unassuming, pretty shy kid. To be honest he hasn’t changed all that much except I’ve seen his maturity and leadership capabilities have grown, and that’s precisely why when we we’re looking at making a leadership group going into this season I decided to name George the team captain. Just watching him play, watching his leadership on the ice, off the ice, we knew it was a good opportunity for us as a young team to have a mature young man like George as our leader this year.”

“It was an honour to be named captain,” said Lovatsis. “Coming in I knew we were going to have a young team and I knew it was going to be my job to guide them along in the right direction this year, just by teaching them from my experiences. It was a good learning experience for me too, and I hope they learned from me.”

Reflecting on his career, Lovatsis saw the most of his personal growth happen off the ice. He had to learn to fend for himself while being away from home, on top of having to balance the hectic student-athlete lifestyle.

Now that his time at Concordia is drawing to a close, he’s ready to look ahead. A fork in the road awaits him; continue his hockey career or join the workforce right out of school?  With the potential of going pro with a couple of teams in France, Lovatsis has some big decisions to make.

“If there are opportunities there, it’s definitely something I’d like to pursue,” he said. “There might be some opportunities in France to go pro. If something comes up and it’s worth it for me then I’ll definitely consider it. For now there’s nothing set in stone and eventually I’ll have to start looking ahead to getting a job and start making money, stuff like that. So it really depends on if it’s worth it and if it’s a good experience and whatnot.”

“If not, the plan is to apply to teacher’s college in Ontario and hopefully within the next three years become a teacher,” said Lovatsis.

When people look back on Lovatsis’ career, they’ll remember the smooth skating stride and the lighting-quick release that led to 56 career CIS goals, including playoffs.

Lovatsis, though, wants to be remembered for his role as an individual off the ice as opposed to his role as a sniper on it.

“I hope I’m remembered as a good person, as a good teammate, and as a good friend, as being there at the right time for my teammates and friends. I don’t know, I think I’m a good person, so I hope people will remember me for that.”

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44th edition of the Ed Meagher Sports Tournament kicks-off Monday

There’s something inherently special about a sports tournament. The competition, the camaraderie, the excitement of measuring oneself against an unknown opponent, all packaged into a weekend that shapes a young athlete’s fond memories of his or her favourite game.

In a town full of sports tournaments, there are always a few that stand out above the rest. In the high school sports landscape, the Loyola-Ed Meagher Sports Tournament is a tournament that has brought many memories to its organizers and participants.

The tournament, now in its 44th year, is named after long-time Loyola teacher, coach, and administrator, Ed Meagher, who started the tournament as a way to promote high school sports in Montreal.

To honour the contributions of Meagher, who passed away in 1995, Concordia University re-named their arena the Ed Meagher Arena in January of 2000.

The arena, along with the Concordia gym, will play host to various high school basketball and hockey teams from around the city including, among others, College Regina Assumpta, Loyola High School, Selwyn House, and West Island College, from Monday, Jan. 20 to Saturday, Jan. 25.

Meagher’s son, Richard, who is a teacher and former administrator at Loyola High School, spoke fondly of those memories of some of the early tournaments he shared with his late father.

“The very first memory that comes to me, year after year, is that of young men with beards, some with babies in tow, descending upon the rink in the early years to take on our baby-faced 15- and 16-year-olds,” said Meagher, “In the early 1970s, teams from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and often Ontario had 18- and 19-year-olds and while Loyola never won the tournament in those early days we gave them some tough competition,  and they always went away impressed with the Loyola teams they faced.”

“This was the weekend my dad looked forward to most — and that has certainly stuck with me and in a way I feel that he is still living the tournament through me,” he added.

The tournament has grown over the years and has attracted more and more media attention with each passing year.

“Most participants consider the Loyola tournament to be the best in the city, and probably the best they will attend during their high school career,” said Meagher. “It is the tournament everyone wants to attend, and hopefully win. The number one thing I would say everyone walks away with, especially those who win the gold medal, is a memory for life.

“I was fortunate to win the Juvenile hockey gold medal playing for St. Andrews College of Aurora, Ontario way back in 1978,” continued Meagher. “I can remember standing on the blue line and having the gold medal placed around my neck like it was only yesterday — but that was 36 years ago. That memory and experience has been ingrained in me for life.”

Roberto Mormina, currently a forward with the Concordia Stingers men’s hockey team and a Loyola High School grad, can attest to how special the tournament was for young athletes from across the province and county.

“The Ed Meagher sports tournament remains to this day one of the most impassioned sporting experiences of my amateur career,” said Mormina, “The sights and sounds of a building filled with your friends and your teachers, cheering and chanting with pride, drove me to better myself and to put on the greatest performance I could. This tournament, above all others, was personal. This was our home and we all knew that no one was going to raise that trophy but us. It was exhilarating.”

For more information on the history of the tournament and the tournament schedules, visit: www.loyola.ca/tournament.

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More than just your average student

Photo by Vanessa DC Photographe

One of the key aspects of student-athlete success, both on and off the field, is being able to manage one’s time and have a flexible schedule to allow for training and study, and work and play. Isabelle Casgrain, a 20-year-old management major at the John Molson School of Business, is also an athlete—an elite equestrian show jumper at that—but is currently juggling school and training with no support from the school’s athletic or academic departments.

Photo by Vanessa DC Photographe

“In CEGEP [at André-Grasset] I was part of a sport-études program, and that allowed me to have midterms and exams moved so that I could compete and train properly,” said Casgrain.

“They would organize my schedule with me, so we would make my schedule in such a way that would be advantageous for me.”

“I arrived here, and there was nothing. There’s support for varsity athletes, but for independent student athletes [not on varsity teams] there was no support, no knowledge. There was pretty much nothing they could do for me.”

Casgrain has battled through the early morning wake-up calls and late bedtimes because of training, classes, studying, and travelling, but she has not buckled under the pressure. She’s had worse days, having suffered major injuries in a show-jumping accident in 2011.

But, she’s bounced back from that and is now one of the top ranked show jumpers in the country in seventh place. She’s accomplished this at the same time as having to deal with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), which sometimes leads to bouts of hyperactivity.

Yet, despite all of the obstacles in her way, she is still focused on the issue at hand: getting independent athletes at Concordia to be treated like varsity athletes.

“I think we’re just as important as the varsity athletes and we’re part of this school just as much as they are,” said Casgrain. “I would be honoured to carry the Stingers logo—I’m just not allowed to.”

Photo by Vanessa DC Photographe

Casgrain contacted the associate director of Student Athlete Services, John Bower, at the beginning of August, and asked about the school’s elite athlete designation, but was told she was not eligible for it because she was not a varsity athlete.

At the time, Casgrain asked if there was anything else available, but the major turnover in the athletics department —with the likes of Bower and new athletic director Patrick Boivin just recently joining the department and still learning the ropes of their new jobs— became a handcuff in representing a chance to create new opportunities for student-athletes like Casgrain and delayed any possibility of Casgrain getting immediate help.

According to Bower, there is some infrastructure currently in place to help students like Casgrain, but the accessibility of services offered by the Department of Recreation and Athletics is still a work and progress. The crux of the issue is giving the classification of “varsity athlete” to independent athletes like Casgrain.

“In the context of Isabelle Casgrain, we are talking about students who are recognized by the Alliance Sport-Études, of which Concordia is a partner,” said Bower. “In general, these are either students who have been identified by their provincial sport organization as being, or having the potential of being national or international calibre athletes in a variety of individual sports. This was brought to my attention in August when Isabelle first contacted us asking to be recognized as a ‘varsity athlete.’”

Bower went on to say, “Any student-athlete who is recognized by the Alliance Sport-Études has access to the Stingers ACE (Academic Centre of Excellence) program, which includes assisting with the student-athlete in selecting courses, liaising with professors and faculties, helping find tutors, etc.”

“The university also permits these students to have flexible or modified schedules to accommodate their competitions and training schedules,” Bower continued. “It should be noted that these students are not considered to be ‘varsity athletes’ as that designation is reserved for students who compete for Stinger teams in recognized sports leagues, for example the CIS or RSEQ.”

Casgrain’s situation has raised several questions for the athletics department. With the new administration this fall, Bower only found out about the Alliance Sport-Études program once both Casgrain’s and the Stingers’ competitive seasons began.

However, Bower and Casgrain will be meeting in the near future to begin to set up the foundation for supporting independent student-athletes down the road and how to integrate them further into the Stingers’ sports culture.

Meanwhile, Casgrain is continuing to manage her hectic schedule. Her goals are set and the future looks bright —we might even see her competing in an Olympic Games one day. She dreams of one day being able to go to the mecca of equestrian, Great Britain, and train there while getting a master’s degree.

Right now, though, she’s not only looking to help herself, but other current and future independent athletes at the school. If all goes according to plan, we could be seeing a new swarm of Stingers joining the athletics department sooner than we think.

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Former Habs director joins Stingers

Photo provided by Concordia University

The search for Katie Sheahan’s replacement as Concordia’s athletic director has come to an end, as former Montreal Canadiens director of hockey operations, Patrick Boivin has been selected for the task of re-establishing Concordia’s major sports teams to elite status.

“This is an exciting change for me,” said Boivin. “I look forward to working with people at Concordia to enhance the university’s varsity

Boivin’s arrival coincides with the major renovations being undertaken at the school’s Ed Meagher Arena.   Photo provided by Concordia University.

sports teams and find new ways to engage all our students, faculty and staff in recreational activities to support their health and well-being.”

Boivin spent three seasons in his role with the Canadiens, handling the team’s daily operations, which included budget management, league affairs, team services and internal business co-operation.

“I’d like to thank Alan Sheppard, president of Concordia, Roger Côté and the whole selection committee that were an integral part in my decision process,” said Boivin at his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Aug. 15. “Their passion, enthusiasm and their professionalism, and mostly the way they hold Concordia dear to their hearts and the vision that they have for where they want to bring this school and ultimately this department and our teams was a big part of the reason that I came here.”

“This decision wasn’t something that I took lightly. Leaving the Canadiens and coming to Concordia, it’s a change of environments for me. I have to again mention all the people who were involved in the process. They not only convinced me, they helped me understand the challenge and the opportunity in front of us, specifically for the department, that there’s a large potential for development and that it’s important for us to bring championship teams back to the university.”

“I’m extremely excited to start working with the people in front of me,” Boivin said. “I think we have a great group of people here. I am anxious and eagerly awaiting to see what kind of vision we have for the school and see where we can take this in the near future.”

Boivin’s arrival coincides with the major renovations being undertaken at the school’s Ed Meagher Arena. The $7.5-million dollar project includes a brand new, greener refrigeration system that will allow Concordia’s teams’ to use the ice 11 months out of the year. The renovations also include bigger refurbished dressing rooms for the varsity teams.

Boivin is now tasked with reviving the Stingers’ former glory with several of the program’s teams, specifically football and the men’s hockey team.

 

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Concordia athlete chosen to play for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

Kris Robertson was selected as the first defensive back in the CFL Draft (Photo by Dom Bernier)

On Monday May 7, TSN aired the first two rounds of the Canadian Football League Draft and live streamed the final five rounds on their website.

Kris Robertson sat in front of his television to catch the first two rounds, perhaps more curious than anything to see who he might be competing against in the near future.

While Robertson knew he was going to get selected at some point, he was definitely not anticipating hearing CFL Commissioner, Mark Cohon, announce his name as the Winnipeg Blue Bombers second-round selection (11th overall) on national television.

“I didn’t expect to get drafted on TV. I was completely, completely, completely shocked,” said Robertson. “I was expecting to go in the third or fourth round, but to be drafted in the second round was like…whoa. It threw me off. It was

Kris Robertson was selected as the first defensive back in the CFL Draft (Photo by Dom Bernier)

very humbling.”

A native of Pickering, Ont., Robertson spent four seasons with the Concordia Stingers football team, becoming a force in the defensive backfield and in the kick return game. Robertson averaged 115.8 all-purpose yards per game last season as the team’s primary return man, while picking up four interceptions and returning two of them for touchdowns.

Robertson was one of three Stingers selected in the draft. Former Stingers punter Dumitru Ionita was selected 59th overall by the Calgary Stampeders, and defensive back/linebacker Paul Spencer was selected one pick later (the last one of the draft) by the defending Grey Cup champions the Toronto Argonauts.

Robertson’s name shot up the draft boards after an impressive showing at the national CFL Scouting Combine where he ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.42 seconds), had the highest vertical leap (43 inches), and recorded the longest broad jump (10 feet, 5.5 inches).

Robertson credits the environment at Concordia, as well as people who moulded him, for teaching him valuable lessons during his four years as a Stinger.

“I would say the values of hard work,” he said. “You’ve got to work hard if you want something in life. Being at Concordia, there were numerous pro athletes around from the school, and they all worked hard. I was just following in the footsteps of other guys from the school that made it to the pro level.”

“All my coaches and my trainers, they prepared me for this point. My last year I had a really great defensive back coach in Mike White, and he pretty much got us ready for the pro level.”

The roads to one’s dreams are never without obstacles. Robertson fought through the adversity of having to watch from the sidelines for most of his first two seasons as a second-string player, but once he was given the opportunity to show his worth as a starter he never looked back.

Now he has a chance to establish himself as a professional athlete, and while the high selection represents the culmination of his life’s work, Robertson knows that it’s only going to get harder from here.

“I came from humble beginnings,” said Robertson, “I feel it’s a great accomplishment, but there’s still work to be done. I still have to make the squad; I still have to prove myself at the pro ranks.

“Getting drafted is a very nice feeling, and knowing that [Winnipeg] believed in me, but I know I still have a lot to prove.”

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Sports

Stingers making noise at CFL combines

Concordian file photo

Three of the Concordia Stingers top players were showing off their athletic abilities to potential employers last week as the Canadian

Concordian file photo

Football League held their national and regional combines across the country. The combine represents an opportunity for scouts and executives to get a better feel for the person behind the player through face-to-face interaction and interviews, while also assessing the player’s overall athletic ability.

Defensive back and return-man Kris Robertson made his mark at the CFL National Combine, clocking the fastest 40-yard dash (which measures for speed, acceleration and agility), vertical jump and broad jump (which measures primarily for lower-body explosiveness).

“The experience was a great one, I’ve envisioned this since the day I walked into Concordia University,” said Robertson. “I personally think I could have done better in my physical testing performances, I wanted the records in those events, I just fell short. I was exceptionally happy with my one-on-one and positional drills, not one ball was caught against me.”

“It’s go time now; this is where the fun training begins. I don’t have to worry about running 40s or anything, just train strictly for football. I just pray my name gets called on draft day.”

Robertson topped the charts with a blistering 40 speed of 4.42, eight-tenths of a second faster than the second place time. He showed up his lower-body strength and overall length with a 43 inch vertical jump, two inches higher than the next best score. His broad jump came in at 10’ 5.50 feet.

Robertson, Nathan Taylor and Corey Newman all participated in the Quebec City Regional Combine, where some of the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec’s best players convened for their shot to impress the scouts in attendance.

All three turned in solid performances, as Robertson and Taylor put up good numbers in all categories amongst the defensive backs. Taylor showed impressive upper-body strength, putting up 19 reps in the bench press, the most of anyone at his position. Newman, one of five offensive linemen invited to the Quebec combine, showed off his explosiveness and quickness in tight spaces (which is key for offensive linemen battling in the trenches on the line of scrimmage) by posting the second best vertical jump and the longest broad jump amongst his peers.

“Overall it was a great experience, being around professional scouts no matter where you are is always a good thing,” said Newman. “Personally I felt well prepared. I improved my speed and footwork and, as some of the scouts told me, they noticed how hard I’ve trained to transformed myself [into] better shape.

“As of now I am waiting to hear from teams. I will most likely go to the free agency camp in London, Ont. to be seen again, but for now I’ll keep training, running and eating well and see what happens.”

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Opinions

Recognizing a Canadian legend

Canadian Olympic award-winning athlete Clara Hughes. Image via Flickr.
Canadian Olympic award-winning athlete Clara Hughes. Image via Flickr.

In a world fuelled by a 24-hour news cycle and a “Twitterverse,” the lives of celebrities all over the globe are more transparent than ever before. The constant craving for juicy gossip or the latest breaking story has put them under the brightest proverbial spotlight in the history of mankind.

The same applies to athletes, coaches and executives that make up the sporting world. Some cannot handle the immense pressure of what has now become a universal success-oriented business. You win, you stay. Lose and you are kicked to the curb, quickly forgotten and replaced.

Some crumble under the weight of their critics. By no fault of her own, Canadian tennis player Rebecca Marino chose to step away from the sport she loves after her bout with depression was intensified by the wave of derogatory comments sent her way through social media.

Some revere the spotlight, but use it only for their own benefit. Greed, selfishness and arrogance will never be mistaken as glowing compliments, but there have been countless athletes through the years who have literally personified those words.

And then there are those who use the spotlight as a platform for change and for good reason. Names like Roberto Clemente, Walter Payton and Walter Kennedy come to mind on a grander scale, all three having had awards named after them in Major League Baseball, the National Football League and the National Basketball Association, respectively, for their off the field contributions to their communities and charitable causes.

But then there are those, who do not get the attention, nor the credit, that they truly deserve.

When we speak of Canadian legends, our thoughts always turn to the ice: Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Rocket Richard. We might venture into other sports, and the names of Anthony Calvillo and Steve Nash might rise to the surface. However, we must never make the mistake of looking past one of the greatest athletes to ever don the red and white at the Olympic Games, Clara Hughes.

Hughes, a native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, is often overlooked in the conversation of great Canadian athletes, despite boasting the most Olympic medals by a single Canadian athlete (tied with Cindy Klassen with six) — not to mention being the only Olympic athlete to ever win multiple medals at both the Summer and Winter Games.

Athletes in sports not named hockey, football, baseball or basketball are often ignored by the general public and sports media, except during the Olympic Games, when the athletes who dedicate their lives to their craft are finally allowed to introduce themselves to a whole new audience. It is unfortunate that that audience ultimately ends up slithering back to rooting for pampered multi-millionaires. As a huge professional sports fan myself, I am in no way demeaning this act; it’s simply a fact. No one is lining up for speed skating events or cycling marathons when Hockey Night in Canada is on.

Despite this, Hughes has managed to break the mould of what we’ll call the “groundhog athlete,” the ones that appear every once in awhile, specifically every two or four years when the Olympics roll around. Hughes has given a voice to various causes, including Right to Play and has been instrumental in charitable work done to combat mental illness and the stigma associated with it. On Feb. 12, Bell had its now annual “Bell Let’s Talk” day, where the company donated five cents for each text, long distance calls, tweets or Facebook share. A total of over $96 million in small donations were made, culminating in a total donation of $4,813,313.30 to the cause.

Hughes deserves a lot of credit for the day’s huge success, not only for using her platform to spread the word about a great (and growing) cause, but also for having the courage to come out and share her own battle with depression with the public, to give a face to a disease that was often misconstrued and dismissed as “just being sad.”

In a year where we saw athletes use their notoriety for the wrong reasons (see Tim Thomas), it was refreshing to see a familiar face grab the spotlight and use it for good. If this country could only recognize how lucky it is to be able to call one of the greatest Olympians ever one of their own, perhaps we would be seeing Hughes’ radiant smile a lot more often than we have in the past.

And we’d all be better for it, too.

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Sports

Big dreams for Stingers MVP

(Brianna Thicke)
Taylor, a fifth-year safety with the Concordia Stingers’ football team, was named the team’s most outstanding player and most dedicated player at the team’s banquet on Jan. 20. (Brianna Thicke)

Nathan Taylor may not be the biggest player on the field, but he sets his standards extremely high.

“My goal is to play in the CFL. Anything less than that is pretty much a failure,” he said.

Taylor, a fifth-year safety with the Concordia Stingers’ football team, was named the team’s most outstanding player and most dedicated player at the team’s banquet on Jan. 20. In nine games this season, Taylor racked up a total of 44 tackles, three interceptions and three batted passes.

Taylor called this year a bounce-back year for him after being benched during parts of last season. He had spent most of his career with the Stingers at cornerback and sometimes linebacker, but he excelled this season when put at safety.

“I think I played pretty well and I guess the coaches thought so too,” said Taylor, “I hadn’t played safety since midget, but I felt pretty good about it. I feel I was a more complete player at safety.”

Looking back on his time at Concordia, Taylor credits his work ethic for his success and the current attention he is getting from Canadian Football League teams. He also cited his coaches over the years, notably head coach Gerry McGrath, for helping him grow in maturity during his time with the Stingers.

“Hard work pays off,” he said. “For four, five years now, I’ve just been working hard every offseason trying to get better. Personally I feel like I’ve matured a lot as an athlete and as a player and Concordia is a big part of that.”

Taylor is now fully focused on the upcoming CFL combine, where he will showcase his talents to scouts and general managers with the hopes of being selected in the upcoming draft. His routine currently consists a vigorous workout schedule, which includes running and lifting weights, separately, each done four times a week.

When he was younger, Taylor never envisioned a career as a professional football player; today, it is a part of his everyday life. He even had doubts about his football future during his time at Vanier College, but was able to motivate himself in the gym to improve himself as a player.

“I was going to transfer. I was going to go to John Abbott College or go play junior football,” he said. “I didn’t think I was good enough to play at the CEGEP level. I’ve been working hard since my last year of midget, just to prepare myself to play football at the next level and now I’m preparing myself for the CFL.”

“I always took training seriously because I enjoy it. And I always wanted to be one of the strongest guys on the team. When I realized that the more work I put in the gym, the better I was on the field, that’s when it was ‘the harder you work, the easier it’s going to get’.”

Taylor is anxious to get the pre-draft process going and is looking forward to showcasing his skills to the people who will pave the way to a career in professional football.

“I just want to get the ball rolling. I want to show them that I’m physical and that I can run,” he said. “I get overlooked because I’m a little shorter, I’m not the prototypical 6-foot, 200-pound defensive back. You’ve got to prove it to them that you’re deserving of a roster spot.”

With a work ethic like his, Taylor has a good chance of overcoming this latest obstacle on his path to primetime. The CFL Combine takes place Mar. 22, 23 and 24 in Toronto.

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News

Making the grade

Photo by Madelayne Hajek
Photo by Leslie Schachter

Students enrolled in a John Molson School of Business course were caught in a crossfire between the professor and faculty administration over a miscommunication regarding a change in course content.

Part-time instructor Marc Picard addressed his students for a COMM 212 business communication course mid-December in an email claiming that the administration purposely refused to approve the final grades he submitted and that the exam administered was aimed to produce low marks.

“In my 41 years of university teaching, I had never seen such ridiculously low marks for an exam … What I learned when I contacted the person in charge was that this was no fluke or accident. It was a pre-planned, deliberate, calculated attempt to devise an exam that was meant to yield these results for reasons that are too ludicrous for words,” the email read.

At the time, student Heather Nicholson said she was disappointed with both the faculty and the school.

“Knowing how much I studied, and how much my classmates studied, we deserve better than to be given an exam that is designed for failure,” Nicholson told The Concordian.

The Advocacy Centre, according to co-ordinator Lisa White, was made aware of the situation and the email from Picard to his students but clarified that no students had approached the centre to complain.

The following day Christopher A. Ross, chair of JMSB’s marketing department, assured students that Picard’s allegations were being taken into consideration and apologized for any discomfort the “unconventional” email may have caused.

When Picard met with Ross and Associate Dean George Kanaan of JMSB on Dec. 18, it came to light that other sections of the class had received similar marks for the final exam. Picard wrote in an email to his students Dec. 20 that the university could not curve the marks of the section since the other 21 sections already had their marks finalized.

The final overall average for that section was a B despite the average of 59 per cent for the final exam.

In 2012, the business communication course was completely revamped including new content and course material. The course content was apparently more difficult than what was previously taught, something that Picard didn’t address when he contacted his students.

University spokesperson Chris Mota clarified that Picard had not taught the course since 2010 and when the debriefing session on the new course content took place, he was not included because he was not teaching it at the time.

“All the other professors understood the new course material and understood it would be different,” said Mota. “It’s unfortunate that [Picard] wasn’t part of that.”

Mota said that the faculty at JMSB would have to ensure that this didn’t happen again and that it was “clearly a failure of communication.”

Sean Thomson, a JMSB student who took the same course in 2011 before its reform told The Concordian that she personally had no difficulties with the class.

“The course is not difficult at all,” said Thomson. “I think most people in my class did fairly well and it was quite simple.”

With files from Matthew Guité.

Categories
Sports

Stingers recruit front office talent

Concordia University’s athletics department has added a new face on the team, as John Bower will join Concordia University’s athletics department as associate director of student athlete services.

Bower, who held the position of director of university sport with the RSEQ, will officially begin his new role with the university on December 17.

“I’m pleased [Bower] has agreed to take on this important challenge,” said Director of Recreation and Athletics Katie Sheahan in a statement. “His experience in interuniversity sport administration and development, together with his background in communications, will be a tremendous asset to Concordia’s efforts to provide an outstanding student-athlete experience.”

Bower, who also has experience covering university sports as a journalist and broadcaster, is looking forward to the new challenge with the Stingers program.

“I certainly wasn’t looking to leave the RSEQ anytime soon,” said Bower. “I love what I do with the RSEQ, and we’ve had some ups and downs in the last year with eligibility. It was an opportunity that had I not applied for, or accepted once offered, I probably would have ended up regretting not making the leap.”

Bower has a wealth of experience in the university ranks, having held positions at the universities of Windsor and Ottawa, as well as a stint with Ontario University Athletics over the ten years prior to joining the RSEQ in 2010.

Bower now joins a solid Concordia program that will call upon that experience and knowledge to help them get to the next level.

“This position is going to evolve over time, but I’ll be working directly with the coaches and student athletes, so basically providing support and services to both,” said Bower. “I’ll be looking to work with the coaches to provide them with the best possible resources, be it with eligibility, applying rules, helping set up events around their programs.’’

“[I’ll also be] a liaison between the coaches and the Academic Center for Excellence to ensure that our student athletes attain the highest possible standards, because for me personally that’s the greatest part of being involved in university sport, it’s the fact that we see these great young people who are able to juggle academics and athletics at the same time, and at the end of the day when they graduate, that’s the most rewarding part of it.”

Bower views the position as a great opportunity to gain invaluable experience, but ultimately its the impact he leaves on others that means the most.

“Anything I’ve done in university sports has been to give student athletes the best experience possible. For me, it’s to open doors for young people if they want to learn, if they want to get better, if they want to accumulate a certain set of life skills. That’s what I want to leave behind, to give back to young people.”

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