Progression of Sports at CUC

Canadian University College currently fields a number of extramural sports teams in a variety of leagues. With four teams, CUC is as athletically active as I, a fourth-year student, can remember. We are represented in men’s soccer, men’s basketball, women’s soccer, and women’s volleyball. However, things haven’t always been like this at CUC. In fact, it wasn’t until 1982, seventy-five years into the existence of the college, that CUC even had an extramural team.

They were known as the “Hilltop Angels,” a very ironic name for the dirty manner of hockey that they played while they participated in a local men’s league.

The Hilltop Angels were organized by a group of dorm students and had relative success in their first year of existence, thanks to the supervision of the dormitory dean.

In their second year, however, they no longer had someone looking over their shoulders. The dean was too busy taking care of school issues and the rest of the faculty decided that the players would be able to figure things out for themselves.

The students, however, were unable to represent CUC in a way that uplifted the college.

What was once, only a year earlier, a highly competitive team that the school could be proud of was now a disrespectful team with its own prerogative.

Ron Schafer, a young faculty member at the time played goal for the team. Only three games into the second season he quit because of the way things were being run. “It was humiliating,” Schaefer told me in a recent interview, “it was embarrassing and it was wrong the way the game was being played.”

The dorm team allowed a number of alumni players to participate on the squad for added depth and grit. Many on the team wanted to shed the “soft” Christian image rather than choosing to set a good example with sportsmanship and excellence. “They wanted to prove how dirty they could be,” Schafer said, “and to make a long story short – our team was kicked out of the league before the second season was finished.”

It took 75 years to field that first team; with all the efforts that were put into allowing students represent CUC in athletic competition it was a major letdown to have the Hilltop Angels go out like that.

However, even though the team will go down as the most infamous CUC has ever had, it was still a team. It meant that the acceptance of sports was becoming more evident than ever before.

It meant that progress was being made.

Mr. Schafer, now the head of the athletic department at CUC, said that when he arrived at this school to teach “the sports environment was zero.” There was nothing in place for extramural activities. There was a fear that the competition would bring out the worst in the students; and in the case of the Hilltop Angels, it did.

But Schafer made it his personal goal to get something going. “I wanted everything to happen overnight…but over time I realized that gradual change is much better.” Slower change is better, he explained, because it gives people a chance to adapt and figure out how to do things properly.

CUC had to figure out how to do things better. The Hilltop Angels were a failure and if they were going to have extramural sports at CUC then something had to change. “At least if we play right and fairly,” Schafer stated, “we [could] be a witness by the way we play.” The purpose of sports is not necessarily to win or lose. Of course the idea is to come out on top, but it would be better to lose with good sportsmanship than to win with a poor attitude.

The attitude needed to change.

Competitive sports shows what people are really made of, which was always one of the fears within Adventist circles. The whole idea of somebody getting angry over a game never seemed to bode well with constituency.

Schafer had another view on the matter.

“In my opinion,” Schafer said, “if you can’t take second place, then it is better to discover it in basketball than in a job or business or relationship.”

Schafer came to CUC with the goal in mind to get something going. It wasn’t an easy goal coming off of the escapades of the Hilltop Angels, but it was his goal nonetheless. Many would have stepped aside and allowed administration to do what administration does, but Schafer wanted more. He wanted a chance to show people how to do it correctly.

As people’s minds opened up towards giving sports a second chance at CUC, Schafer realized that there were other issues to deal with as well.

For things to be done right at CUC it is much more difficult than what it would be at most other schools.

The problems that our school faced and continues to face all boils down to one thing: a lack of student population. Sure, there are other problems. There is a lack of funding and a lack of dedicated coaches. There is also our religious affiliation that allows us a day rest away from the competition of this world.

I prefer not to refer to the latter as a “problem” but it is an obstacle when it comes to participating in extramural sports. It can, however, be dealt with rather easily.

A good reputation goes a long way towards removing the Sabbath obstacle and allowing us to excel in any kind of competition. “If we had a good quality program and product,” Schafer said, “these leagues would allow us in there and adjust for it.”

Still, CUC is left with a Catch 22 situation. We need more student population to fund more sports, but we also need more sports to obtain a larger student population.

The question remains: how does CUC dedicate itself towards a basketball program, hockey program, soccer program, or volleyball program without knowing if there will be enough athletes to make it worthwhile?

It can’t.

Last year we had a highly successful hockey team. This year we don’t have one at all. Last year we had no men’s soccer or basketball teams. This year we have both. There is such a variety of students coming in and going out that is hard to anticipate which sport to support.

“The statistics show that on any given population,” Schafer said, “only 10 percent are serious athletes.” At CUC that would give us forty athletes; a number that doesn’t go very far.

Schafer does, however, believe that this problem can be solved. “If kids know there will be a program they will be more likely to come.” By focussing on having a few stable programs rather than several shaky ones, CUC could give more students a reason to come. As it stands now, they cannot recruit players for any one sport due to the fact that it might not even exist the following year.

And then there’s the small problem regarding money.

CUC has a very limited budget set aside for athletics. The fact is, we cannot pay our coaches enough to make the position lucrative nor can we afford to allow any athletes to have significant scholarships. On top of that there are league fees, cost of travel, and many other expenses that turn up over the course of a year.

None of these expenses, however, can be used as an excuse to disregard sports at CUC. “It’s here to stay,” Schafer said. “We should get the resources and personnel to improve it constantly.”

Constant change has been happening and will continue to happen. Twenty-Five years ago nobody would have thought that CUC could have supported four sports teams like we do now. “The issue is no longer a right or wrong issue,” Schafer explained. Those issues have been dealt with. Now we have to deal with the issue of improving on the foundations that have been put in place.

“In ten years,” Schafer added, “I’d like to believe that we could have three or four teams that we can count on.”

If done right then sports could be a very good thing for CUC. However, if done wrong it could also be a very negative thing as we saw happen with the Hilltop Angels.

Let us move forward not backwards and make sports a reality at CUC for not only today, but also for tomorrow.

—Article to be published in the next Aurora Chronicles—

CUC Men’s Aurora – Soccer Update

If you haven’t been to a CUC Men’s Soccer game lately, now is the time to do so.

While other sports teams at our school are struggling for victories, the men’s soccer team is leading their league in wins while also providing highlight reel goals. With ten wins and only five losses, the Aurora have been lighting up the scoreboard on a regular basis with 51 goals to count, including a team-leading eight coming from Stefan Sremac.

“There’s been a lot of improvement from the beginning of the year,” Stefan said following a 5-0 win over the Urban Knights earlier this month, “all the lines are scoring quite a bit and the defensemen are really stepping up.”

The team has had key contributions made from each member of the roster. Kyle Kay has scored six goals; Ricardo Mena, Lindsey Nycholat, Brad Lalonde, Daniel Zepick, and Fred Onsoti each have five; Matt Giguerre has tallied three; Tyler Ferguson, Tim Werner, and Landon Blize each have a pair; and Anthony Eisses and Anthony DaRocha have each registered one.

This team, however, isn’t just about scoring goals.

Kirk Baker, the goaltender for the CUC Aurora, has let in a league low 30 goals. With acrobatic saves and steady focus, Kirk has also been able to accumulate three shutouts along the way.

While the goal scoring is a definite bonus for the Aurora; Kirk has been the backbone of the team. He tends to go unnoticed, but that is usually what you want from a goalie, a position that typically gets more blame than praise. “He makes tons of saves,” Fred said of his goalie, “he keeps his head in the game; even if he gets roughed up he stays focussed.”

“Focus” is a word that can be used to describe any one of these players.

While not everyone on the team has scored a goal; everyone has been a part of the march towards a larger goal: winning the Red Deer Men’s Indoor Tier 2 championship. A goal that, with this group of guys, is very achievable.

Note: A video clip has been put together by Danny McCreery from a 5-3 victory over the Urban Knights. The clip can be found here.

—This article is to be published in the March 2007 edition of The Aurora Chronicles—

Representing CUC

When push comes to shove, these guys get the job done.

The men’s CUC soccer team has started the season with four wins and only one loss, something that many would not have expected a year ago. It’s not that people thought that there wasn’t any soccer talent at this school, it’s the simple fact that CUC hasn’t had a soccer team since 2003 – and even then they weren’t in an official league.

However, soccer is back – thanks in part to huge efforts made by Stefan Sremac and Tyler Ferguson. Tyler continually pleaded with Mr. Schafer to make it happen. “I told him that I’d find the players if there weren’t enough.”

Putting together extramural sports teams has always been a difficult thing for this school. Not only is it hard to guarantee that there will be enough athletes on such a small campus, but it is also difficult to find athletes that are willing to commit to the program and all the time it requires. This group of guys, however, made it clear that they were willing to do what it takes to have a team.

Mr. Schafer heard their cries and put in the final effort to make it happen, something that Alastair Atherton, coach of the Aurora, feels will really benefit the school. “It’s another opportunity to provide something positive for the students outside of classes and the usual college life. More than that, it’s an opportunity to represent CUC in our community.”

Every Wednesday morning at 6:00am, the guys are not only up – but participating in a two hour long full-fledged practice. Coach Alastair is really proud of how well the team has come together. “We have a lot of top notch players that have really jelled.”

With such a hot start, hopes are high – and everything indicates that this group is willing to meet the expectations that have been put on their shoulders. Stefan, the leading scorer through five games, plans on nothing but success. “Honestly, our expectations are to win – to be the top of tier two.” And what exactly does this success mean to the school? “Well,” Stefan added, “it brings school pride.”

The men’s soccer team has been an outstanding program for the college life and a great representation of what we want our school to stand for: commitment, sportsmanship, and success.

With the sports teams leading the way, there are signs of excellence coming out from all areas of our hilltop campus. “And, since most of us are returning,” comments Ferguson, “the following years will only get better.” Let’s hope that the school’s future can parallel that of our soccer team and raise our college to new heights – heights that are only possible when everybody is willing to do their part.

—–This article was originally published December 2006 in The Aurora Chronicles—–

Something’s Missing at CUC

There is something lacking at CUC. Can you feel it? It’s there; you know it. You know you can feel it–that empty hole that seems to place shadows all across this campus. When you go home for the summer and get asked by a friend or relative where you go to school you simply reply, “in Alberta,” or maybe you proudly state “Canadian University College”, while hoping that it’s overly generic name doesn’t get recognized. But you know where you go to school. Yeah, you know – that place with 400 students, the one on the hilltop, the one with no school pride. Yeah, that one.

Optimistically: CUC truly is a wonderful school. We have a very intelligent group of professors here – many of them hold a PhD, pretty impressive for a small school like this. The student to teacher ratio is also something to enjoy. It gives the student a very solid environment to learn compared to larger universities. There is a good pre-med program as well as an Outward Pursuits department that puts this place on the map. I know first hand that the Education Department and the English Department are both run well with excellent professors who really know their stuff. There really isn’t much to complain about when it comes down to the main reason we really are here: to get educated. We are getting a great education from top-notch teachers in a great learning environment. But…

…there’s still something missing, isn’t there? You know you can feel it.

We do get a great value for what we pay here, we really do. Compared to other Adventist Universities we are paying much less for, well, for not much less. For goodness sakes, we have our own bathrooms! In our own rooms! You won’t find that in many other dorms. I personally quite enjoy showering in the comfort of my own surrounding – it lets me sing whatever tune I feel like without somebody telling me to keep it down, and let’s face it, it’s would be a bit strange if a bar of soap fell down by your feet if it wasn’t yours.

The point is that we are getting a good education in a great place to live, especially with the rarely wonderful winter weather that we have being treated with this year. No complaints, right? Right…except…

…there’s still that shadow floating over this place, you know the one.

The SA has done a great job of organizing some key events. Campus Ministries has been quite involved in CUC life and the community that surrounds us making this place better for all. PLT has put on some solid events that have been enjoyable. Likewise, intramurals has been quite a blast so far. However, for me at least, the question arises: am I proud to be at this school? Do I have a deep sense of school pride?

If you were to wander around public universities in the United States during the Rose Bowl, the NCAA March Madness, the NCAA frozen four, or other sports tournaments and even the games leading up to those prestigious events, you would have a guaranteed knowledge of what school pride is and you would be well aware that we do not have that here at CUC. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody paint their faces to the colour of the “A” on the Aurora hockey jerseys. I’ve seen a moose wandering around at certain occasions. Why don’t we have an Aurora mascot yet (if it could be possible)? Maybe it’s because we simply don’t care…but why not?

The CUC men’s hockey team won their league championship last year. This is different than most years – it’s a real league! This is a league with other colleges playing against us instead of those random men’s pick-up teams lacing up and taking on our guys for no real purpose other than them wanting to get out of the house at night after a tough day at work. The hockey team is for real – they are playing very good in a very competitive league. This is rare for CUC sports, but why?

Did you ever notice that there aren’t any links for anything student-activity oriented on the CUC homepage? No athletic programs information, no special interest clubs, no message boards, no event photo gallery, no intramurals news, no sports scores…nothing. How are we supposed to follow the standings and statistics, more importantly how are Alumni supposed to follow standings and statistics? At most universities the alumni make up a good percentage of the support for sports teams and other school programs. Do they even know when they have a chance to get out and watch their Aurora play a game? The more people that show up the better it is for the environment at any sporting event. Having a good sporting environment, in turn, leads to wins being more exciting. Having exciting wins, lastly, leads to school pride. Sports creates school pride just as much or more than good academics. This isn’t necessarily right, but it is the way it is nonetheless. I don’t know if school pride gets generated very quickly with only 20 or so people watching the big game, but I think not. Lets get excited about sports! Lets get excited about CUC! We have, and have had, some amazing talent. We just need to put it on display.

We all enjoy the great music displayed by Egypt, Rony Desarme, Mark LaFlamme, and many others – but do we enjoy the athletic abilities we have at this school? Some current and recent athletes – Andrew Dyer (basketball), Kirk Dunshee (basketball), Egbert Cambell (basketball), Brian Gray (basketball), Brian Benoit (volleyball), Michael Augustine (basketball), David Auguste (volleyball), and many others – have never got their opportunity to shine in the spotlight that could have been. This spotlight would not have simply built those individuals up, but it would have also built up school pride. These are students who would have an excellent chance of cracking rosters at any Adventist school in the world, but they simply haven’t been given that chance here. Sure, they’ve been able to play in school events or the odd exhibition game, but they haven’t been given the opportunity to grow in a system that nurtures their ability and improves their play while competing on a high level. CUC has never committed to athletic growth and development. The school would rather fund an excessive five signposts for directions around campus than to hire a coach for athletics. The school would rather give thousands of dollars away to possible students than to freely allow players to wear the letters “CUC” across their chest in a sporting event. They would rather make the students who want to represent the school pay to advertise CUC than to offer scholarships to improve the talent, which in turn would improve recognition of this institute, which in turn would generate some sort of school spirit. You get the point…the school is trying to draw new people in with the aesthetics and the giveaways rather than attempting to secure school pride in those that already attend this fine institute.

Word of mouth.

Supposedly it’s one of the most effective business strategies today. If you have a unique product that can catch attention then it has a good chance of becoming an Internet phenomenon, which could inevitably earn official media recognition and ultimately sales. Surely students with great pride in this school would spread the news to their friends who would then consider this institute. Now, imagine student “x” has 10 friends whom he or she tells about CUC. Out of those 10 that student “x” tells and encourages, only 5 consider it. Out of those five who consider CUC, only one decides to attend. If 400 students did this – enrolment would be at 800 after one year. Now, of course that is unrealistic because the simple fact is that not every one of the 400 students at CUC will be spreading the great news of this great school like wildfire. It is impossible.

It is a shame.

The Lindgren Foundation, along with other supporters, donated thousands upon thousands of dollars two years ago for a beautiful hardwood gym that we all enjoy today. What has this hardwood gym been used for? Recreational badminton, Acronaires, gym class, recreational basketball, registration, Alumni Weekend, Fall Fest, and many other things that simply do not require a hardwood floor of such expensive taste. It is no knock on those events – those events are wonderful and are highly appreciated by many students and visitors to the school. However, as already stated, these events would never have justified the need for a hardwood floor of this quality. This court is a court that is meant for basketball and volleyball. The court actually improves the game for these sports – wouldn’t it be great if Mr. Lindgren was able to sit courtside and watch the CUC Aurora beat the Walla Walla Wolfpack in a game of basketball? It would take some athletic development at this school, but surely it could be done – and this would bring great pride to the college life at CUC.

The only way to have such a team is to start such a team. I’m speaking mostly on the basis of basketball, because I’m a basketball player myself, but in the same manner it would be great to have other sports developed – volleyball, soccer, and other sports would also bring great pride to this school.

It will take years to get the system to the point of success, but it has to start sometime, what better time than now? This school needs to get serious about coaching and developing our athletes to become the best that they can be. This school needs to look at attracting the athletes along with the academics. Many schools have sports scholarships that match up close to academic scholarships, and this could be a possibility. It is not my call, it is only my dream.
It is my dream that there may be a basketball program – with a couple hundred people cheering on our Aurora during home games.

It is my dream that the students here on the hilltop may be proud of their institute.

It is my dream that when somebody approaches me and asks me “where do you attend school?” that I may reply proudly, “Canadian University College,” hoping that they may recognize the name for the pride that comes with it.

The time for administration to try a new strategy for attracting students to CUC is now. Stop worrying about the students who aren’t here, that hasn’t worked for the last ten or so years. Try something new. It’s a novel idea, really it is. Start worrying about the students who are here! Generate some school spirit, generate some pride, and generate some unity. As the great Bob Marley once stated, “Let’s get together and feel alright!”

—–Originally published April 2006 in The Aurora Chronicles—–