2019-20
YEAR IN REVIEW
Department of Athletics
WELCOME This report provides an annual review highlighting the impact and achievements of the Department of Athletics in supporting the University of Guelph during the 2019-20 year. It is organized by the six units within Athletics that include Intercollegiate, Fitness and Recreation, Marketing and Communications, Alumni, Facilities and Business/IT. We hope this report gives you a better understanding of the breadth of our services and department.
Director’s Message Facilities
3 4-5
She’s Got Game
6
Alumni
7
Fitness & Recreation
8-9
Intercollegiate
10-11
Fan Attendance
12-13
Marketing Communications
14-15
S.A.M Program
16
Believe to Achieve
17
Partnerships
18-19
FROM THE DIRECTOR
SCOTT MCROBERTS
Director of Athletics
Welcome to the Department of Athletics. Despite an unprecedented time where the world has changed so much due to COVID-19 I am so proud of our hardworking staff who have adapted and continued to be leaders on campus. I am excited to report to the campus and our community our achievements that highlight the outstanding work from this past year. This report represents our efforts as a department towards serving our students and the community. During the 2019-20 Intercollegiate season our Gryphons continued to impress on the playing field tallying 2 National Championships and 5 OUA Championships. A number of Gryphons were recognized as award winners including 48 All-Canadians, 102 OUA All-Stars and 288 Academic Award Winners. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our varsity coaches all completed their return to training protocols. All of our athletes went through extensive training of the new policies and processes. As with this virus, we cannot predict what the coming months will bring, but our athletes will be ready if and when we can resume varsity sport competition. With our students now learning remotely it was more important than ever for us to find ways to help them maintain their health and fitness, and our Fitness and Recreation unit answered the challenge. At the height of the pandemic we delivered virtual fitness classes over social media which were viewed over 60,000 times. Our award winning Active Kids and Camps programming put together a virtual Clubhouse camp that saw over 130 participants.
With the recent increasing visibility of violence against Black lives in the US and Canada, we have taken several steps to ensure that every member of our community feels safe, respected, and included. We have held antioppression and anti-racism training sessions for all staff and coaches with the Office of Diversity & Human Rights (DHR). We have implemented mandatory training programs for all staff and student-athletes. We are also in the process of forming our advisory committee in Athletics in consultation with DHR. I have never been more impressed and honored to work with such a great team than over the last year to get to where we are today. I know as you read about some of our highlights in this report you will share my deep sense of pride and I hope gain a better understanding of our Department. And lastly, thank you to all of our Gryphon supporters who have shown pride and passion in Gryphon Athletics this past year.
Scott McRoberts Director of Athletics University of Guelph
gryphons.ca [ 3 ]
FACILITIES 22,000 square ft
Fitness Centre 2 pool, 8 total lane
Aquatics Centre 2,200 seat
Gymnasium 7,600 seat
Alumni Stadium 9 multi-sport
Outdoor Sports Fields 4 gym, multi-studio
Athletic Centre 16,200 square ft
Field House
2 rink, 1,650 total seat
Gryphon Centre Arena
QUIDDITCH EASTERN REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS The University hosted Quidditch Canada’s Eastern Regional Championship tournament at the Gryphon Soccer Complex, with our Gryphon Quidditch team taking home the gold medal.
NOV 2 BILL NYE PACKS THE EVENTS CENTRE
Bill Nye the Science guy PACKED the Event Centre in the biggest hosted crowd since opening — with over 2,000 people in attendance, and tickets for the event selling out in just 25 minutes.
MAR 5 FACILITy MANAGEMENT TRAINEE PROGRAM Despite COVID-19 cutting their time short – we saw the completion of the first cohort of our innovative 2-year Facility Management Trainee program (James Protonentis and Kale Dorr, pictured right).
2019/20 THE BUSIEST DAY OF THE YEAR
SEPT 21
Exhibition WVB vs UBC Okanagan
OUA Soccer DH vs Algoma
RMP Sale
OUA W Rugby vs Western
OUA Football vs Western
Marathon of Sport gryphons.ca [ 5 ]
SHE’S GOT GAME
Raises over $39,000 for female scholarships In the fifth edition of the University of Guelph’s She’s Got Game Gala, presented by RBC Britt Benn, Gryphon women’s rugby alumna and Olympic medalist told her story about the path to reaching her Olympic dream as the keynote speaker. The fundraiser was a resounding success, raising $35,000 for women’s athletics at the University of Guelph. Benn captivated the assembled crowd with her speech on growing up a competitive athlete in Napanee, Ont. and harnessing that passion toward sport and the path to the Olympic podium.
by women’s rugby current studentathlete Emmanuela Jada’s poignant speech about overcoming her obstacles to play the sport she loves for the University of Guelph. Meanwhile in February for the second year in a row, Gryphon Athletics and Domino’s Pizza of Guelph partnered together for ‘Gryphon Pizza Day’ and almost doubled last year’s total dollars raised to support female athletics scholarships.
Since the gala’s inception in 2016, the Gala has raised over $120,000 to date with all proceeds donated to the She’s Got Game initiative at the University of Guelph.
The second annual Gryphon Pizza Day in February was another huge success with Domino’s locations across Guelph serving up an incredible 1,065 pizzas, resulting in a total of $4,260 going to support Gryphon women’s athletic scholarships.
Over 250 attendees celebrated at this year’s fifth annual event held for the first time in the Guelph Gryphons Athletics Centre. The event was also highlighted
Stay up to date on all She’s Got Game events and news at
SHESGOTGAME.CA
ALUMNI
192
STUDENT ATHLETES
R E C I E V E D
A N
ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIP TOTALLING OVER
$500,000 $646,785
IN DONATIONS R A I S E D F R O M
353
generous DONORS gryphons.ca [ 7 ]
FITNESS & RECREATION
513,951 FITNESS CENTRE & CLASS SWIPES *
201,520
ENTRANCE SWIPES AT CLIENT SERVICES *
328,550 USERS IN RECREATIONAL PROGRAMMING*
(note: May 1, 2019 to March 16, 2020 – the Department closed abruptly on March 16th in response to the worldwide pandemic).
CLUB
E C N E L L E C EX MOMENTUM AWARD WINNERS: EQUESTRIAN CLUB Not only did both teams bring in a record amount of fundraising, they also worked collaboratively to overcome common logistical issues facing them. All of the riders enjoyed success at this year’s at competitions and were supported by a great group of coaches and mentors supporting their success. As one of the few Gryphon Clubs to compete internationally, they have worked hard to represent Canada and Gryphon Athletics well on their competition circuit.
CIRCLE OF EXCELLENCE AWARD: CHEERLEADING TEAM
It was a sensational season for the team that saw both the coed and all-girl teams named National Champions for the first time in the same season. The program continues to improve each year with a group of dedicated and passionate student-athletes who keep raising the bar. The team is also anchored by a group of passionate coaches that has elevated the team with guidance and mentorship developing the athletes as competitors and leaders.
QUIDDITCH CLUB WINS GOLD IN EASTERN REGIONAL QUIDDITCH CHAMPIONSHIP The Guelph Gryphons and Royal City Quidditch, the school’s two Quidditch teams, prepared for this major tournament with hours of practice through rain, mud, and near- freezing temperatures. These conditions helped prepare our teams for the rain and snow experienced at times throughout the tournament. Our Gryphon Quidditch team won the gold medal and a berth to compete in the National Championship.
RINGETTE CLUB WINS BRONZE AT THE UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE CUP The Gryphons Ringette Team captured the Bronze Medal in thrilling fashion at this year’s University Challenge Cup, hosted by Wilfrid Laurier University.
gryphons.ca [ 9 ]
INTERCOLLEGIATE
6 83 varsity athletes
228 ACADEMIC AWARD WINNERS
95 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY PARTICIPANTS
CHAMPIONSHIPS
48 U SPORTS
all-canadians
2 U SPORTS coach
5 oua
102 oua
3 OUA COACH
championships
allstars
of the year
OF THE YEAR
INTERCOLLEGIATE
2 U SPORTS
gryphons.ca [ 11 ]
#GRYPHO 4325
GRYPH FANS AT HOMECOMING
4942 GRYPH FANS AT FROSTY MUG
ONPRIDE 00 16 in attendance
00 15 in attendance
0 75 in attendance
00 95 in attendance for
49 49 total volleyball
59 66 total basketball
for queens cup
for soccer day
for rugby day
district 1 friday night lights
attendance
attendance
13203
16 17 1
total Men’s hockey attendance
total football attendance gryphons.ca [ 13 ]
16.3K
F THE TOP POST O
G
YEAR!
MARCH 8TH, 2019
FOLLOWERS
6.9M
HONS IMPRESSIONS
5.3K
AVERAGE REACH TWITTER
14K
FOLLOWERS
8.9M
IMPRESSIONS FACEBOOK
7.9K
FOLLOWERS
486,561 FOLLOWERS
1688 likes
22,000 reach
15%
engagement
GRYP YOUTUBE
37,900 TOTAL VIEWS
PODCAST
Gryph Nation Radio launched on Thursday, June 25, 2020. The official podcast of the Guelph Gryphons was created with the goal of delivering a wide range of Gryphon-related topics, with guests from both the past and the present, while celebrating some of the biggest successstories from those who have worn the Gryphon logo and represented the University of Guelph with pride. The Gryph Nation Radio podcast is produced by the Department of Athletics GryphVision team and is available for listeners across all platforms, with episodes made available on a weekly basis.
16
EPISODES RELEASED
6456 total listens FROM
7+
COUNTRIES
gryphons.ca [ 15 ]
S.A.M PROGRAM The Student Athlete Mentorship (S.A.M.) Program was created to be a resource for all student-athletes, aimed at improving academic performance. Each year, mentors are selected from upper-year student-athletes who are empathetic, open-minded, and knowledgeable about campus resources. Each of the mentors has received training in both learning strategies as well as the referral process – training that helps support the needs of their fellow student-athletes. The S.A.M. Program also facilitates a number of free dropin workshops designed to help tackle issues and concerns of students like ‘Bounce Back from 1st Semester’, ‘Build Your Resume’, ‘Scholarships & Bursaries’ and ‘Eat Like an Athlete’.
“It’s amazing being able to talk to my mentor about any personal, academic, or athletic problems I’ve faced. I was always guided and given the best quote from advice” -student-athlete The S.A.M. Program provides a supportive study space monitored by mentors for student-athletes to get their homework done and ask for help. These spaces are set up around campus, and include the library and the athletics centre.
THE AVERAGE STUDENT-ATHLETE GPA HAS INCREASED BY 2.65% SINCE S.A.M BECAME MANDATORY FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENT-ATHLETES
S.A.M AWARD The Student-Athlete Mentor (“SAM”) award recognizes a mentor who develops meaningful relationships with student-athletes, helps student-athletes to develop a positive academic and athletic identity, demonstrates personal and professional integrity and contributes to the development of a unique student-athlete culture of learning.
2019/20 S.A.M Award Recipient Clayton White // Men’s Rowing
Over his three years as a SAM Mentor, Clayton dedicated himself to building relationships with studentathletes. Clayton always had time for his mentees, he knows the value of connecting and could often be seen meeting with his mentees for as long as it took for them to feel prepared. He consistently worked to improve the SAM program, with new ideas and thoughtful analysis of challenges.
STUDENT-ATHLETE GPAs
Before S.A.M
After S.A.M
Gryphon Student-Athletes spend time at local schools, inspiring all kids to be healthy, smart, and bold. Healthy emotional and social development in early years lay the foundation for mental health and resilience throughout life. An estimated 1.2 million children and youth in Canada are affected by mental illness. Our youth need role models and leaders in our community to look up to, and the Gryphons have your back. Gryphon student-athletes have been setting an excellent example for Guelph’s youth through the Believe to Achieve Community Outreach Program sponsored by McDonald’s. The goal of the program, which was created in 2005 but recently was rejuvenated after a hiatus, is for Gryphons to be visible leaders in the community and become agents of positive social change. As a result, Gryphon athletes have been going into local schools and providing presentations to the youth in the school. These annual school visits aren’t just valuable for the kids – but the athletes are benefitting, as well.
Participating in Believe to Achieve has provided me an opportunity to learn from others, and share my passionsays Kaitlin Lowy, a Geography student, two-time McCaw Cup-winning, and National Champion Captain on the Gryphons’
women’s hockey team. “I learned about the difficulties that kids are facing today and how a positive voice and role model, such as the Believe to Achieve ambassadors, can have a positive impact on these students’ lives.” Believe to Achieve is structured so that Gryphon athletes grow into their roles as ambassadors, stressing the importance of the “4 Quarters,” health, academics, teamwork, and community. The Athletes team up to deliver presentations that cover the four quarters, while providing the overarching message that “success is a winding road” which was the theme of this past year’s Believe to Achieve program. Student-athletes, Victoria Di Caro (lacrosse), Charlotte Ward (cross country), Brodie Schmidt (rugby), Kaitlin Lowy (hockey), Connor Black (cross country), and Valerie Lamenta (hockey) were this year’s program participants. Each presentation provided inspiration to the young students in the audience, who were awed by the decorated Gryphons. The athletes presentations resonated with the young people across the city.
embraced the opportunity to have an impact on this community and Believe to Achieve is a great example of how that is possible. The thoughtful presentations our Gryphons have put together really allow them to connect with these kids. We want Believe to Achieve to be a national model for other universities to follow.” The bond formed between the Gryphon athletes and the local school students throughout Guelph is lasting.
Hopefully, through sharing my story, I was able to inspire at least one student to follow their passion, whatever that may be, and never let setbacks stop them from reaching their goals, says Lamenta. “Because success is a winding road.”
“Our Gryphon athletes really understand that their commitment to the University of Guelph and this city isn’t limited to what they do on the field of play,” said Director of Athletics, Scott McRoberts. “They have
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THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS & PARTNERS! Naming Right Corporate Partners
Recruitment Luncheon VIP Suite & Gryphon Leadership Academy
Gryphon Leadership Academy
Premier Partners
A DIRECT TRAVEL® COMPANY
Food & Beverage Partners
Hotel & Conference Centres
Jr Gryphon Partners Guelph Youth Volleyball Association Guelph Youth Basketball Association Guelph Minor Hockey Association Guelph Girls Hockey Association Guelph Minor Football Association Guelph Curling Club Guelph Soccer Club Guelph Rugby Football Club Guelph Special Olympics Basketball
THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS & PARTNERS! Scholarship Partners
Charity & Awareness Partners
National Advertising Partners
Media Partners
Fundraising Properties
