SportsXpress Brantford May/June 2014

Off the beaten track

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MAY/JUNE 2014

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editor’snote Welcome to SportsXpress, a magazine all about local sports — the players, teams, families, volunteers and fans. We publish real life stories on the full range of community sports and include all ages and skill levels. Every fan, parent, and sports enthusiast can participate by sharing their experiences with other fans.

We want you to make SportsXpress your magazine and www.SportsXpress.ca your website, by sending in your comments, story ideas, opinions, articles and photos. Get in the game with us and be connected with your local community sports!

Give us a call at (519) 208-9302 ext 204 or email Braden Lindsay at bradenl@sportsxpress.ca. ~ from the SportsXpress team

sportsfiles

Entertaining, informative and engaging articles on local athletes, sports and teams.

10 | D&D United Matial Arts teaches more than martial arts 12 | FIFA World Cup 2014 Match Schedule 15 | Tips from Cypster 16 | Get past hockey stereotyping 20 | The Fishing Trip 22 | Off the beaten track

fromthesidelines

Fans, parents and sports groups share their opinions and experiences.

08 | Bullying: Not just children

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health&fitness

Informative articles on sports health and fitness

05 | Happy Days and Memorable Moments at Days Inn Brantford 06 | Rourke Weaver’s story of triumph over addiction: Turning severe alcoholism into an athletic passion

sports@school

Highlighting articles on all school sports and athletes.

19 | Want to make the NCAA? Don’t get SAT timing wrong

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MAY/JUNE 2014 Check out our website at www.BrantSportsXpress.ca PUBLISHER

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SportsXpress Corporate 519.208.9302 www.sportsxpress.ca Leisha Senko Britt Cobean Boston Pizza, Donna Marie Stewart, Economic Development & Tourism Brantford, Brantford Days Inn, Kyle Morrison, Sputnik, Phillip Millar, Goo’s Take-out, Bauer, D&D United Martial Arts, www.fifa.com, Studio 5.6.7.8, Cyprian McFarlane, College Prospects of America Inc., Gregg Sutch, Taylor Christie, Lynne Joseph, Rembos, Brantford Kia, Gregory C. McNeill, The Lung Association, Brantford Sports Xcelerator Centre, SportsXpress Team and community sports fans.

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Reproduction or transmission of any article, photograph or artwork in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher is prohibited. SportsXpress is published six times per year. For detailed circulation information, contact Sports Express Media Inc. Sports Express Media Inc. is committed to protecting your privacy as our customer. We may collect personal information only if it is required for the proper functioning of our business and only share this information with our business partners. The editors and contributors who write for Sports Express Media Inc. attempt to provide accurate and useful information and commentary. However, the editors, contributors and Sports Express Media Inc. cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information. We assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any readers based on the information provided. view & upload Photos • Video • Articles TM

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health&fitness

Happy Days and Memorable Moments at Days Inn Brantford Submitted by Donna Marie Stewart, Economic Development & Tourism Brantford Located at 460 Fairview Drive, Days Inn Brantford offers clean, affordable accommodations for travel of all types and has several years of experience serving participants of local tournaments.

“We give sports teams the VIP treatment,” says Adam Klukowski, General Manager.

Days Inn Brantford offers competitive

Brantford,” says Klukowski.

Established in 2005, Days Inn Brantford offers 75 air-conditioned rooms, with free Wi-Fi and local calls, free parking and free breakfast. Their friendly and accommodating staff go all out to meet team needs.

Surrounded by restaurants, shopping malls and only a few blocks from major sports facilities; this hotel has everything your team will need to have a memorable experience while in Brantford. Other services include a fitness centre, express checkout and satellite television.

Klukowski invites all sports teams to, “come experience our hospitality, great rates and added value services during your next tournament. It is our privilege to serve you!”

group rates, free meeting rooms and other special discounts including free passes to the nearby Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre swimming pool and gym facilities. We do this to enhance our guest’s experience.

Complimentary breakfast is served each morning in our brand new 50-seat breakfast room, easily accommodating hungry sports teams.

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health&fitness

Rourke Weaver’s story of triumph over addiction: Turning severe alcoholism into an athletic passion Kyle Morrison, Laurier Brantford Student and Sports Editor at the Sputnik There is a lot more to sports than what everyone sees on television. They are one of the most positive outlets for people to change how they feel about themselves, and sports are a way for friendships and communities to bond. Nobody embodies this more than Boulder, Colorado native, Rourke Weaver.

Weaver’s life has changed drastically with the help of sports like rock climbing, snowboarding, boxing and Brazilian Jujitsu and, without them, he might not have been alive to share the dark story of his addiction to alcohol and the toll it had taken on his life.

The first time he remembers being drunk was at the age of 12, going upstairs and drinking out of the liquor cabinet with a couple of his friends.

According to Weaver, something clicked that he could not shake.

“I remember thinking ‘this is what it was all about’,” he reminisces.

Rourke Weaver, Courtesy of Phoenix Multisport staff.

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However, getting caught by his parents, accompanied with the punishment and anger that followed, scared him out of drinking again until his sophomore year of high school, which was the turning point into when his alcohol use and life spiraled out of control, being charged with a DUI (driving under the influence) and three times with an MIP (minor in possession), all before barely graduating.

He got accepted into a small community college in which Weaver feels he had no right being enrolled in located in a small Colorado ski town called Steamboat and during the three years in which he lived there, his alcoholism completely took over his life. Nothing was going to stop him from getting that next drink to stay on his alcohol fuelled high, not even court-ordered daily breathalyzers. Like clockwork, he got up every single day to get drunk.

“Maybe a couple days over the next three years [in Steamboat] that I was actually sober,” Weaver recalls. “It made me sleep better because I started having withdrawals … so, I’d have a couple more drinks to sleep a little better.”

By the end of his time in Steamboat, the toll on his body from his alcoholism began to show: his hands shriveled up; he had multiple withdrawal seizures while working, leading to him losing his job and he had constant auditory hallucinations. What’s so disturbing is that none of this discouraged him from drinking. “[My hands] just wouldn’t work,” he says. “I was 20 at the time, going on 21… and the most humiliating thing was that I’d go into this bar, be poured a doubleshot into a glass and drink it through a straw because I couldn’t pick it up – my hands were shaking so bad.”

He couldn’t handle sinking this low and the pity and sorrow it caused his friends to see, so he tried to quit, but it caused him the strongest withdrawal symptoms yet, being accompanied not only by auditory hallucinations, but visual ones as well. He simply wanted to die.

A friend found him in his dilapidated apartment and took him to a hospital where he was strapped down and kept in the ICU for four days before being awoken by doctors, police officers and his parents – not being sober was no longer an option.

He promised his mother that he didn’t have a problem and that he could go at least a month without touching any alcohol, but he never got that far. After what he thought was a month of sobriety, he went out and celebrated with his friends, got drunk and returned home to find his mother waiting for him. She was so upset that he didn’t keep his promise, even though Weaver assured her that it had been a month of sobriety.

“My mom pointed at the calendar and it had only been two weeks,” Weaver said.

His mind tricked him into thinking that he had gone a month without alcohol just so he could drink again.

The extent of Weaver’s alcoholism finally sunk in when he was driving drunk to pick up his brother from high school to see their grandfather on his deathbed.

The disappointment on all of his family’s faces was too much to bear. His mother took him outside and explained that she couldn’t take it.

“It’s an important thing for parents to realize that they can’t save their kid,” Weaver says.

“I was given everything in the world [from my parents], all the love they could

health&fitness give me, but I was still an alcoholic. And [my mom] finally set some boundaries.”

Weaver checked into a detox clinic and went through an IOP (Intensive Outpatient Program), a 90-day monitored recovery program. He lasted 28 days before St. Patrick’s Day rolled around and he relapsed. This was the end of the line for his parents and they kicked him out of the house for good.

“There’s nothing I can equate to putting the one who loved you and raised you through that kind of hell,” Weaver says. “To make a person look at her child and tell them they’re not welcome anymore. It is pain I can’t even explain.”

A homeless Weaver couch-surfed for a while, at the lowest point of his life, and asked his best friend for five dollars to buy a sandwich but instead bought alcohol.

“It’s difficult to explain, but there were only two options in my head,” Weaver explained. “Either drink this 40 or blow my brains out. I was ready to go.”

At that moment, he feared being sober so much that he would rather kill himself than try and go through with it. But a few phone calls from a friend made a lightning bolt of realization strike him. He knew that he had to do whatever it took to get sober and April, 12 will mark the seventh anniversary of not touching a single drink for Rourke Weaver.

But it was through a second IOP pro-

gram and the 12 step process of sobriety that led him to Phoenix Multisport, that without he’s not sure if he could’ve kept it up. Phoenix Multisport is a free athletic organisation that encourages recovering alcoholics and other substance abusers

sage that you can be successful,” Weaver says. “I took that in my own recovery and changed my mindset… it showed me how to have a relationship with my family, how to get a job, how to pay rent… a lot of it came from that encouragement on the rock wall.”

And he certainly did become successful. After only two years of sobriety and climbing, he was able to climb 18,000 ft in the air on Mt. Illimani in Bolivia with his new found close friend Strode by his side.

“I was a complete wreck two years ago – my life was over and I was about to kill myself and here I am in Bolivia climbing major peaks, hanging out with a great friend of mine,” Weaver recalls.

But Weaver feels his greatest athletic achievement was in Brazilian Jujitsu three years ago in which he captured gold in a tournament in Las Vegas.

“I won this competition that I just didn’t even believe was possible,” Weaver says. “I just didn’t want to get kicked out first round.”

Sports gave Weaver something to look forward to – he turned alcohol, the addiction that controlled him, into a driving force that allowed him to grow as a person. Each day he is a little better and staying sober is a little easier because there is a new wall to climb or a new challenge that he loves to try and accomplish.

“I remember thinking ‘this is what it was all about’,” Rourke Weaver reminisces. to use sports to develop the confidence and strength necessary to stay sober. He was approached by founder Scott Strod, a former substance abuser himself, to check out the program.

Phoenix took advantage of one of Colorado’s best features, the Rockies, with their main offerings being rock climbing, hiking and mountain biking.

With Weaver being a native Coloradan, these were all things he grew up with and were so important because it allowed him to reconnect with one of the only other things that he knew that wasn’t alcohol. He fell in love with rock climbing, something that was once so familiar to him. He now wanted to be sober so he could continue to improve his strength as a rock climber.

“There weren’t a lot of wins in my life… to go up and climb and then come back down was the smallest piece of ‘hey, you can succeed at something.’ And to see your skill level rise that was a little mes-

*Originally published in The Sputnik, Laurier Brantford’s Independent Newspaper.

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fromthesidelines

Bullying: Not just children

By Phillip Millar Anyone in sports knows that the competitive environment surrounding sport promotes intense competition. And every one of us has experienced the overzealous parent who pushes the boundaries in their support of their child or their team.

This observation is made in the context of recent media stories exposing the real danger bullying poses to our children.

It’s ironic though, that we, as adults, condemn and prosecute children for bullying in schools, yet we tolerate it on the soccer field and in the hockey arena. We see grown men (and sometimes women) yelling at youth referees, screaming at opposing coaches, and criticizing our own players and intimidating with subdued threats of violence.

But yet, we tolerate it. Coaches ignore it, and if the offending parent’s child is skilled, clubs avoid confronting it.

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Responsible parents on the sidelines look the other way. All the time, our kids watch bullying behaviour in adults expressed on the field and they see it occur without consequence. Kids notice when adults do not take action against unacceptable behaviour. They judge us as hypocrites when we lecture them not to tolerate bad behaviour in the schoolyard.

Yet we, as parents, tolerate it on the field and on the rink.

Perhaps we can lead by example and stand up to other adults who bully children. Perhaps this will send a stronger message to our children than any of our lectures about how ‘they’ should act.

Because, in reality, the bullying parent’s child is often expressing bullying behaviour already. Because dad does it, the behaviour is normalized.

Clubs, associations, coaches, manag-

ers, parents, referees, and kids should stand up to adult bullying that occurs in plain view. Our kids are watching our actions more than they are listen to our words.

My recommendation is that clubs adopt clear policies on parental behaviour and abuse of officials and kids.

Teams and their coaches must be clear that it won’t be tolerated and they must be prepared to lose their best player if the parent is not a good example.

As parents, we might show a little courage and stand up to bullying in our midst, at least before we ask kids to do what we have failed to do ourselves.

Phillip Millar is a lawyer, former Assistant Crown Attorney and Combat Officer in the Canadian Forces who practices in London Ontario. He represents clients injured by forces beyond their control.

sportsfiles

Teaches more than martial arts Submitted by D&D United Martial Arts Being a positive role model is a powerful form of education. A role model is a person whose behaviour, success, values and attitudes are regarded by others as a good example to follow. D & D United Martial Arts is a local dojo that focuses on teaching their students to be positive role models for fellow students and the community. The leadership program allows students to take this a step further,

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becoming active team leaders at D & D United.

The youngest students at this dojo are in “the Little Dragons” and “Karate Kids” programs. Children in this age group are at a young and impressionable age. The kinder programs are designed to teach children discipline, respect, co-ordination, fitness, concentration and focus.

They allow those in the leadership program to be positive role models for the younger members.

Tracey Levett believes that sometimes the characters you see on TV may be popular, but they are not good role models.

“I like to look for role models that are actually approachable in real life, and not just on a screen,” says Levett.

Many other parents have mentioned that it is very hard to find role models

for their children who provide positive inspiration. They are aware that a healthy role model can have a powerful influence on their children, helping them to realize their potential. These positive examples directly influence confidence and teach children to create attainable goals by providing direction. Children learn what they live; they are constantly watching, listening and following.

“I keep my children away from negative role models; I am quite happy with the leadership staff at D & D. What my child learns at the club transfers to school,” says Greg Thompson.

“Everyone gets along at the club and everyone belongs. That is what keeps my children at the dojo. The camaraderie doesn’t have to do with age, everyone is included” says Miranda Element.

“I find that having our kids involved with sports helps with finding good role models. They watch the older children and adults involved and they look up to them,” says Debbie Morris.

One of the leadership students, Kelsey Cooper, started off in the Karate Kids Program at the age of six. She has trained at the dojo for more than ten years now, and has achieved her second-

sportsfiles degree (Nidan) Black Belt and the title of Sempai (Assistant Instructor). During her karate career she has earned a total of 23 World Medals (two gold, thirteen silver and eight bronze), as well as 2012 Team Canada MVP. Kelsey joined the D & D leadership team when she was 13 years old because she recognized that the younger students were watching her and trying to be like her.

Miss Cooper, in more recent years, has been assisting in teaching classes. She teaches weapons and forms competition classes allowing younger students to learn from her experiences at the world level. She encourages them, instructs them and helps them improve their overall competitive performance. From Miss Cooper’s example a few of the younger students expressed an interest in beginning leadership; Miriam Levett is a 12-year-old red

belt who has earned two World Medals (one silver and one bronze) and Cameron Morris is a ten-year-old blue belt who has earned three World Medals (two silver

younger kids who are just starting out in karate and it makes me want to set a good example for them.”

Miriam joined the leadership program because it helps teach responsibility.

“I feel happy and respected when I am helping with the younger children,” says Miriam.

These amateur athletes inspire kids to start practicing and to learn good sportsmanship through a sense of competition through both winning and losing. Leadership students are aware that their choices not only affect themselves but also the children who are looking up to them. D & D United Martial Arts are proud of their young leadership students for teaching constant and never-ending improvement that ensures that all students become confident and well-rounded people.

“I find that having our kids involved with sports helps with finding good role models. They watch the older children and adults involved and they look up to them.” and one bronze).

Cameron enjoys being a part of the leadership program because it’s fun to watch the little kids learn.

“I like to teach them and help them learn,” says Cameron.

He began the program because he looks up to the black belts.

“It feels good to be a role model to the

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sportsfiles

Tips from the Cypster

By Cyprian McFarlane This will be my first installment of Recruiting Tips from the Cypster, in an effort to inform the masses about U.S. athletic recruiting, from a Canadian perspective.

When it comes to U.S. athletic recruiting, the early bird gets the worm. From my perspective, the most important thing is to start early. I’m baffled when I ask individuals in leadership positions about starting an athletic recruiting initiative and they say, “the kids are too young, we will wait until next year.”

One has to keep in mind that our Canadian kids are competing with their U.S. counterparts for scholarship dollars.

The U.S. kids and their parents are much more savvy and knowledgeable when it comes to many components of the U.S. athletic scholarship and recruiting landscape, and that puts our kids at a disadvantage.

In every sport, the coaches are after the best possible players and they are now recruiting those players earlier and earlier, especially in the female sports.

The top female soccer players are being scouted in grade 7 and grade 8, with many of them making verbal commitments in grade 9 and grade 10. In my experience, the top female soccer players are verbally committed before grade 11 starts.

Many of the schools I am in discussions with right now are finished their 2015 class (athletes born in 1997, currently in grade 11) and they are working on their 2016 (athletes born in 1998, currently in grade 10). A few of the top programs are working on their 2017 classes (athletes born in 1999, currently in grade 9).

Women’s basketball is what is catego-

rized as a headcount sport. In a headcount sport, every athlete on the roster gets a full athletic scholarship. Women’s soccer is an equivalency sport. For a fully funded women’s soccer program, the coach will have 14 full scholarships available. A women’s soccer roster typically has, on average, 25 players. As you can see, the coach will have a challenge with the allocation of scholarship dollars. It is much tougher to get a full athletic scholarship in an equivalency sport as the coach must spread the available scholarship money out among all of the players on the team. They will either offer a few players the lion’s share of their scholarship money or they will try to spread the money out, as best they can, amongst all of the players on the team. For athletes that are participating in an equivalency sport, staring earlier is even more imperative as those athletes need to be on the coaches’ radar so that they will be in consideration when decisions regarding scholarships are made.

In a given year, a school will graduate a certain number of positional players, and a certain amount of scholarship money becomes available. So, in your graduating year, if the school doesn’t have a need for a player in your position, it will be hard for you to get recruited to attend that school. Also, if the school isn’t graduating many players in your year then there won’t be much scholarship money available.

One doesn’t need to play on the Provincial Team or National Team to get a U.S. athletic scholarship. At issue is that when many people think of an athletic scholarship they think of the better known schools typically seen on ESPN, and that’s where they set their bar. In the

NCAA Division one and two there are over 600 schools that sponsor women’s soccer and offer scholarships, so there is a great amount of opportunity available.

If you are “scholarship material,” or if you think that your child has the ability to play at the university/college level in the U.S., it is imperative that you start the process early in order to maximize your chances of getting scholarship offers down the road — especially before the available scholarship money runs out.

Cyprian McFarlane is the President of McFarlane Athletic Recruiting Services Inc., a franchise of College Prospects of America. He is an expert in the US Recruiting Process. He helps talented student athletes in all sports, and their families, navigate through the complicated and confusing recruiting process.

www.cpoarecruit.com

Cyprian McFarlane

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sportsfiles

Get past hockey stereotyping

By Gregg Sutch It’s been a short while now since Terry Trafford was found dead in his truck, and the tragedy has been replaying over in my head, day in and day out. We all know the story of Trafford by now, but that’s not what I’m writing about. What I want to discuss is how we react to this tragedy.

• It’s pretty clear hockey needs a serious overhaul: • The face of Major Junior needs major reform.

• The way we view hockey players needs to change.

• Hockey players need to change the way we see ourselves.

For many of us, the words, “I am a hockey player” have become a social stigma. Hockey has become so overwhelming and blown out of proportion that it consumes our lives. We grow up playing hockey and, after a while, we allow hockey to define us. Hockey becomes who we are. Everything about us is related to hockey – the way we carry ourselves, the way we dress, the way we act and talk. It has become so prevalent that people can pick out hockey players in a crowd. Is that good?

Stereotypically, a hockey player is supposed to be a man’s man and as tough as nails so he doesn’t run the risk of being labelled a “baby” or “soft” by seeking help. If he admits he needs help, or doesn’t want to play anymore, he’ll forever lose the “tough-guy” image. When someone grows up that way, there is no way to face those fears. A hockey player has to suck it up and drag it out as long as he can including playing in the minors in remote cities at very low pay. Sometimes that’s all they know — I know because I’ve been there.

Being referred to as “soft” was one of my greatest fears when I moved on from playing hockey. This needs to change because if you continue to be overwhelmed and live with that fear, it will eat you up.

Not asking for help when you really do need it only intensifies the problem.

I know too many guys who continue

playing hockey in remote leagues, well into their early Gregg Sutch played in the Ontario Hockey 30s, because hockey is all League for five seasons (2008/09 to 2012/13). they know. At some point, we He finished his career with the Saginaw Spirit, all have to accept the reality where he was one of Terry Trafford’s line that there is life after hockey mates. Sutch, 22, was a first-round draft pick and move on. in the OHL and a fifth-round pick of the Buffalo Five years ago, I was in Sabres in the 2010 NHL entry draft. He is currently Los Angeles in a room with retired from hockey and will be writing on occasion NHLers John Tavares, Cam for Yahoo Sports.

Fowler, and Adam Larsson.

In a seminar conducted by You make it to the OHL and become a former actor and leadership pawn. You become an expendable piece consultant, Steve Shenbaum, who asked of the business and can be gone at any us to write down five things we valued time. It’s the dark side of the game. but we weren’t allowed to write hockey, Too much emphasis is put on the win family or friends. After 20 minutes, I had column rather than helping the players nothing on my paper. It was something develop into decent individuals. I can so simple, yet so alarming. I couldn’t honestly say that I only know a handthink of one thing I valued aside from ful of people in the hockey world that I the obvious. That day, I vowed to grow worked with that truly cared about me as myself as a person and value more than a person. These individuals know who they are because I’ve gone out of my way to acknowledge them for what they’ve done for me. I wouldn’t be who I am today without these men in my life, but to the rest, I was just a pawn. If I didn’t fit in with the team or the game plan, it was a quick fix just the obvious. That’s what helped me to ship me off somewhere else or sit me move on from the game because I knew I out. was more than just a hockey player.

Major Junior touts itself as a league Shenbaum called these five values where players get a good start on the “your coins” and told us to always carry them with us. He told us not to talk solely path to the NHL but, think about that for a second. You do realize how few guys about hockey when meeting people make the NHL, right? You realize just how because it’s really our values that make hard it is, right? us special.

Let me give you an example: I attended We see too many kids now who grow the Buffalo Sabres training camp for two up playing the game, and that’s all they years. Everyone there was trying to make know. In the event hockey is ripped away a team of 20-plus players out of three or – say a career ending injury or being cut four NHL draft years of AHL, CHL players, from a team – they no longer know who NCAA and regular NHL roster players. they are and that scares me. Kids need Did I mention you only have two years to to realize that there is more to live than prove yourself to get a contract? hockey.

So, instead the OHL trying to sell kids Pawns in the Junior game and their parents on a fast track to the From experience, I know that how we NHL, it would be better to start growing treat hockey players must also change. these kids as human beings. The League

“I can honestly say that I only know a handful of people in the hockey world that I worked with that truly cared about me as a person.”

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sportsfiles could develop them into well-rounded men who are prepared for the future – a future far beyond hockey. I was fortunate to play for Saginaw Spirit head coach Greg Gilbert who helped round me into a decent individual. It’s too bad there isn’t more emphasis on character development because many players only know and care about hockey.

The situation also has a lot to do with parents who don’t let their kids play the game for fun. Parents need to stop pushing their children to make it to the NHL. Parents need to let their children take their own life courses, develop and be the support system their childen need for that journey.

As players, we also need to take it upon ourselves to grow. I get it – you’re living the dream, no school, just play hockey, and not a worry on your mind.

But, waiting to do something for yourself until you’re done hockey or hockey is taken away from you, is like hitting a wall.

You need to do something for yourself to

prevent this from happening.

hockey talk.” When I heard this, it was refreshing. We all play so much hockey, it becomes consuming. If we can learn how to keep hockey at the rink and be a well-rounded individual away from the rink, we will grow so much more. You will develop more values than your obvious ones in hockey, family and friends.

Players, if there’s one thing I want you to all take away from this, it’s to change the way you view yourself, and for the way everyone else views you. Don’t let hockey define you, let hockey be the game you love to play. Let hockey be your enjoyment and your getaway but don’t let hockey be your life.

My biggest wish is for the junior leagues to start developing individuals and not just hockey players. When you treat 16 to 20 year-olds as pawns, they can’t handle it. Kids of all ages need to be allowed to play the game for fun. They have to chase their own dreams.

Play for the right reasons and carry your five coins with you when you do it!

If you need help, speak up.

I always spoke to my teammates if I needed someone to hear me out and I still do it now. Develop your support group. Don’t be afraid to talk to the boys because at the end of the day, we are one big family and only we understand each other. Your coaches should be able to help too; hopefully they are there to help you in ways that are more than just hockey related.

Billets should help the players by not turning a blind eye if you think something weird is going on.

Boys, we are more than just hockey players so we need to discover more about ourselves. As an example, when NHLer Matt Duchene lived with veteran Adam Foote in Colorado, Duchene was one of those “eat, sleep, hockey” guys and Foote caught onto that quickly.

Foote, a perennial hockey player, had one rule for Duchene: “Talk hockey at the rink, but once you leave the rink, no more

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Want to make the NCAA? Don’t get SAT timing wrong Submitted by Taylor Christie If you’re a Canadian who aspires to play in the U.S.’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), writing the SAT or ACT tests is going be a part of getting there. The question for many of these athletes come the ages of 16, 17 and 18 is, when should I write the SAT? The simple answer is that you should write your first SAT sometime during grade 11.

Most athletes get this answer wrong because the prevailing belief among Canadians is that they’ll write the test once they’re being scouted or once an NCAA program has shown interest in recruiting them. In some ways I can understand this approach because a Canadian who doesn’t get offered a spot on an NCAA team will likely pursue post secondary programs that don’t require an SAT score. Therefore, they likely think, “I won’t bother with the SAT until I know I’m probably good enough to land a scholarship offer.” Here’s why that’s not often the best approach.

Too often, when college coaches go recruiting in Canada, they hear the same thing from 18 and 19-year-olds. They either haven’t written the SAT, they’re planning to, or they recently wrote it and didn’t get a good score so they’re planning on writing it again. These circumstances aren’t deal breakers, but it cer-

tainly doesn’t reflect well on an athlete who apparently has the goal of making it to the NCAA. What do you think these same coaches hear when they go recruiting in the U.S. and talk to 18 and 19-year-olds who have had it ingrained in them to write their first SAT in grade 11? More often than not,

prove their program. Part of being eligible for an academic scholarship involves having a good test score. Therefore, as an athlete, you owe it to yourself to try and get the best score you can.

The American high school system encourages students to write the SAT in grade 11 because it allows them another chance to improve their score by writing the test again in grade 12. As a Canadian competing for a spot in the NCAA, Americans often end up being your main competition. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to mimic their system of preparing for the SAT in order to put your best foot forward, both athletically and academically.

“The Simple Answer is that you should write your first SAT sometime during grade 11.” they have an SAT score in hand which then expedites the recruiting process, makes the coach’s job easier and reflects positively on the athlete.

For example, a college coach is trying to decide between two very similar players for one spot on my team. One of the players has a solid SAT score in hand while the other one hasn’t written the SAT or worse yet, hasn’t planned to write it. Which player do you think this coach is more likely to make a scholarship offer to?

In addition, college coaches are constantly looking to augment their rosters with athletes who are eligible for academic scholarships. This is because having an athlete on part academic scholarship could potentially save athletic scholarship money that can then be spent on other athletes in an effort to im-

Increasing Athletic Opportunity through Academic Preparation Taylor Christie is Program Director at Cognition Prep. Cognition Prep provides interactive online tutoring services to for test prep and regular high school subjects. The Cognition Prep online platform allows students to communicate with their instructor in real time and demonstrate concepts to one another. For questions about the SAT, ACT , Cognition Prep, or NCAA academic eligibility, please contact Taylor by calling (416) 799-8560, sending an email to info@cognitionprep.com or visiting cognitionprep.com.

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sportsfiles

The Fishing Trip Submitted by Lynne Joseph The trees were wearing their best Fall colours, reds and oranges, yellows and browns painted the hills with a brilliant picture for all to see. It was the third week of September, the week of the great fishing trip.

The truck and the trailer had been packed for almost a week in anticipation. It was to be a whole week of relaxation, fishing and fun.

This would be our third year.

This year we were going to get the 40-pounder. It didn’t matter which of us caught the monster. Either way, we would get salmon steaks for the BBQ for ourselves and our friends.

It was midnight when we left. Oh, we

had planned to leave at three a.m. but since we were both excited and more than ready to be on the road, we decided to start then and there. It was absolutely pitch black when we left, and chilly.

About an hour on the road and it started

It is amazing how it’s the little towns that keep the local Timmy’s open all night.

By five a.m., we were showing signs of wearing down. It seemed that the two hour trade off stint took longer, and longer, at least for me. Every time it was his turn to ride, he would sleep.

I could not get comfortable in the truck with the radio on, the windshield wipers slapping out their time, the trucks with their glaring lights going the other way and the bump and thump of the trailer hooked on behind us.

By seven a.m., it was debatable who was the more bleary-eyed. We decided to stop and rest. At 11 a.m. we were ready to continue our journey. It is normally about a 12 hour drive. We were somewhat behind our schedule. Once actually in Sault Ste. Marie, we did some last minute shopping for the essentials, milk, meat, pork and beans and sandwich makings. We arrived at the camp ground about four p.m. and within an hour we had set up camp.

Having had dinner about six p.m., dishes done, we sat down to make plans for the next day. It had finally stopped raining. This was a good thing. It meant that the road, which was not a road but a rutted, rocky, pot holed path through trees to a hidden river, was our next challenge. If previous fishermen, intent upon their prey, had gone through and cleared the path, filled the holes with tree branches, and marked the worst stumps and rocks, then it should only take us about an hour at snails pace to get there. The road itself that led to this path was at least passable. Partly paved, then finally graveled, it was almost wide enough for two vehicles, if they were very careful passing. After a game of cards we went to sleep and dreamed of the king of the salmon waiting for us to pluck him from the water.

Morning came bright and beautiful. It was five-thirty a.m. We hurried through breakfast, made sandwiches and soup

“After a game of cards we went to sleep and dreamed of the king of the salmon waiting for us to pluck him from the water.” to rain. Wonderful! I just loved driving in the rain, not! We traded off every two hours and pulled into every Tim Hortons that we could find open on the highway.

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sportsfiles for the thermos and were on our way. My husband had been here before, he know the road well. We spent a few panicked minutes picking our way over the last few yards of rocks and branches, praying the truck would not break through and we were there.

A clearing had been cut for parking purposes.

The river was shallow and wide.

In the morning sun you could see the huge fish jumping. I waded into the cold water and threw out my line.

Nothing happened. I tried again, and still nothing. So it went all morning. I do not know whether I was using the wrong bait or if the fish were just too smart. We went up to our truck to have lunch. At this point I was ready to pack it in. The people around me were catching fish, why wasn’t I? After lunch we climbed down the slippery muddy bank back into the water.

By now there was a shady spot on the opposite side of the river. With all my might I cast out and the lure fell into the shallow shaded spot. I felt a tug and then another. The next pull nearly took me off

my feet. I had a king. I started reeling in as the brute came at me. Just as I could see him, he turned tail and ran the other way. The reel sang as the line went back out. Again, he turned to run at me and I reeled in line. And again, he turned and ran the other way. This went on for nearly half an hour. I was beginning to think that my arms were going to drop off.

This fish was a whopper. He was not going to be the fish that got away if I could help it.

With the last run he made I started to back up. I figured that if I got him into the shallows he would not be able to run again. Back and back I went, walking carefully, keeping the line tight. Now I could see him. He was right in front of me.

He was huge and I was to discover he also had teeth, big ones, much like those a terrier dog might have. He was hooked

solid. As I got hold of him, he flipped nearly taking me off my feet. The biggest fish I had ever caught was a 28-inch pike. This monster was nearly four feet in length. The big fish tried to struggle out of my grip. Finally, I had some help.

My husband held him while I took out the hook. We put him on a leader in the water to keep him alive until we finished fishing for the day. He weighed in at 42.2 lbs. I found a big, round rock and sat down. It felt like I had gone several rounds with a prizefighter, but I had gotten my fish. I was very happy.

We went back to the cabin that evening, starving and very happy with our catch. Including mine, we had our limit for the day. Once cleaned and filleted, the fish would keep us eating all winter long.

The next morning I found that I could only walk with care. The bruises on my arms were purple in colour and many in number. I stayed back at the cabin to read. However, each time I looked at the freezer, I had to smile. When up here, we see God’s work, his hand on everything, from the morning mist to the magnificent animals jumping and splashing in the water.

It is definitely God’s country!

“By now there was a shady spot on the opposite side of the river. With all my might I cast out and the lure fell into the shallow shaded spot. I felt a tug and then another. The next pull nearly took me off my feet.”

“Now I could see him.

He was right in front of me. I was to discover he also had teeth, big ones, much like those a terrier dog might have.”

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sportsfiles

Off the beaten track

By Gregory C. McNeill Wikipedia gives the origin of Cyclocross as a cycling sport developed by road racers out of a need to train off-season during the winter: ‘European road racers in the early 1900s would race each other to the next town over from them and that they were allowed to cut through farmer’s fields, over fences or take any other shortcuts in order to make it to the next town first.’

Not much has changed from those early days. In a bizarre dance with nature during the rainy and sometimes freezing cold of Fall, participants continue to use drop-bar bicycles with knobby tires. Even though these ruffians aren’t jumping barbed-wire fences, they continue the age-old tradition of shouldering their bikes to ascend, well, much more civilized structures.

The spectators too must be toughened, for they will be subject to the same cruel and usual punishment of Mother Nature. Prudence demands warm and sometimes waterproof outerwear, and who can go wrong with a good set of boots to navigate the possible mud?

The only solace one can take back from the suffering is the memory of a chance moment when Murphy’s Law shall be invoked. This event is relived in the days and months following, with friends telling tales of sorted stories beginning with the words, ‘you should have seen

when …’ and usually followed by a description of a cyclist sliding down a hill, only to arise with a huge smile. These people are more akin to a Canadian Soldier attacking Vimy Ridge, surely not a modern day cyclist.

Cyclocross is indeed a strange sport: people with beards, almost looking like Voyageurs, with the exception of being dressed in sponsorship gear (and sometimes that sponsorship being the local brewing company) letting it all hang out, having a good time. There are smiles for the most part amongst the racers, but we shouldn’t look for perfection when viewing these expressions. For as with all types of competition, where there is sadness, there is madness.

When one attends a viewing of such a race, a strange noise is heard. This sound, common in ice hockey rinks all over the Prairies, and also common on the local dairy farm, is the cowbell. Yes, that churchlike pleasing ring, to denote where the cows range, and a friendly cue from a fan summoning the Cyclocross gods to propel those gladiators to victory.

Oh, more cowbell please!

Cyclocross was never consistent or very popular here in North America prior to the 1980s, but there were sports magazines, like Bicycling, which could be purchased in any local grocery store, showing the European Cyclocross ‘scene’.

“Cyclocross as a cycling sport developed by road racers out of a need to train off-season during the winter.”

“Cyclocross is indeed a strange sport: people with beards, almost looking like Voyageurs, with the exception of being dressed in sponsorship gear (and sometimes that sponsorship being the local brewing company) letting it all hang out, having a good time.”

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The sport gained slowly in popularity throughout the 1980s, and then it became quite popular in the 1990s.

Recently, it appears that this sport is exploding, and spin-off sports are now being generated, like Gravel racing and Ultra-Endurance racing.

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