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Caitlyn Spurr
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Caitlyn Spurr shares on personal and team growth
Cougars women’s volleyball team is back and more grounded than ever
victoria baht sports writer
This past week, the University of Regina Cougars women’s volleyball team played against Winnipeg. The game was intense, with multiple points made by multiple teammates, and the student-athlete we spoke with for this article, Caitlyn Spurr, scored eight points herself. With a final score of 2522 for Winnipeg it sounded like a tough game, but the team is working hard. So, this week, let’s get to know one of the game leaders! Spurr plays on the left side, is a team captain, comes from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and has been playing volleyball for 10 years. She has been playing for the Cougars for four years now while studying and is in her fourth year of Nursing.
What previous leagues or camps have you gone to that helped you train to become a Cougar?
“From a very young age the importance of work ethic was instilled in me, which led to playing multiple sports at a high-level including Team Saskatchewan Soccer from 2014-2017, Team Saskatchewan Volleyball from 2015-2018, and I also played high school basketball and participated in track. Leading up to becoming a Cougar, I played for Saskatchewan Stealth Club where my coaches supported me tremendously and prepared me for the next level of volleyball.”
How does the volleyball team train on a weekly basis?
“We practice Monday to Friday for two and a half hours a day (…), and we also have three team work-outs a week and additional programmed cardio workouts. On the days when we have a game, we practice in the morning in order to prepare for the evening game.”
Do you have a personal goal for yourself during this season? What is your team’s goal?
“Our team goal is to win the National Championship. When we sat down as a team to decide on what our goal for the season was going to be, it was important for us to set the bar high because for us, the sky is the limit. We are determined to work hard every day, enjoy the process, and do what it takes to achieve our goal.” “As a captain on the team, my personal goal for the season is
to give generously to my team on and off the court, and spread love and joy to my teammates. One thing I have learned is that there is so much power in the simple love of a sport, and bringing this to the court every day helps those around me.”
What techniques and skills do you think are required for volleyball?
“Like any sport, work ethic is the number one thing that is required. Volleyball is a very specialized sport, and it takes a lot of mental discipline.”
Arthur Images There are few better feelings than spiking clean through the defense.
Have you coached any teams in the past? Or, if you want to coach a team in the future, can you explain why and what you think are important aspects about coaching?
“I have coached many different kids sport camps and volleyball camps over the years. I believe every child should have the opportunity to be involved in sport as sport has given me many incredible opportunities, and taught me life skills such as time management, leadership, communication, and work ethic. In addition, participation in sports teaches teamwork and fosters re-
– Caitlyn Spurr
lationships all while having fun and playing the games the kids love.”
What is your favourite part about playing with the Cougars so far?
“My favourite part about playing for the cougars is the relationships I have built with my teammates and the coaching staff. I also love the competitive environment of being pushed to be my best every day. Playing a high-level sport has shown me that everyone can spread joy. and impact others with the power of kindness. For this reason, I work each day to encourage those around me whether it be on the court, classroom, or on the street with a stranger.”
What are some other important things people should know about your team?
“As a Cougars athlete, it has been very important to recognize that in addition to the University, we are also leaders in the community. Therefore, it is important that our team takes part in service initiatives and demonstrates our commitment to bettering the lives of those around us. As a team we have volunteered lots of time with various Sask volleyball initiatives
as well as Special Olympics Saskatchewan. Personally, because I have been significantly impacted by cancer, I have been called to volunteering for different Cancer fundraising initiatives including the Terry Fox Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society and Small but Mighty SK. I have been volunteering for The Terry Fox Foundation for over 10 years and in that time, I have raised over $25,000.”
How does your team “work as a team” on and off the court?
“The connection our team has on and off the court is unique because we all genuinely care about one another. As a team, we have learned that there is something very powerful about looking each other in the eye and saying, ‘I believe in you,’ or ‘You can do this.’ I am very excited (to) watch our team grow throughout the season.”
How has COVID-19 affected your team?
“Last week we played our first match in 630 days, and I think when you face an obstacle as impactful as COVID, something our team learned is that the only thing we can control is our response. Response to the adversity, response to the challenge of not having court time for months, gyms being closed, and many others. Personally, it came down to asking myself the question of, okay, what can I do today that will make me better and more prepared so when we do step back on the court, I am ready to go? And, now that we are finally able to play again, I think collectively as a team one thing we learned is that every single day we step on the court is a gift that cannot be taken for granted.”
What does the rest of the season look like for the Cougars?
“Our season is just starting! Our first home games are Nov 12 and 13 at 6 pm against the Brandon Bobcats. Then in January we are at home two weekends in a row: January 14 and 15 at 6 pm against Winnipeg Wesmen, and January 21 against the U of S Huskies.”
Gay, nonbinary, and a potential Olympian? Please tell me more…
gillian massie staff writer
Timothy Leduc, an openly gay figure skater from the United States, has paved the way of excellence in sport, and resiliency in the world sports web. LeDuc and Ashley Cain-Gribble compete in pairs figure skating through thick and thin. Both still compete at international figure skating events and are a pair to keep an eye on both on the ice and through activism in 2SLGBTQ+ rights.
LeDuc first revealed that they knew they were gay as a child, reading a book about figure skating. Being a young child in a hetero-normative atmosphere can lead to large amounts of anxiety when you do not have anyone who you feel you can talk to about your feelings. LeDuc states they typically felt this way as a child and wanted to be seen as a visible gay role model to help kids feel a greater acceptance, and to realize that their sexuality is valid.
Many conversations about labelling athletes by their sexuality, gender, or race can individualize them and separate characteristics from the athletes themselves. In an interview with the Human Rights Campaign, Leduc was asked by fans why they want to be known as a queer figure skater, and said it was because they want a platform to acknowledge that their participation in sport is an example of queer excellence.
Leduc’s performance on the ice with partner Cain-Gribble is one of the best representations of queer excellence. The two not only represent success, but also resilience in the face of adversity. The partners have been labelled the “tall” pair on the ice, as Cain-Gribble is taller than the typical female pair skater. Furthermore, the pair took a break in 2014 from being burnt out with the sport, only to reconvene years later to train again in 2017. They began making headlines in 2018, shining in competitions in Asia and the United States, then becoming Olympic alternates finishing fourth at Nationals that year.
In 2019, Leduc and Cain-Gribble won the U.S. pairs championship, giving fight to their fire and making them spotlight competitors for the next Olympics. The next year, they represented the U.S in the World Championship in Montreal. While the pair stumbled placing third in their short program, they ended up in fourth place at the end of the competition. The pair has slowly been creeping up the ladder with new advances every year, making them side-eyed competition for the United States.
Figure skating has been stereotyped as a “gay” sport for decades and has typically received a negative connotation compared to its masculine-perceived counterpart: hockey. Figure skating has often been labelled a girl’s sport or a “sissy” version of hockey because it relies on flexibility and precision technique whereas hockey relies on agility and strength. Breaking down stigmatism between sports showcases that both sports rely on all elements of training to make a more efficient athlete – figure skaters need agility just as much as hockey players require precision. LeDuc has a grip on where many of these stereotypes come from and acknowledges their own privilege within the sport while calling attention issues of homophobia and misogyny to show how fighting them is critical in achieving equality for all athletes.
Spending six days a week training for six years is a long time, especially when spending it training with someone for competitions that only come around a few times a year. Both LeDuc and Cain-Gribble have faced setbacks in competitions, but have thrived in the face of adversity, so make sure you don’t rule them out for Beijing 2022.
Weston Mackinnon via Unsplash T-minus five weeks until our lakes match this one – who’s ready?
Interview with Cougars women’s basketball head coach
Taylor talks on tryouts, season requirements, academic supports, and more
victoria baht sports writer
Did you know that you do not have to have been a professional athlete to coach a university team? Dave Taylor is the Cougars head coach for the women’s basketball team and has been for 16 years, yet only played high school basketball.
What is the furthest you have seen an athlete of yours go?
Over the years of coaching, Taylor has seen players go overseas and play professionally. One of our previous alumni athletes just won an NBA title. He has also seen players go on and get their master’s in coaching.
Where does someone takes their master’s of coaching?
Two options we found for the masters program are at the University of Lethbridge and University of Victoria.
When it comes to playing on a university team, the players normally must maintain good grades in their classes. What do you as coaches do to help your players keep the balance needed?
“Well first off, right away, the players cannot get scholarships unless they remain at a 65 per cent GPA. Then if you are an Academic All Canadian, there are rewards with that which creates some motivation for the players. Then while the team is on the road for game day, we make sure there are study spaces, we talk together as a team about marks, being prepared for organization and time management, and how to get access at the University to tutoring.”
What is a good common activity that you do with your players and other coaching staff to help with team bonding?
At the start of the year, the Cougars team works getting to know one another. Then, throughout the season, overall team bonding takes place while being on the road together and spending time together in the team room. Taylor states “the more time you spend together and just communicate with each other, the better your team chemistry tends to be.”
Do you feel like referees play an important role in the sport? How do you as a coach remain professional when it comes to taking a hard call?
Right off the bat, without hesitation, Taylor said “Of course they are an important part, they are just as critical as the players that are playing the game!” Taylor has kept himself clear and not gotten too wound up by their calls by keeping a mind set of “controlling what you can control.” He believes that over the past 29 years, there has only been one game where referees have had an impact on the game.
What are some examples of training or drills that you have stuck to throughout your years of coaching?
The Cougars spend a lot of time on re-bounding the ball and close-outs. Then, as the season moves on over the years, they play games in practice before doing actual drills.
Can you describe what close-outs are for people that do not know basketball well?
“A close-out is when your man does not have the ball. Then your man gets passed over the ball. The close-out is the action of you going to go and guard the ball. So going from being the ‘help position’ to directly being on the ball. It involves a sprint towards the ball, then you can try to block a three-point shot or get down to try and control the drive of the opponent.”
When you are getting your players ready for a big game, what is one thing you say to get your team pumped up and ready to go?
Taylor believes that it is not about showing up just for one game, it is about showing up to all the games together as a team. They do this by not looking at short-cuts or easy answers; it is pure hard work all over the season.
What is one main piece of advice that you would give an athlete that wants to play for the cougars in the future?
“The initial cut is based on you (being) talented and (having) focus on skill development. Then based off the skills that they have, (and) it comes down towards character and are they a good fit for our team and what we want.”
op-ed
Mournful remembrance of those sent to shower
The heartache in remembering my Dachau walkthrough
Being asked to sit and reflect is not an easy task at the best of times. Being asked to reflect on topics that make us uncomfortable and that we would much rather leave buried in the past is so much harder.
One may argue that this reflection allows us to grow as not only a person, but as a society as well. When we are forced to stare these ugly topics in the face, we are being forced to remember that, as human beings, we are not perfect, and we can inflict incredible harm on one another. I had the privilege of staring one of these horrific incidences in the face six years ago – that experience has continued to stick with me as though it happened yesterday.
April 2017, I had the opportunity to find myself standing in Dachau. For those of you who are not history buffs, Dachau is a concentration camp located in southern Germany that was built with the intention of holding political prisoners. Naturally, it expanded to include forced labour and the imprisonment of any other population that was deemed unworthy of freedom at the time.
Walking through the preserved grounds of this particular concentration camp sent such intense chills through my entire body it felt as though my entire being was being frozen from the inside out. Among the things you see initially when you enter through the gates are the cement pads representing each building where those who were held as prisoners would have inhabited. Once you make it past all the symbolic pads, you reach a handful of the preserved buildings. The sleeping quarters looked like a summer camp cabin from hell. As someone who is intimately familiar with how uncomfortable a regular thin mattress on those wooden frames can be, I was immediately upset knowing that the wooden frames with a bit of straw would have seemed like heaven when they were finally allowed to stop working long enough to sleep. As the warmest spot would be in the middle, jamming between two to three other people all sharing the same level of
the bunk is a price one may have to pay to avoid the frost that would inevitably sneak in.
When you’re able to tear yourself away from the sleeping quarters, you can walk through the shower area. Knowing that the room you’re standing in is the same spot where thousands of people have died is overwhelming. As I stood in there, I was overcome with so many emotions it was hard to untangle them. I wanted nothing more than to throw up at the thought that this was done to so many innocent lives. I wanted to scream about the injustices of the world - past, present, and future - and I wanted nothing more than to cry and mourn the lives of every single person who was lost in that camp. My soul has never ached so much for lives I would never know.
It gets worse as you make your way out of the building. There is an area that looks as though it may be a nice patch of greenery for people to enjoy, but things are not as easy as that when walking through a concentration camp. This patch of greenery is where prisoners were lined up to be shot and discarded until someone was sent to move them. Where were they moved to? The giant furnace that would have been kept burning all year round. As I looked at those close to me who were walking with loved ones and peers, I couldn’t help but
think about the horrifying event of being told to go and collect the bodies from the morning’s shootout only to come across the body of someone you cared about. The damage done, not only in the physical pain that was caused, but also the mental suffering that these individuals were put through is absolutely soul-crushing.
The last area shook me to my core. Near the back, far from the main gate, was the chapel. It seemed almost like a rude and unusual punishment to provide the camp and those who were there the opportunity to attend and be present in a chapel. I don’t know about you, but I don’t know if I would be up for praying to a God. How are you supposed to celebrate over the word of God and deal with the mentally scarring endeavours that have been carried about? For many, holding onto their faith and trying to maintain a sense of community with cultural ties is what gave them the strength needed to continue to push through the horrifyingly long event – knowing that even in all the uncertainty, someone was looking out for them.
I don’t know if I would have it in me to turn towards a higher power to look for guidance, strength, and protection while going through the motions of those horrifying days. Seeing those around you perish in unspeakable ways, just because those in charge have decided they don’t like you.
Taking the time to remember and reflect is something that is challenging to do at the best of times. Being forced to stare at the preserved buildings and having no other choice but to reflect on one of the darkest portions of the world’s history was almost impossible. I will never forget the feelings of despair and the longing for things to be better, knowing that these injustices are not just a token in the past. Remember those who fought to cease them, and remember those who fought every day, trying to survive long enough to escape.
– Sarah Nakonechny
sarah nakonechny
op-ed editor
