UNews - athletics

Horns Scholarship Breakfast to feature Tewksbury, Muir

trevor.kenney — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 15:38:50 +0000

Consistently striving to push through limits to achieve exceptional results, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorn athletes are grooming the traits that will help them succeed in athletics, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and beyond.

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2013 (7 to 9 a.m., 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport & Wellness Gymnasium), Pronghorn Athletics will welcome Mark Tewksbury and Debbie Muir, founders of Great Traits to campus. It's an opportunity for local individuals and organizations to tap into Great Traits and experience an interactive, fast-paced and inspiring session featuring two of the country's most prominent Olympians and high performance experts at the 2013 Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast.

Mark Tewksbury and Debbie Muir will be the fetaured speakers at the 2013 Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast.

"Our inaugural breakfast last year, featuring Brian Williams, was very well received and we're looking to build on that success this fall," says Robb Engen, manager of Business Development, Sport and Recreation Services. "By bringing Mark Tewksbury and Debbie Muir to campus, this is an opportunity to give our supporters access to a very valuable resource."

Olympic gold medallist Tewksbury and Olympic champion and hall of fame coach Muir have teamed up to form Great Traits (www.thegreattraits.com), a professional development company focused on the fundamentals of achievement, leadership and legacy. Together, they have authored a book (The Great Traits of Champions) and offer a variety of workshops and training programs to a wide range of clients.

Tewksbury, a true swimming icon in the country, first came to prominence at the Barcelona Olympics, where he won gold, silver and bronze medals. He has since been inducted into three halls of fame, enjoyed an international speaking career, is a passionate human rights advocate, authored three books and hosted numerous television shows.

Muir is an internationally respected leader, one of Canada's greatest coaches and an influential voice within the Canadian sport system. She was a pioneer with the national synchronized swimming team, leading Canada into two Olympic Games, and has spent more than a decade working with Own the Podium, connecting many of Canada's top sport organizations to higher levels of performance. Currently, she sits on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

The Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast was launched in 2012 during the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's 45^th anniversary and raises money for U of L student athletes now and into the future. Its goal is to continue to provide essential funding as the Horns build and maintain a competitive athletic program.

"Scholarship funding is so important because it helps our teams in terms of recruiting and allows us to assist our student athletes as they balance their ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ with their sport," says Engen.

Tickets for the 2013 Pronghorns Scholarship Breakfast are priced at $125 per ticket or $1,000 for a table of 10. To register for the breakfast, visit www.gohorns.ca/scholarshipbreakfast. Those interested in becoming sponsors can contact Robb Engen at 403-332-5253 or robb.engen@uleth.ca.

Horns announce Scholarship Breakfast

trevor.kenney — Thu, 17 May 2012 20:56:49 +0000

Pronghorn Athletics at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is looking for a community team effort to fill the 1st Choice Savings Centre gym and kick off what they hope becomes an annual scholarship event that supports Pronghorn athletes.

The breakfast event on Tuesday, Sept. 25, will feature well-known television broadcaster Brian Williams, fresh off his experiences at the 2012 Olympic Games, as the featured speaker.

"The funds raised at the inaugural Pronghorn Scholarship Breakfast are the lifeline of our athletics program," says Robb Engen, Manager of Business Development, Sport and Recreation Services.

"Without the amazing support of the community, we would not be able to field competitive sports teams, vie for national championships or produce Olympic-calibre athletes."

Engen said the goal is to raise more than $60,000 to support the Pronghorn Scholarship Fund.

"This will allow us to assist our student athletes as they balance their studies with their sport, as well as help us increase our competitive edge as we recruit new athletes to our programs. We are in a very tough conference, competing against some very big schools, so it is important that we're able to offer our student athletes all we can in terms of scholarship support."

Considered the dean of Canadian sports commentators, Williams has covered virtually every professional and major amateur sports event around the globe. His broadcasting style has won numerous awards and praise from critics, and he will be making his first public speaking engagement at the Horns Scholarship Breakfast following his work at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Additional information about Brian Williams can be found at this website: http://www.speakers.ca/williams_brian.html

Tickets for the inaugural event are $125 per person, or $1,000 for a table of 10.

Online registration is available: http://gohorns.ca/scholarshipbreakfast

Toby and Bernie Boulet show their support for student athletes

trevor.kenney — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 22:21:18 +0000

Toby (BEd '89, MEd '04) and Bernie (BEd '88) Boulet are proud to be part of the Pronghorns family. As a student Bernie was a member of the inaugural women's soccer team, and while Toby didn't play for the Pronghorns, he was a dedicated fan. Today, Toby is the manager of the U of L women's rugby team and Bernie is cheering from the sidelines. Regardless of the role they play, they are happy to continue their involvement with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ athletics.

"Athletics was an important part of our ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ experience and as alumni we are still proud to be U of L Pronghorns," says Bernie.

For those reasons, the Boulets want to give back.

"We want to make sure students continue to have the opportunity to play for, cheer on and take pride in the Pronghorns," says Toby. "That's why we support ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ athletics."

Watch the video below to hear more about the Boulet's involvement with athletics and why they're proud to support Pronghorn Athletics at the U of L. Join the Boulets and other alumni like them and make a gift today.

Dr. Gary Bowie - Pronghorn Annual Fund

trevor.kenney — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 22:22:06 +0000

Dr. Gary Bowie has been involved with ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Athletics for more than 40 years. Having spent time as athletic director, professor and coach, Bowie is proud of the high calibre of student athletes representing the
U of L and appreciates the commitment our student athletes demonstrate to their respective sports. He also recognizes the financial obstacles faced by many student athletes.

Last year, 188 students represented the U of L by playing for the Pronghorns and the majority of them received no additional scholarship funding from Athletics. Finances remain a struggle for many students, but with the increased demands on their schedule because of practices and games, student athletes are particularly burdened.

The Pronghorn Annual Fund raises money for today's athletes, helping ensure a level of athletic and academic excellence that makes student athletes, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and fans proud. Your gift can be designated to the sport of your choice and will be used to help the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ meet the pressing needs of our student athletes.

"I'm proud of my continued and varied involvement with Pronghorn Athletics," says Bowie. "I give back to ensure that student athletes receive the funding they need to remain competitive."

To learn more about why Bowie supports Pronghorn Athletics, watch the video below.

Creating a positive start

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 19:59:14 +0000

How we speak to our children and how we help shape their young athletic lives may not only influence their current participation in sports, but it may also affect their lifelong attitudes toward physical fitness.

Dr. Sharleen Hoar, kinesiology professor and sports psychologist, studies issues related to emotional control in developmental athletes. She contends that positive early experiences in sport are crucial in keeping kids involved in physical fitness beyond minor hockey and little league.

"Generally speaking, when we can facilitate a sport environment that accentuates personal improvement, personal competency, we enhance motivation and we keep them in the system longer," she says.

She intends to show that with these positive attitudes, not only will kids engage in sport well into their teenage years but that when organized sport is not readily accessible later in life, they will still seek out physical fitness opportunities.

"The whole purpose around understanding emotional control is that if kids have a more positive and satisfying experience and recognize growth in that experience, they are therefore motivated to continue in their sport," she says.

So how do we go about shaping these positive attitudes early on in an athletes' development? One way is to help kids see success in all areas of sport, not just the win and loss column.

"Where do we find success? We can find it in how much better we're getting in our sport, or what we call competencies, but we can also judge how successful we are by how we are doing compared to our peers," she says.

At this point, there exists a delicate balance between encouraging competitiveness but not getting lost in results.

"There's a time and a place for competition and there's definitely a real motivation from wanting to be the best compared to other people but that doesn't happen to everyone," says Hoar. "Everybody can only aspire to be their personal best, you can only actualize your own potential and everybody has different potentials."

She says kids begin to understand this at around age 14, when they are able to better assess their peers and see where they fit in the pecking order. This is a very important time because if kids have been groomed to only see being the best as a positive result of participation, they're more likely to walk away from their sport. After that, chances they gravitate back to sport, or any physical fitness as adults, decreases.

Hoar is passionate about her work and sees real results from her research findings. She sees physical fitness not only as an outlet and a means by which people can live healthier lives but as a way to enhance all aspects of life.

"I see sport principles in the business and academic worlds all the time, they are achievement domains," she says. "Anytime you are trying to develop competencies, the principles remain the same, it's just a different domain. There are many sport psychologists who work in the business field because there are so many things in common. Aspects such as teamwork, motivation, emotional control, personality — there are so many things that go hand in hand."

Very few children will go on to have careers in sport but that doesn't mean all the early morning practises and weekend road trips are a waste if they don't result in a professional career. By establishing a positive attitude towards athletics for children, they are likely to be physically active, and much healthier, adults.

"From what we know from other areas of research, if we enhance motivation in sport, we can probably enhance physical activity as a lifestyle."

Holt still manning the point

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:57:18 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus Spencer Holt (BMgt '00) has an undergraduate degree, a master's degree, is currently pursuing a PhD and his career is flipping burgers. You might think all that education has gone to waste – hardly.

It's just the latest avenue that Holt is pursuing, as the point man for a team franchising Five Guys Burgers and Fries, a wildly successful restaurant chain that boasts 550 American locations and now one Canadian store in Medicine Hat.

"The group I'm with bought the rights to Alberta, B.C. and parts of Ontario," says Holt. "We just opened in Medicine Hat, and it's gone very well. Our goal is to do about 130 stores across the country, so for me it's a great opportunity because I'm in charge of the infrastructure of hiring people, training and so on. It blends very well into my educational background."

Holt is best known in these parts for his years manning the point guard spot on the Horns men's basketball team. A wizard with the ball, he was a high school star at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute before playing a season at Lethbridge College and then moving on to the U of L. Along with Magrath product Danny Balderson, the duo formed a local nucleus around which the program was constructed.

"A big part of that was the fact that Danny and I had been friends for many years," says Holt. "When we were both on our missions for the church, we talked quite a bit about playing together and at the U of L. We both had opportunities to go other places, but I think we had a vision of playing together in Lethbridge and winning a lot of games."

They did just that, culminating with the 1999-2000 season when the Horns spent much of the campaign as the top-rated team in the country, won the Canada West regular season title and advanced to the national semifinal game.

"That was such a fun season," says Holt. "I think we went 18-2, we won every tournament we entered, and more importantly, the guys on that team had been together for three or four years so, as a group, we all got along and really had a passion to work hard and win together."

He cherishes the fact that the team had such a strong southern Alberta flavour and remembers a unique bond the program had with the community.

"When you look back at old pictures of the stands, you see everyone you grew up with, and that's what was so cool about it, you knew who was in the crowd and that was part of the fun," says Holt. "That old gym only held a couple thousand people but it seemed like every night it was full and that really helps as a player, you feed off that energy and it gives you a lot of confidence."

The 1999-2000 team will be honoured at the Feb. 13 regular season finale at the 1st Choice Savings Centre gym. Holt likes the fact that the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is reaching out to its alumni.

"It's a great honour that they're choosing to recognize this team," he says. "For me, moving back to Canada now, it's perfect timing. I've talked to some former players about how we need to be more involved with U of L basketball and whatever we can do to help bring it back to its southern Alberta roots."

Now living in Calgary, Holt has made the most of his U of L education. A finance major, he has worked in the banking industry (Bank of Montreal), the oil and gas sector and for pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca (sales representative and then district manager for the State of Nevada). Now he is embarking on a massive project with Five Guys but using the personal approach he learned in Lethbridge.

"What I'm passionate about is training people, developing a culture and helping people get better, and this is a great opportunity," says Holt. "How do you do this on a large scale? You start with one store and replicate it 130 times. In the end, we'll have a company where people love to work and love who they work for."

GET THE FACTS

• Holt and his wife Brittany have four children, including Isaac (8), Anne (6), Ty (3) and 18-month old Josh.

• Holt was named an All-Canadian in his final season at the U of L.

• Plans call for Holt and his group to open a Five Guys restaurant in Lethbridge in April.

• He lauds the U of L for bringing in Dave Adams as head coach and Ryan Hall as athletics manager. Adams was an assistant with the 1999-2000 team and Hall a senior guard and shutdown defender. "The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ reaching out to former players is great, and this is a great example of starting this tradition of involving people from the past to make the future better."

Policing the Games

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 18:59:18 +0000

Olympic athletes are on a constant quest to achieve higher, faster, stronger results. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus Tim Takahashi (BA '94) helps to make sure they do so fairly.

Takahashi, a U of L kinesiology sessional intructor and clinic director of Dynamic Rehab, will serve as a doping control officer at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics this month. He is one of 200 persons working under the auspices of VANOC (Vancouver Olympic Committee) and WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) charged with policing the games. While Takahashi is passionate about his role of rooting out those who try and use performance-enhancing drugs to gain a competitive edge, he admits that enforcement isn't the ideal way to rid sport of cheaters.

"I believe that policing and enforcement of the anti-doping policy is not the way to stop them," says Takahashi. "We understand that there's no possible way we can catch everyone. Really, our attitude is we're letting people know we're here, there's a functioning program, there are checks and if you're caught, there are consequences. I think the real answer is education – it's educating the athletes."

Takahashi initially held the dream of making it to the Olympic Games through his work as an athletic therapist. After graduating from the U of L he completed a master's degree at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and, following a year of work, opened the first of three Dynamic Rehab clinics.

The road to working an Olympics is long and heavily populated with therapists who boast years of seniority. Takahashi looked at another route and felt he had something to offer as a doping control officer.

"I saw a lot of doping first-hand as a graduate student in the mid-90s, and I remember thinking then that I did not want to be a part of that," he says. "I'm a strong believer in doping-free sport and not just the fact that it's dangerous or could hurt the athlete, there's an ethical and moral side to sport. It reflects on our attitudes toward sport and society."

It's a lesson he tries to impart on his children.

"I've got four kids and they see what I'm involved in, and I try and show them the right way to be involved in sport. We all want to excel in athletics, but there's a way to do it in a safe and ethical way."

Takahashi's selection to participate in the Vancouver Games comes from his involvement with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES). He applied over five years ago to work with CCES and spent the better part of two years advancing through the selection and training process before he was certified. Since then he has worked as a doping control officer for the southern Alberta region, testing athletes from a variety of sports. His work includes both in competition and out of competition testing.

"Our motto is anytime, anywhere," he says.

Takahashi will do everything from contacting an athlete about a test to collecting samples, running initial baseline analysis tests to confirm they are good for lab use, to packing and securing the sample for shipment to WADA facilities. Following exacting protocols comes with the job.

While in Vancouver, Takahashi and the 200-person doping control team is expected to run more than 2,000 tests. Sadly, he expects there will be a number of positive results.

"We're catching just a trickle of what's out there, and unfortunately, I'm seeing more and more positive tests," he says. "In a way, it is discouraging."

Using his experience in class is one way to slowly begin the process of educating a generation about drug use in sport.

"I use a lot of examples from this work already," he says of his Kinesiology 2350 (recognition and care of athletic injuries) class. "It's nice to know things in theory, but when you can tie a real-world example to what you're talking about it really drives the point home.

"This experience is a way to add to my teaching skill set. It's a great opportunity to see world-class, elite athletes at the top of the game trying to do their best; how they get there and what methods they use or don't use."

GET THE FACTS

• Takahashi is in Vancouver from Jan. 31 to Mar. 1 and has just two days off over the 30 days he'll work.

• His work with CCES saw him test athletes at the recently held World Junior Hockey Championships in Saskatoon.

• In addition to running three local clinics (two in Lethbridge, one in Taber), Takahashi also works with athletes at the newly formed Alberta Sport Development Centre. Former U of L athletics manager Travis Grindle is the executive director of the ASDC's Southwest office.

• Takahashi and his wife have four children aged 10, 13, 18 and 20. On leaving them for a month to work at the Olympics, he says, "My wife understands and my kids think it's pretty cool, and I expect it will be an amazing experience."

Pronghorns honour 41 All-Canadians

trevor.kenney — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:29:48 +0000

Every year, the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) honours student athletes who excel in sport at the university level, while maintaining an 80 per cent average in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, as Academic All-Canadians. This is an outstanding accomplishment considering the amount of time student-athletes commit to training.

Routinely, Pronghorn Athletics possesses an above average number of AAC recipients in the CIS, when considering the number of overall athletes at each school.

On Friday, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge recognized the achievement of 41 outstanding student-athletes, who achieved Academic All-Canadian Honours. This number represents over 22 per cent of our student-athlete body and an increase of six athletes from last year, a remarkable number signifying the importance our program places on ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

"To do well in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ is always an excellent achievement but to do well in ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ as well as athletics, that is truly remarkable," said
U of L President Dr. Bill Cade at a luncheon recognizing the 41 honourees.

Both the women's soccer and rugby teams led the All-Canadian selections with eight team members achieving status.

Following is the list of Pronghorn Athletes who are recognized as CIS Academic All-Canadians for 2008-09.

Recipient Sport Faculty

Curtis Cooper Men's Hockey Arts & Science
Brandon Highton Men's Hockey Management
Logan Lavorato Men's Hockey Management
Stephen Zmudczynski Men's Hockey Arts & Science

Iain Cain Men's Soccer Education
Matthew Dow Men's Soccer Arts & Science
Marcus Karpati Men's Soccer Education
Michael O'Brien Men's Soccer Arts & Science
Nathan Phillips Men's Soccer Arts & Science
Dylan Tooby Men's Soccer Management

Roberto DeSandoli Track & Field Arts & Science
Dominic Mudiayi Track & Field Arts & Science
Cody Pivert Track & Field Education
Simon Schaerz Track & Field Arts & Science
Emily Brown Track & Field Arts & Science

Ariana Edelman Swimming Health Sciences
Sarah Gagnon Swimming Arts & Science
Jennifer Kabeary Swimming Arts & Science
Aarin Shapiro Swimming Arts & Science
Courtney Heinricks Women's Basketball Arts & Science
Kara Henry Women's Basketball Fine Arts

Megan Bach Women's Hockey Arts & Science
Johanna Meyers Women's Hockey Arts & Science
Katherine Nesbitt Women's Hockey Arts & Science
Lindsey Peters Women's Hockey Arts & Science

Shannon Court Women's Rugby Arts & Science
Natalie de Kok Women's Rugby Health Sciences
Kimberly Leavitt Women's Rugby Arts & Science
Ashley MacDonald Women's Rugby Arts & Science
Jena Murray Women's Rugby Fine Arts
Amanda Richardson Women's Rugby Management
Nicole Van Eck Women's Rugby Arts & Science
Ashley Zaremba Women's Rugby Arts & Science

Kathryn Curtis Women's Soccer Arts & Science
Kristen Dow Women's Soccer Arts & Science
Sherry Latrace Women's Soccer Health Sciences
Samantha McMillan Women's Soccer Arts & Science
Crystal Theodore Women's Soccer Arts & Science
Taura Truba Women's Soccer Arts & Science
Jessica Volpi Women's Soccer Arts & Science
Elizabeth Young Women's Soccer Arts & Science

Connolly lands at Keyano

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:09:45 +0000

Former ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns men's basketball head coach Mike Connolly will be back patrolling the sidelines this season, heading up the Keyano College Huskies.

Connolly was hired as the Huskies new head coach late last week, returning to the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference where he previously had great success with the Medicine Hat College Rattlers. Connolly, who spent seven years at the helm of the Pronghorns program, won a pair of ACAC bronze medals while with Medicine Hat College and was a two-time coach of the year at the college level.

"We welcome coach Connolly to Fort McMurray as we prepare to compete in the ACAC in September 2010," says Wade Kolmel, Huskies Athletic Director at Keyano College, on the school's athletics website. "On our campus coach Connolly will fulfill our Adult Program Coordinator responsibilities and will continue our commitment to growing the sport and recreation offerings within the Syncrude Sport & Wellness Centre."

Keyano College basketball is making its debut in the ACAC North Division this season after winning both men's and women's championships last season in the Alberta Colleges Athletic League.

"Coach Connolly brings a wealth of experience to our basketball program and we feel he will make an immediate impact in our community," adds Kolmel. "Whenever you attract a leader in their chosen field, to a new program such as ours, an athletic director cannot help but be excited for the future of their department, not to mention the future of the basketball team."

Steacy named to Team Canada

trevor.kenney — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:40:51 +0000

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge alumnus James Steacy (BASc '09) is one of four Canadian Olympians and 29 athletes in total who have been selected to participate in the 25th Summer Universiade, July 1-12, in Belgrade, Serbia.

A total of 14 female and 15 male athletes will represent Canada at the international event, led by an Olympic foursome that includes hammer thrower James Steacy of Lethbridge, 400-metre specialist Carline Muir of Edmonton, high jumper Michael Mason of Nanoose Bay, B.C., and long jumper Ruky Abdulai of Coquitlam, B.C.

Another Team Canada member, sprinter Richard Adu-Bobie of Orleans, Ont., was an alternate for the Canadian 4x100m relay at both the 2004 and 2008 Olympics.

Last summer in Beijing, Steacy became the first Canadian in 84 years to reach the Olympic hammer throw final, finishing in 10th place. Steacy was 13th in the event at the 2007 IAAF world championships and won gold medals in the discipline at the 2007 Pan American Games and the 2005 Jeux de la Francophonie. He holds the national record of 79.13 metres, 2.19m more than the toss which earned Belarus' Aleksandr Vashchyla Universiade gold in 2007 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Steacy is one of the most decorated athletes in CIS track and field history. He was named male rookie of the year in 2002-03, was chosen athlete of the year in field events on four occasions, and in five appearances at the CIS championships with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Pronghorns he captured five weight throw titles and won the shot put competition three times. He remained undefeated in the weight throw his entire university career.

Steacy and Mason head a group of nine athletes who have Universiade experience. Steacy competed in the discus in 2005 in Izmir, Turkey, where he placed eighth in the qualifying round and did not advance. Mason jumped his way to ninth place in 2007 in Bangkok.

Canada has tallied 59 athletics medals in its history at the Universiade including four gold, 29 silver and 26 bronze medals.

The Summer Universiade is an international multi-sport event that takes place every two years, and is second only to the Olympic Games in the number of participating athletes and countries. The Universiade is open to competitors between the ages of 17 and 28 in the year of the Games who are full-time students at a post-secondary institution (university, college, CEGEP) or have graduated from a post-secondary institution in the year preceding the event.

UNews - athletics

Horns Scholarship Breakfast to feature Tewksbury, Muir

Related Topics

Horns announce Scholarship Breakfast

Related Topics

Toby and Bernie Boulet show their support for student athletes

Related Topics

Dr. Gary Bowie - Pronghorn Annual Fund

Related Topics

Creating a positive start

Related Topics

Holt still manning the point

Related Topics

Policing the Games

Related Topics

Pronghorns honour 41 All-Canadians

Related Topics

Connolly lands at Keyano

Related Topics

Steacy named to Team Canada

Related Topics