While Marauders fans and media usually focus their attention on sports like football and basketball, the athletic community at McMaster extends far beyond these team sports or even Ontario University Athletics.
This year, a McMaster student was awarded a $10,000 grant to help her pursue Olympic trapshooting.
Elizabeth Longley, a third-year earth and environmental science student, was named as one of 55 young Canadian athletes selected by Petro-Canada for the Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence Program.
Originally from Waterdown, Longley is an Olympic trapshooter, using a shotgun to shoot clay targets that are launched from a bunker. The targets are 110 mm wide and are launched at speeds of up to 100 km/h in a 90-degree arc in front of the shooter.
Being such a small sport, trapshooting does not always garner the attention that bigger sports like hockey, sprinting or soccer get in the Olympics. Many kids are never exposed to trapshooting and do not have a chance to even try the sport.
“I was in scouts when I was little,” said Longley. “Our leaders were duck hunters. They took us out to shoot trap and it was my first time holding a gun. I was pretty good at it. I got contacted by the head coach of the club there and he invited me to try out for his personal club team. I did and he offered me a spot. I didn’t take it at first, I thought I would wait and think about it.”
Longley did not take long to think about it and has not regretted her involvement with the sport. Not only has she progressed greatly among trap shooters, but has done so on such a level to earn her this prestigious grant opportunity.
Since 1988, there have been over 2,700 athletes supported by FACE grants, including Olympic medalists Patrick Chan, Hayley Wickenheiser and Rosie MacLennan.
In addition to the funding, there is an annual summit held for the recipients to learn from Olympic and Paralympic athletes, receive advice on media training, public speaking and personal-brand development.
“It’s really important for me as an athlete because the grant is for athletes who don’t yet meet the requirements to be funded by the Athlete Assistance Program,” said Longley. “I’m close, but not quite there. Especially within my sport, there’s not a lot of funding opportunities because it is such a small sport. To be able to get this is really beneficial for me as an athlete in training and competition.”
Developed in a joint effort by Petro-Canada, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and facilitated by National Sport, the FACE Program supports up-and-coming athletes as they strive to represent Canada at the Olympic or Paralympic Games but do not qualify for government funding. The program also works to help athletes and coaches beyond simple things like more expensive equipment or training opportunities.
“This weekend I’m going to get my coaching certification in Calgary, so that’s what I’m putting some of the money towards,” Longley added. “After that, I’ll be the youngest certified coach in Canada for the International Shooting Sport Federation Level D. I was also able to buy new sporting equipment that I really needed.”
In addition to dedicating the training time to an Olympic-level sport, Longley also has to spend sufficient time studying as a full-time student. Luckily, she has found professors who have been understanding and accommodating in her pursuit of her Olympic dream. With a supportive community around her, it makes things a lot easier for Longley to make the sacrifices necessary to excel in trapshooting.
"Sports helped me find who I am as a person. The skill set you learn within sport, you can apply to your everyday life; you're disciplined, you're dedicated, you're passionate about something, it helps you just be better all around."
Elizabeth Longely
Trapshooter
FACE Program
In March 2017, the International Olympic Committee launched a major review to increase gender equality in their sports. Being a woman in a male-dominated sport is not easy, as Longley can attest to.
“The IOC has all of their gender equality goals for the 2020 Games,” said Longley. “Balancing the number of male and female competitors, reducing the number of sports who only have men who compete in them and also introducing mixed events where men and women compete together for the same country. We dropped one of the men-only events and we now have a new mixed team event. So we are definitely making progress but there is still a lot to do. [Women are] definitely underrepresented in the sport, but it’s looking up.”
The goal to bring gender equality to sports means much more than having women and men share the international stage during the Olympics. Sports is a unifying phenomenon that brings people from different backgrounds together, and on an individual level, it makes a difference to athletes that goes beyond points scored.
“Sports [when I was] growing up was always important to me,” Longley said. “I swam competitively, I did karate and then I finally found what I think is the sport I was meant to do — the other sports didn’t really compare in my level of enjoyment.”
“Also through sports, it helped me find who I am as a person,” Longley added. “The skill set you learn within sport you can apply to your everyday life: you’re disciplined, you’re dedicated, you’re passionate about something, and an overall confidence. It helps you just be better all around.”
Splitting time between practicing and studying, Longley will be one of several Canadian athletes to watch as we approach the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. Among the heart-warming stories of hometown athletes reaching the podium, there could very well be one with a special connection to the McMaster community.
In a referendum that took place in March 2017, McMaster students voted to expand the Pulse fitness area and make membership part of the Student Activity Fee, eliminating the supplementary fee that users originally had to pay to receive a full year membership.
As a byproduct of the policy, more students have been taking advantage of the now-compulsory Pulse membership.
Compared to Sept. 2016, the David Braley Athletic Centre, which includes the Pulse, has seen a 13 per cent increase in overall traffic.
According to Laura Rietmuller, the fitness and wellness coordinator at the Pulse, membership has more than doubled since last year, and the Pulse has seen an increase in both student use and damaged equipment.
In the wake of the overcrowding problem at the Pulse, complaints from McMaster students have surfaced.
“You need to stay in line for everything. Every day, I wait at least ten minutes for a locker. A workout that should take you half an hour takes two hours,” said Shahed Salehi, a daily Pulse user and social sciences student.
“I only went to the Pulse once, but it was full to the brim, with much of the equipment occupied. As a result, I have yet to return,” Rishi Bansal, a first-year arts and science student, said.
"You need to stay in line for everything. Every day, I wait at least ten minutes for a locker. A workout that should take you half an hour takes two hours,"
Shahed Salehi,
Student
Social Sciences
As a result of the overcrowding, the Pulse has also experienced an increase in humidity. To remedy this, Garret Pratt, a first-year commerce student and Pulse user, suggests that the Pulse consider lifting its ban on tank tops.
“The Pulse tends to be so humid from all the bodies, it’s ridiculous. If you go in at night you can see all the windows coated with steam,” Pratt said.
When asked how the Pulse is accommodating for the spike in users, Rietmuller said that in late Oct. 2017, the gym will be turning the east auxiliary gymnasium into a “Pop-up Pulse.”
The gym, which will include cardio equipment, a women’s only area, free weights and free space for activity, will serve to divert traffic in the Pulse until the expansion is completed. Equipment for the east auxiliary gym has already been purchased.
In addition, the Pulse has increased both its hours of operation and the number of outdoor fitness classes it offers. The McMaster Students Union, Athletics and Recreation and Student Affairs have also been working to provide students with additional opportunities to exercise.
Rietmuller also notes that the gym is not students’ only avenue for physical activity.
“Go for a swim, try the outdoor fitness circuit and climbing wall, challenge a friend at squash, explore Hamilton’s natural beauty and trails, hit the indoor or outdoor track, check out intramural sport leagues,” Rietmuller said.
The Pulse will be offering students free racquet rentals for the first term and, as a product of the referendum, a 50 per cent discount on intramural tournaments. Pilates and yoga programs will also be 50 per cent off for students.
These initiatives, which appear to be aimed at increasing space in the Pulse, however, are only part of a band aid solution. The expansion construction project, which will result in a gym that is double the size of the existing one, is not scheduled to be completed until 2020.
As the nice weather subsides and increasingly more students take advantage of their membership, the Pulse will have to continue to do more to reduce its overcrowding problem.
You don’t have to know much about volleyball to recognize a big play.
Whether it’s a libero diving from the back row to save a sneaky tip or a serve landing hard in bounds, if the crowd’s reaction doesn’t give it away, then the team certainly will.
But there is one play that is always a little more obvious than the others: the kill.
A play as decisive as its name, a kill occurs when a ball hit by an offensive player is unreturnable by the opposing team, immediately ending the rally and resulting in a point. In volleyball, kills are like exclamation points, not only do they end the rally; they send a message.
And the Mac men are no strangers to a good kill. To accompany their perfect 13-0 record, the Marauders have accumulated 502 kills over the course of the season and sit atop the Ontario University Athletics leaderboard in points per set (16.4).
One perceived flaw in a high-octane offense is that big hits can carry a higher degree of risk. If players want to get the ball to the floor without the opposing teams touching it, they will move it closer to a sideline or put more force on their swing, increasing the chance or an error. But with the highest hitting percentage (0.332) in the league, the Marauders have been able to convert possessions into points without sacrificing rallies to mistakes. Team captain Danny Demyanenko also has the highest hitting percentage of any player in the league at 0.542.
So what gives the Marauders the edge they need?
Second-year middle hitter Craig Ireland says the best hits are actually driven by what goes on before the final contact is ever made.
“To be a good offensive hitting team, it all starts with the basics,” said Ireland. “If your team isn’t able to pass the opponent’s serve so that your setter can consistently run the offence, you aren’t going to get very far.”
Like many other areas of their game, passing has been a strong spot for the Marauders all year. Liberos Pawel Jedrzejewski and Seyar Karimi have lead the way, granting their team the fourth lowest number of reception errors in the league so far.
“Being a very physical team has of course helped us this year, but when it comes down to it our success as a team is due in large part to our passing and setting,” said Ireland. “We have some of the best passers and setters in the country which allows our offence to progress to the level that it’s at.”
To accompany their perfect 13-0 record, the Marauders have accumulated 502 kills over the course of the season and sit atop of the OUA leaderboard in points per set.
Even when an opposing hitter gets the best of them, every touch can be translated into a scoring opportunity, as second-year outside hitter Matthew Passalent describes.
“I think our ability to hit well when the pass isn’t great makes us a good attacking team,” said Passalent. “We practice a lot of high-ball management which allows us to always be a threat offensively even if the pass isn’t there.”
After the pass comes the set, another area Passalent identifies as a key factor to the team’s play.
“A good offensive volleyball team has the ability of setting multiple options consistently,” said Passalent. “When you have four or five reliable attacking options against only three blockers, rather than just one or two main guys to set… you are going to have more success.”
This is where the Marauders depth comes into play. Not only do they have go-to options in Demyanenko and outside hitter Brandon Koppers, who currently sits just behind him in hitting percentage at seventh in the league, the Mac men have enough threats offensively to be a threat from anywhere on the floor.
Having multiple players that can enter a game and convert also means that teams have to adopt a more flexible game-plan on the defensive end, limiting their ability to take control of a game early. In the meantime, Mac is afforded the opportunity to change the look of their offense with every opponent they play, using different players to target weak points in each respective team.
The result is the efficient scoring that Burridge faithful have come to know and love from the Marauders and fans can certainly expect to see more of as the team gears up for playoff season.
McMaster does not have hockey programs at the University Sports level, and it should stay that way.
The men’s program ended in 1989 and people still talk about the McMaster Marlins. Numerous people have asked me about the lack of a men or women’s hockey program during my years as a Sports Editor. An alumnus emailed me this week asking if the athletic department had any plans to bring hockey back.
In January 2015, Athletic Director Glen Grunwald gave the Hamilton Spectator a pretty simple answer to the question: “You never say never right, but right now it’s not in our plans to do that.”
This is absolutely the right response. As it stands, McMaster boasts a strong athletic department. The results speak for themselves. Mac consistently sends teams to national championship tournaments and events. Seeing a provincial or national championship banner in the halls of the David Braley Athletic Centre is almost expected at this point. The standard for athletics at Mac is as high as any school in the country.
The idea that McMaster needs hockey programs stems from Canada’s extreme love for the sport. People romanticize the idea of a maroon and grey hockey team because the game is so deeply ingrained in the sporting culture of the country. If “hockey is Canada”, why wouldn’t it work at Mac?
For one, university hockey by-and-large does not have a market in Ontario. Games are streamed online and the crowds are insignificant. Teams in urban markets draw in the low to mid-hundreds of people. These are universities with undergraduate populations over 15,000, plus the local communities to which the teams belong. People don’t pay attention to Ontario University Athletics hockey, and there is no reason to suggest it would be different after the novelty of a hockey program wore off.
Hockey fans are indifferent to OUA hockey is because it’s redundant. The Ontario Hockey League has teams throughout the province and in most university towns; 11 of the 17 Canadian teams also have a university hockey team (men’s or women’s) in their city. These teams feature National Hockey League prospects while OUA hockey offers little in terms of narrative for fans.
Hamilton has the Bulldogs playing in the OHL and their attendance is middle of the pack. If you have a strategy for getting McMaster students out to their games, I’m sure the franchise would love to hear from you because they have been a struggle to engage the Mac community.
And there is a cascading cost to getting a hockey program: the diminishing of other programs. Mac is already going through tough times financially, with their $600,000 “shortfall” this year set to force them to make some tough decisions. If we add in a hockey team, you’re taking money away from some of the top-ranked programs in the country. Is an average hockey team worth making the rest of the programs suffer? Not a chance.
Where would the teams would play or practice? McMaster does not have an arena on campus and they are unlikely to build one given the current issues with the DBAC. FirstOntario Centre in downtown Hamilton is too big of a venue and rinks in Ancaster are too far for a student population that rarely leaves the campus’ surrounding neighbourhoods.
I understand the sentiment: sports bring people together, and hockey programs could do that because it’s Canada’s sport. But the product has been a bust for nearly every urban university and Hamilton seems no different.
Students should try following the top-level programs we already have – like the women’s basketball team that is poised to make a run at a national championship – instead of looking to build a new team that no one will care about in five years.
By: Justin Parker
The up and down season for the McMaster men’s basketball team continues, as they dropped a rough 83-62 decision to the Waterloo Warriors on Feb. 4. Despite David McCulloch’s 13 points, the Marauders struggled to contain the Warrirors on defence, allowing Waterloo to outscore them in every quarter.
Poor shooting efforts kept the Marauders off the scoreboard multiple times throughout the game, shooting 32.9 per cent from the field and 20.8 per cent from three. The team was also out-rebounded 43-32, with Connor Gilmore leading the Marauders with eight rebounds.
“We haven’t been shooting the ball particularly well, and that’s been a problem for us,” Gilmore said. “I think we’re executing and moving the ball well, but I think once we start knocking down shots and getting into a groove we’ll be fine.”
Gilmore has been a consistent bright spot on the team throughout the season. He leads the Marauders in points and rebounds, nearly averaging a double-double (19.8 points, 9.3 rebounds). Gilmore’s stats are good enough to rank him third in points and fourth in rebounds in the province.
Gilmore has emerged as a leader amongst a relatively young team. After losing four starters from last year, the Marauders needed more players to step up and take some ownership of the team.
“Dave [McCulloch] stepped up - he’s gone from playing 20 minutes a game last year to now playing close to 40…he’s a great defender and a great leader on the court,” Gilmore said. “Elliot Ormond stepped up a lot…he’s provided tons of energy on defence. He’s a great rebounder, finishes well around the basket, so he’s been great too.”
As of publication, McCulloch is leading the Marauders and Ontario University Athletics in minutes this year, averaging 36.2 per game. In that time he has been showing off his all-around game, averaging 12.9 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game. McCulloch has put in a lot of work in the offseason to fit into a larger role this year.
"I think we surprised a lot of people with how great we were playing in September through November; now it's a different story."
David McCulloch
Third-year guard, McMaster men's basketball
“It’s been tough, but in a good way,” McCulloch said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have some very talented players that I’ve learned from in my first two years, so I felt fully prepared when the season came around to fill that larger role.”
Despite the recent struggles, the team is looking ahead.
“This season has taught me a lot about how much you need to grow as a team and gel in order to be successful,” Gilmore said, “I think this is a great group of guys, it’s been really fun playing with them. We’ve gone through ups and downs, but it’s taught me to persevere and stick with everyone and come together as a team.”
McMaster hosts the Algoma Thunderbirds this Saturday, who currently sit at 4-12 on the season. The Thunderbirds average the second-lowest points per game in the OUA and are tied for the second most points per game allowed. In order to obtain a good spot in the playoff picture, the Marauders must stabilize their play and win out their last three games.
“This season has been a roller coaster so far,” McCulloch said. “I think we surprised a lot of people with how great we were playing in September through November; now it’s a different story. We’ve lost a few games and now we’re in a spot where we may not even host a playoff game. But I think with this adversity will come some very good things.”
There is no time like the present to iron out the kinks and figure out their gameplan. A streak of competitive efforts could be the momentum the Marauders need in order to make a strong impression come postseason play.
It is always the little things that bring you back.
It is a string of two games that becomes 10, as headlines report on win after win with building optimism. It is a few extra spectators rolling into Burridge Gym, eager to see what all the fuss is about but cautiously managing their expectations; whispers in the nezzanine that maybe this is the year, hushed only by the nervousness of weathered fans still reeling from playoff heartbreak.
For anyone in the McMaster basketball community, there is something about these unspoken moments that signals the dawn of something much greater. But there is also something about the air that surrounds this year’s women’s basketball team that feels oddly familiar. A sense that maybe, just maybe…
The year was 2008. Iron Man had just hit theatres, Barack Obama was set to become president of the United States, and most of today’s current Marauders were still shooting hoops during recess in their local elementary schools.
But here at Mac a storm was brewing, as a group of seniors had one more shot to claim what had so far eluded them: a Canadian Interuniversity Sports national title. Leading the way was fourth-year guard Lindsay Degroot, the First-Team All-Canadian and eventual Ontario University Athletics Athlete of the Year who was averaging 18.8 points and just shy of 11 rebounds per game. By her side was third-year player Taylor Smith, who chipped in 12.6 points per game while shooting 40 per cent from beyond the arc.
On the defensive side of the ball the Marauders had a stroke of luck welcoming fifth-year transfer Rachel Hart to the lineup after four successful years with the Manitoba Bisons. Hart was a defensive phenom, whose 134 rebounds and 53 steals during the regular season would go on to earn her CIS defensive player of the year. Add in the stellar play of OUA All-Star post Chiara Rocca and the ‘08 Marauders were ready for a winning playoff run.
The scoring prowess of Lindsay Degroot has been replaced by current all-star senior Danielle Boiago, a First-Team All-Canadian and McMaster all-time leading scorer who has been averaging 19.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. By her side is third-year forward Linnaea Harper, who has added 12.8 points per game while shooting 35 per cent from the three-point line, just shy of the mark set by Smith.
This year’s Mac women have also benefitted from the play of a standout transfer in Vanessa Pickard, who switched to McMaster for her final two years of eligibility and rounds out the top three in scoring, despite missing the first half of the season to injury. With OUA All-Star Clare Kenney in the post, you couldn’t help but think this year’s team was destined to follow in their predecessors’ footsteps.
“We had so much depth on our team it was crazy,” said 2008 guard Cari te Boekhorst. “If someone was having a bad game, there was someone on our bench that could fill it. Yeah we had our all-stars, but there were always so many people we could rely on. It was one of our strengths”
Roaring out of the gate the 2008 Marauders went 21-1 en route to an OUA championship. The only dent in their perfect season came in the form of a late loss to the Western Mustangs, a tough game reminiscent of this team’s early loss to OUA rival Carleton.
“I remember losing to Western,” said 2008 player Rachel Hart. “It was near the end of the season, it was our first loss. You sort of give your head a shake… but when you come from a successful program you are used to that; you expect to win. It is not necessarily going to put more pressure on you than you already put on yourself.”
Managing that pressure will become increasingly important for this year’s Mac squad. Ranked first in the University Sports national top ten for more than half the season, the women have yet to fall out of the top three in the country, floating around the same position that the team did in ‘08.
“Being number one, you have a lot of expectations,” said te Boekhorst. “You have them from your coaches, your teammates, your friends… but psychologically, they shouldn’t be putting a huge amount of pressure on themselves because they are ranked in the top three. Regardless they have to be modest and know that the tournament can go to anyone, but confident enough to know they can take it.”
Rankings aside, the latter half of the season will pose no shortage of challenges for this year’s team. With three games left to cap the year the Mac woman still have games to contend with, with OUA rivals Queen’s, Carleton and Windsor all set to play spoiler come playoff time.
“[For these] last games, they have to focus on themselves,” said Hart. “Play their own game, keep working as a unit, and do what they can day to day.”
“As an alumna, this year’s team [has had] an extraordinary season so far,” said 2008 guard Taylor Smith. “We are all so proud of what they have accomplished… but as one of the top teams in the country they need to understand that everyone they play will bring their A-game to McMaster. [They can’t] take a night off.”
Those words ring true more than ever after a heartbreaking loss to Queen’s at home. Trailing for most of the game the Marauders ended up dropping a 70-68 contest that saw Boiago put up her second lowest scoring game of the season, while the team gave up 24 points on turnovers alone.
For all their strengths, it is not just the depth and versatility that both teams are known for. The majority of their offensive production still rests on the shoulder of a few veteran players, which while effective in most games will always be called into question after close loses. Particularly when star players fail to hit the staggering numbers to which fans are accustomed.
“Whether people agree with it or not, I would always put [the end of a game] on us,” said Hart. “With the amount of experience we had… we needed to be able to get it done. We were all seniors, we knew who our best scorers were, and we should be able to out-play who we needed to.”
There is also one other element that separates these teams from other Marauder teams. Often overlooked but never to be underestimated, togetherness will always be a special part of what it means to be a part of women’s basketball at McMaster.
“Looking back, we did have a lot of strengths,” said te Boekhorst. “[We had] experience, [we had] a lot of people that came from winning backgrounds, depth for sure, but we were also just a tight knit group. We fed off of each-other, we respected each other, we knew how to motivate and encourage each other… you see that in this team.”
"Being number one, you have a lot of expectations, you have them from your coaches, your teammates, your friends... but psychologically, they shouldn't be putting a huge amount of pressure on themselves because they are ranked in the top three."
Cari te Boekhorst
2008 women's basketball guard
“They have to be able to establish themselves early and stick to their game-plan,” said Hart. “They are a team that can get out and run, so controlling the game from the beginning becomes important. Tough [defense], one shot only, you can’t let them score and set up where they are waiting for you on the other side of the court. But they know that, and they know it’s never one person’s job to stop another team’s best player, it’s a group mentality. That’s the game [I know] they can play”
The team of 2008 never did win that elusive CIS championship. An injury to Degroot in the semi-final set up a devastating loss to the number two ranked University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. But the team battled back in last day of tournament play to bring home a bronze medal against the Laval Rogue et Or in an 83-79 thriller.
The same Laval team that currently sits number one in the national rankings.
So can fans hold out hope for a déjà vu rematch? Perhaps, but sometimes even sports don’t write themselves that well.
For now, all they can do is trace the narratives of past and present. Two teams crafted from the same pieces — natural scoring ability, defensive work ethic and a deep bench. Both born from local talent, but honed from years of hard-earned experience.
Yet one key difference remains. While the triumphs and heartbreak of ‘08 remain written in the record books, the fate of this year’s team has yet to be sealed. And they have history to learn from.
“If I could tell the team one thing… it would be to stay positive,” said te Boekhorst. “If you have a bad game, if you have a bad quarter, if you have a bad shot, keep your chin up. Stay positive with yourself and with each other… and remember it is the team that will get through everything together.”
“Going into the playoffs, expect to be down at some point,” said Hart. “You didn’t get to where you are by not facing adversity; I know you are used to it. To have such high expectations means every other team gets to play as the underdog, playing loose with nothing to lose. Having the confidence to stick together whether you are up or down, and the patience to let go of the things you can’t control, that will go a long way.”
“Count on what has worked all season,” said Smith. “You can’t look farther than one day at a time.”
Maybe. But when the spectators become fans and the whispers become chants, it doesn’t always hurt to look a few games back.
At every McMaster home game there are two groups of people: the athletes and the fans. Both are deeply engaged in the evening’s proceedings. Students wearing maroon both on and off the court carry a passion for the game and a love of intense competition. For varsity sports, most students would say they fall into the second category, happy to cheer for a spirited dunk but not quite able to jump in and do it themselves.
But what if students were only able to be spectators?
Such was the experience of fourth-year student Julia Haines. As anyone who has visited the David Braley Athletic Centre can attest to, the campus athletic centre is always bustling with student activity. So when she began her first year at McMaster, Haines, like anyone else, was excited to join some weekend intramural teams and work out in the campus gym.
She would not be so lucky. At the time the only accessible athletic programming at Mac was a one-day wheelchair handball tournament, that had faced dwindling enthusiasm in recent years.
The Pulse, the gym facility on campus, also posed challenges as without an internal elevator Haines required 20 minutes of staff assistance just to reach the cardio equipment on the second floor.
Over 7,500 members of the McMaster community participate in over 35 intramural sports leagues every year, with even more students visiting DBAC facilities like the Pulse regularly. Why couldn’t she?
“I ended up quitting,” said Haines. “It was just so frustrating. I had other ways of being active [in the community], but this summer it really started to bother me. It doesn’t take that much to have accessible [options]… and there are benefits to everyone.”
The Pulse also posed challenges as without an internal elevator Haines required 20 minutes of staff assistance just to reach the cardio equipment on the second floor.
A stroke survivor since her final year of high school, Haines was no stranger to adversity. So she decided to apply some of the same perseverance that had taken her to provincial swimming championships and local soccer titles into making a case for more accessible sports.
A few emails later, and she had a meeting with the Director of Athletics and Recreation Glen Grunwald and the director of intramurals Andrew Pettit. Responsive from the get-go, they were ready to change the way McMaster welcomes all students into the sport community.
“[Through my experience] I really started to understand the impact parasports and accessible opportunities have on people,” said Haines. “Sports have a number of benefits, we see it in [research], we hear people say it, it gives you an outlet for stress… all wonderful things. But what we don’t always realize is that sport can have that same impact for people with disabilities as well… that’s what I wanted [for Mac]”
They decided to start with a small sitting volleyball league that would run on Sunday afternoons and not require any special equipment. Today, the eight-team league is over capacity and had to move to a prime-time Monday time slot to accommodate all of the interest.
“Every Monday night Sport Hall is filled with people playing sitting volleyball,” said Haines. “Our team has four people with disabilities on it, and when I was watching them and and hearing how much fun they were having and how much they were looking forward to next week… I was ready to sit there and [cry].”
Other new initiatives include a revival of the age-old sitting hand-ball tournament and two sport wheelchairs for anyone at Mac to rent out and use whenever the gym is available.
“Almost every time I go into the gym someone is either using them or sitting on them or asking about them and it is absolutely awesome,” said Haines.
While the changes in accessible programming are certainly welcome, they are only the start when it comes to truly changing the athletics landscape at a university-wide level. Haines envisions a school where paraathletes can not only play on intramural teams, but can complete at the varsity level, no longer delegated to the spectator section because of personal circumstance.
“People with disabilities are people who have happened to live through difficult circumstances that they wear on their bodies,” said Haines. “Everyone has challenges, people with disabilities just happen to wear their challenges on them.”
Haines also encourages everyone to takes steps to actively change how inclusive their own activities are. Whether that is as simple as holding a hockey tournament in an accessible arena, or reaching out to have a conversation about what other steps might be helpful, every action can be the difference between storming the court and sitting in the bleachers.
“I know how it feels to be excluded,” said Haines. “I know how it feels to walk or roll past people in the gym playing everyday and knowing that you just can’t… and that you will never be a part of that. So to see people have the opportunity to be with their friends, have fun and exercise their right to participate… it’s overwhelming… it’s everything.”
By: Eamon Hillis
In preparation for the upcoming 2017 season, the McMaster football program has made significant staffing changes within their organization.
Spearheaded by head coach Greg Knox, these changes come following a disappointing 2016 season in which the Marauders were eliminated in the Ontario University Athletics semi-final by Wilfred Laurier.
One of the team’s most intriguing additions this off-season is the former All-Canadian Marauder Mike Daly as defensive assistant. Daly, who is currently a defensive back for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, saw much success during his time at Mac. Throughout his five seasons as a Marauder, he recorded and impressive 95 tackles and 10 interceptions in 38 games and was an integral part of McMaster’s historic 2011 Vanier Cup victory.
During Daly’s years at McMaster (2008-2013), Knox worked as the team’s defensive coordinator. Under Knox’s leadership, Daly and the Marauder defence were tremendously successful, earning a reputation as one of the best units in the nation. During this time, Knox and Daly built a strong relationship, one that has continued to this day. When coach Knox decided to make adjustments for next season, Daly was on the shortlist.
“Knox was my defensive coordinator when I was at Mac for four of my five years,” Daly said. “He went on to coach the Winnipeg Blue Bombers as I was playing for the Tiger-Cats, and we kept our relationship going. As soon as he got hired back at McMaster, he got in touch with me and offered me an opportunity to become involved. I jumped all over it.”
This is Daly’s first full-time coaching position, but his hiring does not come as a surprise. The Ti-Cats DB has continued to assist the program with its recruiting and player development during the off-season.
“I had been playing in Hamilton, so it was easy for me to stay involved with McMaster,” Daly said. “I had a really great experience here and built good relationships with the coaches. I always wanted to give support and I figured that if I could help with the coaching while still playing, I could set myself up well for the future and I could continue to learn from the more experienced guys.”
Considering the Marauders’ OUA semi-final loss this past season, many have speculated that the reason for Knox’s adjustments is a sense of dissatisfaction with the team’s overall performance. But Daly seems understanding of last year’s outcome, and does not feel that significant system changes need to be made.
“It’s tough in football when the success of your season is dependent upon on a single playoff game. I would say however that the consensus within the coaching staff is that the team underperformed. I don’t believe there will be major changes made to the defensive system… Knox has been a coach in this league for a long time, and his systems have proven to work.”
Daly will continue his career as a Hamilton Tiger-Cat next season, while also serving as defensive assistant for the Marauders. Daly has played 49 games with the Tiger-Cats over the past three seasons, recording 53 tackles and four interceptions.
“Coaching is something I love doing, and I would do it for free. If somebody is willing to pay me, I’ll accept that too.”
The start of a cross country race is intimidating.
Over 100 runners stare down a difficult course alongside their competitors, ready to fight for every stride. It takes a special type of athlete to rise to the challenge, and that athlete is Emily Nowak.
A fourth-year senior, Nowak has started her season strong, putting up the seventh fastest time overall and the second fastest by a Canadian at the University of Buffalo Stampede, a preseason invitational held in New York.
The fastest time by a female Marauder, her performance helped propel the women’s team over the Western Mustangs to a third place finish, a huge victory after narrowly missing the podium in the same event last year.
“It was a good confidence boost for everyone,” said Nowak. “It’s always tough going into the first race of the season because you are trying to figure out what shape you’re in, but everyone was excited for it. I’m happy with [my time]. It’s a good starting point.”
More than just a strong starter, Nowak has found herself on the podium since high school. In her senior year, she had the fastest time in all of Peel region in both the 1,500m and 3,000m events, as well as the second fastest time in the women’s 5k final.
When university teams came calling, Western was a strong contender, but Nowak chose maroon and hasn’t looked back.
“My high school coach, who coached me through track and cross country, she went to Mac and ran for them. It was between Western and Mac, and she [knew] I would love the coaches, and really fit with the program here.”
Since her arrival, Nowak has trained tirelessly the last four years to rise from Mac’s fourth fastest time at the Ontario University Athletics championship in her rookie year to first at this season’s opening meet.
Nowak and her teammates hit the pavement daily on their own or for team workouts that include interval training, hill sets, and two or three kilometre distances repeatedly.
They also mix in strength work, lifting weights throughout the week and saving the weekend for their “long runs,” which for Emily can range from 15 to 20 km. Even on recovery days, she is running anywhere from an hour to 90 minutes.
“We run everyday, that’s the basis of it.”
Just as impressive, Nowak has maintained an excellent grade-point average in the Biomedical Discovery and Commercialization program, making the the Dean’s list every year. She also finds the time for hobbies, including singing, cooking, and snowboarding depending on the day.
“Everyone on our team, myself included, is good with time management. We know when we have to get stuff done.”
Coming off a bronze medal finish last year at the OUA Cross Country Championship, and a surprise bronze with the woman’s 4x800m relay team at the OUA Indoor Track Championship last year, the expectations this season are high.
“Everyone in their fourth year, if you talk to any athlete, they want their fourth or fifth year to be their best. I put a lot of expectations on myself, but I also want to have fun with it.”
“In the end, if I can finish both championship [races] knowing that I gave it my all, knowing I couldn’t run another step, I’ll be happy.”
As for the start of a race? It’s her favourite part.
After back-to-back deep runs in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national tournament, the latest McMaster men’s soccer campaign has been met with adversity.
After winning their first two games, the squad has stumbled over their last few games. This included a 4-2 loss to the defending CIS champions York Lions, who scored three goals in a span of four minutes to open the second half.
Five games into the season, Mac sits in sixth place in the OUA West Division, with seven total points and a 2-2-1 record.
Mac head coach Dino Perri points to key injuries - including wing players Marco Gennaccaro and Sasha Ricciuti – as their main obstacle so far into the season.
“Our biggest problem is having so many key players out injured, forcing us to rotate our starting lineups,” Perri said after the team’s practice on Monday night. “We don’t have a consistent starting lineup every game. You’re trying to teach new players of the system and team to step in and fill their spot. They’re put in a tough situation.”
“We have to take a few steps back and simplify our strategy. This is the most difficult part of our schedule right now, playing top CIS teams back to back.”
While injuries are unfortunate, they also provide opportunities for other players to step up and expand their role. One player who has impressed so far is first year striker Dusan Kovacevic, who has been a bright spot early in the season.
“Our one rookie starter [Kovacevic] has scored some quality goals for us and has definitely stepped up his play,” Perri said.
Other players have stepped up their game. Third-year midfielder Yunus Mollayev has scored three goals on eight shots this season, while fourth-year goalkeeper Kieran Doyle-Davis has already registered three shutouts.
McMaster has only faced teams that are currently in front of them in the OUA West division. Still, Coach Perri – who has been the head coach of the men’s soccer team since 2008 – holds a high standard befitting to previous years, no matter whom Mac is facing.
“The standard is the standard, regardless of who’s on the field,” Perri said. “I’d like to see us at the top of the table, realistic or not. We want to be in a situation where we are one of the top two teams heading into the playoffs.”
McMaster plays each team within the OUA West division twice during the regular season, so there will be opportunities for the team to exact revenge for their previous losses, and improve in the standings.
Their next game takes place at home, in a rematch against third-place Guelph. The last time the two teams faced each other ended in a scrappy 0-0 draw, with the two teams combining for 11 yellow cards.
“It was a chippy game last time against Guelph,” Perri said. “We’ll need to maintain our patience, and make sure the officials take care of the scrappy tactics.”
With players returning from injury soon and an experienced coach at the helm, there is still reason for optimism for the men’s soccer team for the rest of the season.
