C/O McMaster's Sports
A promising start to a season of uncertainty for a young team as they earn their first win, tie and loss this season
The McMaster University women’s field hockey team played their first home game on Sep. 17, marking the start of their second season in the Ontario University Association league.
The team played both their home opener and first away game on Sep. 18 against the Waterloo Warriors. McMaster wrapped up the double-header with a one-to-nothing victory at home and one-one tie on the road.
“As a first weekend, having a win and a tie is something as a team — we’re pretty proud of. Especially considering we’re only going to get better as the season goes on. I think [for] half of our team that was their first ever university field hockey game,” explained Jessica Lim, one of the team’s three captains.
“As a first weekend, having a win and a tie is something — as a team — we’re pretty proud of. Especially considering we’re only going to get better as the season goes on."
Jessica Lim, McMaster Women's Field Hockey team Co-Captain
Along with her other teammates, Lim commended the impressive performance by goalkeeper Olivia Renaud. Renaud made a total of 11 saves in the first two games and was later named U Sports Field Hockey Player of the Week.
The following week the Marauders unfortunately fell short in a road game against the Queens Gaels. The McMaster team played a strong first three quarters, but the Gaels were able to score two quick goals in the closing minutes, making the final score one to two.
“I feel confident that as we gain more experience, as we spend more time playing together as a team and [learning] to read each other better, we’ll be able to play more complete games,” said Lim.
The regular outdoor season consists of 10 games and lasts around a month. The league is divided into an east and west division but unlike last year McMaster will face all seven other teams at least once before the playoffs begin. As a result as the Marauders learn to play together, they also have the chance to feel out the other teams.
“We’re definitely one of the underdogs this season and I think we’re coming out and surprising teams. They don’t really know what to expect but we’re putting it all out on the field and we make sure we give it our all every game,” said Serena Uppal, another of the team captains.
“We’re definitely one of the underdogs this season and I think we’re coming out and surprising teams. They don’t really know what to expect but we’re putting it all out on the field and we make sure we give it our all every game,”
Serena Uppal, McMaster Women's Field Hockey Team Co-Captain
Uppal and Lim also acknowledged their head coach, Jonathan Roberts, and assistant coach, Kathryn Williams, as two key factors in their success so far. Both coaches have represented Canada in international indoor field hockey competitions and have been critical in growing the field hockey program at McMaster.
The winners of the OUA Championships at the end of October will clinch a spot in the U Sports women’s field hockey championship. They will face-off with one of three teams from the Canada West Division.
“We are happy with how we started the season off, but we’re not content. We don’t want our season to be over after ten games . . . We want to make playoffs and have the opportunity and the chance to compete for a championship,” explained Uppal.
The Marauders have plenty of time to demonstrate their grit and compatibility as a team, though the coming games will determine whether the relatively young team is championship material.
Students can catch the team in action at Alumni Field on Oct. 8, Oct. 12 and Oct. 14. More information can also be found online or on the team Instagram.
C/O McMaster Sports
Marauders claim victory at recent wrestling invitationals and look to repeat the wins
As of Nov. 22, both McMaster’s men's and women's wrestling teams found themselves placing seventh in the country according to U Sports rankings. While this was many months ago, the Marauders have been doing well in both invitationals and opens, with the men’s team placing first at the Brock Open on Feb. 26 and the women’s team placing second at the Western Open on March 20.
Both teams hope to repeat their wins and bring home the championship title in the Ontario University Athletics championships on April 2, hosted by Brock University. If the teams are successful, this will end Brock’s five-year championship win streak. The last time a team other than the Brock University Badgers was victorious in winning the championship was in 2015, when they fell to the Marauders.
Peter Shirley, a fourth-year wrestler now preparing for the OUAs, has impressed many so far this season. He was able to earn first place in his weight class at the Western Invitational and third at the Brock Open.
“Personally, everything that's kind of happened up to this point doesn't really matter. It doesn't matter that I placed at Brock, it doesn't matter that I placed in any other tournament. OUA is a distinct beast and we just have to show up, be ready for a fight and perform,” said Shirley.
“Personally, everything that's kind of happened up to this point doesn't really matter. It doesn't matter that I placed at Brock, it doesn't matter that I placed in any other tournament. OUA is a distinct beast and we just have to show up, be ready for a fight and perform."
Peter Shirley, Wrestling Team Member
McMaster’s wrestling program fosters this kind of success for the following reasons: innovative coaching, a healthy support system and a positive atmosphere. Another prime example of this strong team culture is Vanessa Fonrose, a second-year wrestler who earned silver at the Brock Open.
“The first thing that came to mind is having a good training partner that understands you. And then the second one was having good coach in your corner,” explained Fonrose.
“The first thing that came to mind is having a good training partner that understands you. And then the second one was having good coach in your corner."
Vanessa Fonrose
McMaster’s wrestling head coach, an alumnus McMaster wrestler, is Ahmed Shamiya. While on the men’s team Shamiya was a five-time OUA and four-time national medalist. In addition, Shamiya was men’s coach of the year at the 2020 OUA Championships.
“I don't think any other school wrestles like us because he's bringing kind of the new age wrestling into not only just our team, but into Canada and helping spread that. He really tries to build the sport and to touch on the team culture — it's amazing,” said Shirley.
Something unique about Shamiya’s coaching style is that both the men’s and women’s teams train and wrestle together. This creates great cohesion between the two groups to the point that they’re practically one team themselves.
“I think [what’s] also pretty cool about our team is that we don't have [a] distinct men's team [or a] distinct women's team. We’re in the trenches right together. I think that's one thing that separates us from any other team on this campus,” explained Shirley.
With the team dynamic and incredible amount of work the team puts in with six practices a week for the past six months, the 2022 OUAs are looking good for the Marauders. The team extends their thanks to their support system including coaching staff, trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, student field therapists and more, without whom the team would not be whole.
“Shoutout to the team,” said Fonrose.
C/O Rob Martin
Haven’t heard of the McMaster women’s football team? Let’s change that.
Many McMaster students may be familiar with our incredible men’s football team. They can often be seen practicing outside in the Ron Joyce Stadium, geared up head-to-toe on a bright sunny afternoon. What students may not know is that three times a week, in a field tucked behind the stadium, practices McMaster’s women’s football team in the thick of winter. At first glance, it may not appear so, as one would be mistaken to find any protective equipment other than the thickest hoodies players can find.
For those unaware of the structure of varsity sports at McMaster and across other Ontario universities, here’s the breakdown: the McMaster Marauders are registered for 16 sports in the OUA that compete at provincial levels. Of those, there are 11 sports from McMaster represented at U Sports — the national governing body of university sports in Canada. For reference, McMaster’s men’s football team is represented at the U Sports level.
Unfortunately, although MWF athletes have the same training intensity and time commitment as varsity teams, the team is not recognized under the OUA. This means they are obligated to acquire their own funding and take on the title of a “club team,” grossly underrating the magnitude of effort invested by both players and coaches. Each year, the team is organized by a team of executive members, including the president Sophie Nezan and coach representative Justice Allin.
“We don’t have the opportunities that the men’s football teams do. [Since] we are not recognized by varsity organizations, we are in charge of finding athletes and coaches, ensuring fields are booked for us, the finances, social media promotion and organizing tournaments,” said Nezan.
“We don’t have the opportunities that the men’s football teams do. [Since] we are not recognized by varsity organizations, we are in charge of finding athletes and coaches, ensuring fields are booked for us, the finances, social media promotion and organizing tournaments,”
Sophie Nezan, McMaster Women's Football President
The team is under umbrella of the Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Football Organization, consisting of 10 universities across Ontario, including McMaster. Each season normally begins in February, when the contact flag football tournaments kick off. There are usually two qualifier tournaments and a championship tournament, which was hosted at the Ron Joyce Stadium this past Saturday.
“Thankfully, OWIFA exists, so we have a lot more opportunities because of them. They cover a huge portion in terms of organizing tournaments, but OWIFA is also an organization made up of athletes from the flag football teams. It’s definitely a lot of pressure,” explained Nezan.
Though the teams are fortunate to be governed by OWIFA, limited budgets still play a significant role in the experience for athletes. For example, players and coaches are forced to hold nighttime practices due to limited field availabilities and often play tournaments in snowy and icy conditions.
For good measure, the players are provided with no protective equipment (other than a limited number of generously donated soft-shell helmets) to play in the otherwise contact-heavy sport. All these factors combined make the players incredibly prone to serious injuries, knocking out several over the course of this season alone.
Despite these difficulties, the MWF team is not a team to be overlooked. Due to a large amount of student interest, McMaster was able to register two teams in this year’s season: Team Marauders and Team McMaster.
Team Marauders finished with an impressive five and one record on March 12 at the qualifying tournament located at Wilfred Laurier, finishing second place overall. Team McMaster earned itself the title of provincial finalists by also finishing second in the March 19 championship tournament at McMaster.
“We would love to eventually be under the OUA and for women’s flag football to be at every university across the province and country. Not only is MWF a sport, but the engagement with other women across Ontario is also one of the best things about it,” explained Nezan.
“We would love to eventually be under the OUA and for women’s flag football to be at every university across the province and country. Not only is MWF a sport, but the engagement with other women across Ontario is also one of the best things about it,”
Sophie Nezan, McMaster Women's Football President
Next steps for MWF include competing in the provincial intercollegiate women’s flag football championships hosted by Team Ontario on April 3, in hopes of progressing to the national championships in Ottawa in May.
With the sport becoming more and more popular, both OWIFA and MWF continue to advocate and fight for equal opportunities for women’s football. The championship tournament was broadcasted live by junior Mustangs TV to promote fan interest and encourage folks to appreciate the overlooked sport.
“These aren’t just women playing football; these are football players. Let’s get that out of the way right now,” stated London Junior Mustangs TV on OWIFA athletes.
“These aren’t just women playing football; these are football players. Let’s get that out of the way right now,”
London Junior Mustangs TV
It’s become quite evident that any room for growth in the world of football belongs to women’s football. With over 50 players playing competitively at McMaster alone, it’s hard to find a reason not to invest in the sport and create more opportunities for women across the country. It is unclear when the sport can gain varsity recognition, but, until then, it’s safe to say that the OUA is missing out.
OUA and U Sports cancel all games and competitions for the winter 2021 term.
Following the cancellation of fall 2020 sports by U Sports, the organization recently announced its decision to cancel the winter 2021 championships, thus completely shutting down the 2020-2021 competitive season. The championships cancelled include basketball, swimming, wrestling, hockey, track and field and volleyball, in both the men’s and women’s tournaments.
Official statement from U SPORTS / Une déclaration d'U SPORTS
🔗EN: https://t.co/b75Z0lXqdp /🔗FR: https://t.co/TNfQ98XdsG pic.twitter.com/i6TLptiS6c
— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) October 15, 2020
As COVID-19 cases around Canada began to rapidly increase due to the second wave, it would not be feasible to hold games in tournaments while sacrificing the health of student-athletes and team members. With Quebec and Ontario being the greater sources of recent cases, having teams travel between each other for away games would not only potentially harm the athletes, but their families and friends as well.
Furthermore, as provincial governments are now implementing indoor gathering restrictions, it would be difficult to continue planning for a season due to the unpredictable nature of the virus.
#BREAKING: Ontario reported 1,042 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday - the highest single-day total recorded since the pandemic started.
— CityNews 680 (Inactive) (@680NEWS) October 25, 2020
"It is not logistically possible for teams to be travelling across the country at this time. Therefore, U Sports is in the unfortunate position where we are unable to offer the 2021 winter championships,” said Dick White, interim chief executive officer of U Sports.
U Sports’ decision is also supported by Atlantic University Sport, Canada West, Ontario University Athletics and Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec. Despite “Return to Competition” being officially cancelled, “Return to Train” is still occurring, with guidelines being determined independently by each university’s athletics department, including McMaster University.
“We have a modified return to train plan, which offers student-athletes some level of engagement while socially distanced and in safe settings. It’s about maintaining fitness, engagement, but also supporting people’s sense of belonging. We obviously have to do this while under public health guidelines and those of the university, but we have worked internally with teams (i.e. basketball) and public health to come up with a plan that allows certain members of teams to get back into training, like a pilot project,” said Shawn Burt, director of Athletics and Recreation at McMaster University.
“We have a modified return to train plan, which offers student-athletes some level of engagement while socially distanced and in safe settings. It’s about maintaining fitness, engagement, but also supporting people’s sense of belonging. We obviously have to do this while under public health guidelines and those of the university, but we have worked internally with teams (i.e. basketball) and public health to come up with a plan that allows certain members of teams to get back into training, like a pilot project,” said Burt.
Despite the clinic having reduced hours, the minimal contact athletes undergo in part of this training program limits the probability of major injuries.
As courses are completed remotely for the 2020-2021 school year, very few students are on campus and thus, have limited access to their support services. Alongside implementing the “Return to Train” program, the McMaster athletics department is also providing mental health support to their athletes and virtual opportunities to train.
Burt explained that the department is working alongside the Student Wellness Centre to make appropriate accommodations for the athletes to ensure they get the support they need.
“We’re making [the Student Wellness Centre] aware of some of the changes among our student-athletes and aware of the unique stressors that go hand-in-hand with losing your competitive season, training and travel. Our team also contracted a social worker to conduct seminars to stay engaged and positive. The team continues to further look at other offerings to help the athletes at this time,” said Burt.
“We’re making [the Student Wellness Centre] aware of some of the changes among our student-athletes and aware of the unique stressors that go hand-in-hand with losing your competitive season, training and travel. Our team also contracted a social worker to conduct seminars to stay engaged and positive. The team continues to further look at other offerings to help the athletes at this time,” said Burt.
The Athletics department continues to offer department-wide seminars while teams also conduct their own support programs individually.
With that being said, the cancellation of the winter 2020-2021 season was tough to digest for student-athletes, faculty and fans alike.
“My heart goes out to all the student-athletes who did everything right to get to McMaster and qualify academically and then to have this taken it away from you is really difficult. It started with the cancellation of the fall season and then going to winter, it’s difficult for everybody from administration to coaches to athletes. Even though some of these things weren’t unexpected, it doesn’t make it any easier to share that news,” said Burt.
“My heart goes out to all the student-athletes who did everything right to get to McMaster and qualify academically and then to have this taken it away from you is really difficult. It started with the cancellation of the fall season and then going to winter, it’s difficult for everybody from administration to coaches to athletes. Even though some of these things weren’t unexpected, it doesn’t make it any easier to share that news,” said Burt.
Despite there being a possibility of a spring and summer season, it’s quite difficult to speculate the outcome due to the fluctuation of COVID-19 cases and budgets for schools. Ultimately whether it’s a safe decision is dependent on the province’s number of cases moving forward.
UPDATE🚨@OUAsport and @USPORTSca have announced the cancellation of all sanctioned sports seasons through March 31st, 2021https://t.co/5G95ApPsFw
— McMaster Marauders (@McMasterSports) October 15, 2020
With regard to financial consequences, the department of Athletics and Recreation has taken a major hit with fee reductions, overall revenue generation and changes to staffing, yet their commitment to support their athletes remains the same. Despite this financial impact, the university and its faculties gave their support to research initiatives and mental health support according to Burt.
With the possibility of school not even returning for fall 2021, Burt said the department is not leaving anything up to chance.
“We don’t even want to contemplate sports not being there next fall, but we are planning for all situations because it would be irresponsible for us not to . . . The tricky part is we are going to be at the behest of the City of Hamilton and the province of Ontario on what we can do,” said Burt.
While hoping that some sort of normalcy returns to the playing field with greater access to training, it’s important to maintain a positive mood while supporting the McMaster Athletics community during these difficult times.
After the cancellation of fall sports, Western Mustangs’ football player, Garrett Holmes, created the CSAA to protect student-athletes.
In early July 2020, U Sports made a controversial decision where they maintained their current eligibility policy of disallowing football athletes older than 25 (born on Sept. 1, 1996 or after) from competing in the 2021-2022 season.
After pressure from athletes and the public, the national association made an exception to their policy, where the 2020-2021 season would not be counted as part of their eligibility, thus allowing athletes to participate after competing five academic years and allowing football athletes older than 25 to compete in games.
Official statement from U SPORTS: pic.twitter.com/k95YqNDxkS
— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) July 27, 2020
A key voice that resulted in this reversal is the newly-formed Canadian Student-Athlete Association, founded by Garrett Holmes, a fourth-year social sciences student at Western University and back-up quarterback for the Western Mustangs.
“COVID-19 really changed college and university sports forever in Canada unfortunately . . . it’s not about the decisions made in the past, but it’s the future decisions that are going to be made, and when those are made, I think student-athletes should have some input. It’s their future and it’s their careers at stake. I don’t think it's right if they don’t [have] input to what’s happening,” said Holmes.
“COVID-19 really changed college and university sports forever in Canada unfortunately . . . it’s not about the decisions made in the past, but it’s the future decisions that are going to be made, and when those are made, I think student-athletes should have some input. It’s their future and it’s their careers at stake. I don’t think it's right if they don’t [have] input to what’s happening,” said Holmes.
On July 20, the CSAA provided a statement to U Sports asking them to revisit their decision regarding eligibility for the 2021-2022 season and onwards. On July 27, U Sports made the reversal, with the CSAA expressing their gratitude to CEO of U Sports Dick White and U Sports as a whole for their willingness to listen and their consequential decision.
“I think Canada will be in limbo for a while. A bubble is a great idea, but I don’t know how they will fund it. It needs a lot of planning. Even for fall sports, the timing is slipping away . . . the season would have started a few weeks ago for football. I think for spring sports, that’s an option, but they have to start planning now for a bubble. But unfortunately, I don’t think U sports is thinking about that; they’re just pretty set on staying safe. But it’s hard to know what they’re thinking without getting input from student-athletes. It’s just tough,” said Holmes.
“I think Canada will be in limbo for a while. A bubble is a great idea, but I don’t know how they will fund it. It needs a lot of planning. Even for fall sports, the timing is slipping away . . . the season would have started a few weeks ago for football. I think for spring sports, that’s an option, but they have to start planning now for a bubble. But unfortunately, I don’t think U sports is thinking about that; they’re just pretty set on staying safe. But it’s hard to know what they’re thinking without getting input from student-athletes. It’s just tough,” said Holmes.
Outside of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CSAA has various goals that comprise its mandate to provide student-athletes with a voice.
“Right now, we are reaching out to key people, like Dick White and key organizations and getting their input and providing my input . . . Obviously COVID-19 is the most important topic right now in U Sports and Canadian university athletics, but aside from that, there are so many big issues that aren’t talked about right now, such as sexual harassment and racism. These issues are pushed away because student-athletes don’t know where to go to talk, but now the CSAA is somewhere to go to bring up such issues,” said Holmes.
“Right now, we are reaching out to key people, like Dick White and key organizations and getting their input and providing my input . . . Obviously COVID-19 is the most important topic right now in U Sports and Canadian university athletics, but aside from that, there are so many big issues that aren’t talked about right now, such as sexual harassment and racism. These issues are pushed away because student-athletes don’t know where to go to talk, but now the CSAA is somewhere to go to bring up such issues,” said Holmes.
Holmes also explained that bringing agent representation to student-athletes is an area that the CSAA would like to focus on, providing them with the best student-athlete experience.
“Change is needed. With COVID-19, we are in very strange times. Student-athletes deserve to see the table. It’s their future being altered and to have no input from them is very wrong,” said Holmes.
Despite the governance of the CSAA still being under development, current student-athletes and alumni are encouraged to view the association’s website and reach out to Holmes to discuss the future of the CSAA.
Two McMaster basketball players started a podcast discussing their lives as student-athletes and things around the world
Ever since the cancellation of in-person activities throughout the world, many athletes have sought the virtual world as a place of comfort. In fact, some professional sports leagues have partnered with video game companies to deliver virtual tournaments, watchable by fans. The National Basketball Association conducted a video game tournament involving various athletes around the league, such as Zach Lavine and Devin Booker, broadcasting their virtual games to fans. Booker took home the top prize with a $100,000 donation split between two charities, Arizona Food Bank Network and #FirstRespondersFirst.
As the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people worked, transitioning to a home office, it has been noted by Spotify that podcast usage has switched from only morning commutes to scattered throughout the day.
“It just allows for even more time for them to consume podcasts in different times and different ways,” said Dawn Ostroff, chief content and advertising officer of Spotify during the company’s quarterly shareholder meeting.
“It just allows for even more time for them to consume podcasts in different times and different ways,” said Dawn Ostroff, chief content and advertising officer of Spotify during the company’s quarterly shareholder meeting.
Just as more podcasts are being listened to throughout the day, with everyone being at home, new podcasts are also being launched during the pandemic.
“[Podcasting] is more and more the way people are spending time, trying to educate themselves, trying to get smarter, trying to have companionship in a moment when people are alone,” said Anya Grundmann, the senior vice president of programming of National Public Radio, to CNN Business.
With the sudden rise in podcast popularity, two McMaster men’s basketball players felt compelled to start their own. Brandon Bernard and Tristan Lindo, both third-year students in the Communications Studies Program, created The Player’s Podcast to discuss their lives as student-athletes. Inspired by the podcast, Knuckleheads, the duo discusses topics such as U Sports, the world we live in, the McMaster men’s basketball team and provide tips on how to succeed in sports.
“As far as our content, we usually talk one or two nights before and just brainstorm what we really want to talk about — like stuff that’s hot at that time and just try to talk about something that would intrigue people to want to watch,” said Bernard on how they plan for each podcast.
Their first podcast discussed the cancellation of the NBA season, U Sports and the Black Lives Matter movement. Both Bernard and Lindo found that following the cancellation of the U Sports fall 2020 championships and the closure of gyms, it was tough to maintain the same level of play without access to proper conditioning equipment and team practices. But with the cancellation of the fall 2020 season, players do not have to juggle both athletics and academics at the same time. With that being said, the transition to online learning has been more difficult than anticipated.
“I feel like its a tiny bit harder just because even with senior friends reminding you of due dates, it’s so [much] easier to lose track of things when [class is] online compared to when it’s in person. It’s so [much] easier to fall behind in the lecture, it’s so [much] easier to fall behind in readings and everything else . . . But without having basketball it's a little bit easier. If we had basketball on top of school, it would be hectic,” said Lindo.
“I feel like its a tiny bit harder just because even with senior friends reminding you of due dates, it’s so [much] easier to lose track of things when [class is] online compared to when it’s in person. It’s so [much] easier to fall behind in the lecture, it’s so [much] easier to fall behind in readings and everything else . . . But without having basketball it's a little bit easier. If we had basketball on top of school, it would be hectic,” said Lindo.
As opposed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association which brings in massive amounts of revenue, Bernard believes that U Sports and Ontario University Athletics are not really a “cash cow,” as evidenced by U Sports’ large operations deficit for the 2018-2019 season and limited net gains for the 2019-2020 season.
“There’s a ton of endorsements, media outreach, lots of people watching and betting involved, so lots of money tied up in the NCAA whereas, in U Sports, they’re paying to have places rented and lodging accommodations paid for. I don’t believe money is an issue to bring back sports. They’re paying to have a program for us, whereas the NCAA is the opposite,” said Bernard of his thoughts on the contrast between associations. Bernard believes that the reimplementation of sports will ultimately be a health-based decision as opposed to being financially driven.
“There’s a ton of endorsements, media outreach, lots of people watching, and betting involved so lots of money tied up in the NCAA whereas, in U Sports, they’re paying to have places rented and lodging accommodations paid for. I don’t believe money is an issue to bring back sports. They’re paying to have a program for us, whereas the NCAA is the opposite,” said Bernard of his thoughts on the contrast between associations.
“[The podcast is] something we can do and hopefully bring people here to see what we say on these topics. [We] want to focus not so much on basketball . . . but life as a whole, so everything can relate,” said Bernard and Lindo.
They both further explained how they would love to continue after graduation or pass it onto some teammates who would be suited for this job.
“If you like good talks, funny moments and take away something that could benefit in your day, definitely tune into our podcast. We’re always taking questions either through Twitter or Instagram so definitely hit us up there. I think [questions are] the most engaging part. We’re not catering for one type of community — anyone can come on. Whether you’re a grandma or a mother, you can talk to us, ” Bernard and Lindo stated.
“If you like good talks, funny moments and take away something that could benefit in your day, definitely tune into our podcast. We’re always taking questions either through Twitter or Instagram so definitely hit us up there. I think [questions are] the most engaging part. We’re not catering for one type of community, anyone can come on. Whether you’re a grandma or a mother, you can talk to us, ” Bernard and Lindo stated.
The Player’s Podcast is available to listen via the McMaster men’s basketball YouTube channel. Questions can be submitted directly to Bernard and Lindo on Instagram.
OUA and U Sports cancel all games and competitions amidst COVID-19 pandemic
In March, U Sports cancelled their hockey and volleyball national championships following university closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On June 8, U Sports decided to further cancel all six fall 2020 national championships.
“Although the Canadian sport system is working together to create evidence-based return to training, practice and competition protocols, it is not currently feasible or safe due to the COVID-19 pandemic for U Sports to be able to offer fall championships given the academic realities of student-sport,” said Dr. Taryn Taylor, the chief medical officer of U Sports, according to the U Sports website.
U Sports came to this decision after considering virtual learning methods, public health guidelines and travel restrictions. The board understands that students are financially limited and made a decision as early as possible to allow students to adequately prepare for the fall term, including adapting to virtual learning and signing housing leases. U Sports has also made a variety of changes regarding eligibility and financial awards for athletes. Eligibility will not be considered for championship sports this fall term, in which students being deemed ineligible previously will be able to participate in the 2021 sports championships. Scholarships will still be permitted as long as students abide by regulations set out by their institution and U Sports.
U Sports’ national championship cancellations include the men’s and women’s cross country running, men’s and women’s soccer, women’s field hockey, women’s rugby and men’s football. This also includes the cancellation of the prestigious Vanier Cup.
Immediately following U Sports’ decision, Ontario University Athletics released its statement cancelling all fall sports until Dec. 31, 2020.
“The health of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, officials, and fans is our number one priority, and after significant consultation, we believe that OUA sport cannot be delivered prior to December 31,” wrote Mike DeGagné in a press release, chair of the OUA board of directors.
“The health of our student-athletes, coaches, administrators, officials, and fans is our number one priority, and after significant consultation, we believe that OUA sport cannot be delivered prior to December 31,” wrote Mike DeGagné, chair of the OUA board of directors.
OUA’s decision is mirrored by Atlantic University Sport, who has cancelled all competition until January 2021. Canada West cancelled all team sports competitions for the fall 2020 term but will still allow individual sports championships, namely swimming and golf, to occur safely following direction from their own COVID-19 Task Force. This contrasts OUA’s decision to exclude individual sports, which they based on travel requirements, medical support and close living spaces during the national championship period. With that being said, Canada West cancelled their cross country championships, where the task force believed that the “reduction of team complement, altered start, creating defined passing areas or hosting regional championships (one BC, one prairie) – would too significantly impact the integrity of the championships.”
On the other hand, the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec decided on Aug. 31, to continue school sports at the college and university level as of Sept. 14. Such accommodations will be regulated by the Ministère de l’Éducation, the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur and by Quebec’s public health guidelines.
Shawn Burt, director of athletics and recreation at McMaster University, released a statement providing support for the McMaster Marauders Athletes.
“McMaster currently sponsors 38 varsity teams across more than 20 sports, all of which will be affected by this cancellation. While the future is uncertain, the OUA remains hopeful that it can provide quality experiences for its student-athletes starting in the new year and will be closely monitoring the ongoing health considerations and viability for these opportunities over the coming months,” wrote Burt.
“McMaster currently sponsors 38 varsity teams across more than 20 sports, all of which will be affected by this cancellation. While the future is uncertain, the OUA remains hopeful that it can provide quality experiences for its student-athletes starting in the new year and will be closely monitoring the ongoing health considerations and viability for these opportunities over the coming months,” wrote Burt.
With the winter 2021 term being in-person as suggested by classroom allocations, it may be a possibility that university athletics and sports return for January 2021, while adhering to public health regulations. As gyms are recently opening and shutting down due to COVID-19 exposure, OUA is currently working alongside institutions on a safe plan to implement training while possibly re-implementing the cancelled championships for spring 2021.
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads around the world, decisive and necessary measures have been taken to slow the spread of the virus. On March 23, the Ontario government announced that all non-essential services would be required to close for two weeks. These closures, while necessary, will have major impacts on all sectors of society. The current pandemic is effecting operations for our various sports teams due to closures of facilities and team operations. As precautions being taken against COVID-19 increase and uncertainty about the future remains, McMaster Athletics must be prepared for a long road ahead.
Let’s begin with recruiting. Naturally, recruiting revolves around one-on-one and in-person contact with the athletes, and often involves coaches watching athletes competing. With school closures expected to last much longer than anticipated, many high school athletics teams will not see the end of their seasons.
These closures would mean that crucial areas of competition, such as city championships, provincials and nationals, will no longer take place in sports such as rugby. Therefore, the previously available opportunities for varsity coaches to base recruiting decisions on are no longer an option.
Stefan Ptaszek, the head coach of McMaster Football, remarked that while many of the main talents have already been scouted for next year’s team, large high school level tournaments can give many players the opportunity to step up and get noticed by scouts. The playoffs often see several players step up on their roster and perform at a higher level. For some, these opportunities have unfortunately been lost, and with them, chances for scholarships.
The moments in the postseason when an athlete’s performance counts the most could be among the deciding factors for a player making it to the collegiate level. With regard to scholarships, for some students such deciding factors could have been the difference between attending university or not.
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This was further acknowledged by Daniel Pletch, the head coach for the men’s rugby team at McMaster. He agreed with Ptsazek’s concerns that obstacles to recruitment could affect an entire incoming class of students.
“The real challenge will be the 2021 recruits, as it’s looking unlikely we’ll have a spring high school rugby season. This means identifying the top high school players will be a bigger challenge, especially finding those ‘late bloomers’, who pick up the sport later in high school, and really rely on their grade 12 seasons to develop,” Pletch said.
According to Ptaszek, around 30-50 students per year receive scholarships for their efforts on the football team, which is roughly a third or more of the entire team. It’s clear that scholarships are an integral part of university athletics. The scholarships offered for being on the football team, for example, are held if the student retains a 6.5 GPA or higher. With the added stress and mental pressure the pandemic is putting on everyone, it is not inconceivable to think that this could affect athletes’ grades due to greater mental strain and less access to campus resources.
Official sports bodies have also taken a stance on recruitment. U Sports released a statement on March 16 declaring that it was putting a three week minimum moratorium on recruitment. This would not allow any travel, in-person visits or one-on-one contact with high school athletes, furthering the difficulty to create and harvest new relationships with budding student-athletes. With that being said, “non-contact” measures such as phone calls, video conferences and social media contact are allowed.
Both Pletch and Ptsazek also made remarks about another main area which will be greatly affected: physical conditioning. Due to city closures and the need to practice physical distancing, it is harder for athletes to access commercial gyms and university athletic facilities. For example, on March 16 the McMaster Pulse announced it was shutting its doors for several weeks and that all athletics services in the David Braley Athletic Centre were also shutting down. Athletes who cannot afford outside facilities or personal equipment may find it harder to remain in shape for the season.
While public health guidelines must be adhered to in order to reduce the risk of harm as much as possible, the closure of sports, schools and athletics facilities has the potential to deeply affect the lives of student-athletes everywhere.
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Head coach of the men’s basketball team Patrick Tatham has had an illustrious career. While he was an athlete he played Division 1 basketball at Cleveland State University. He moved on to play overseas for the Sions Herens Basket in Switzerland and the Itzehoe Eagles in Germany, with brief stints in Qatar and Syria.
Following his playing career, Tatham transitioned to coaching. This included jobs with Stoneridge Preparatory School in the states and the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G League. After five years of being assistant coach for the Ryerson University Rams, Tatham became interim head coach from 2015-2016. Now, he is the head coach of our McMaster Marauders. Simply put, the man has seen it all.
Taking part in so many positions was a huge learning experience for Tatham. His ability to transition with ease is one of the reasons for his accomplishments.
“It’s been a nice journey. When I was at Stoneridge I had no clue what I was doing. I just did what I thought I knew to do based off my coaches at Cleveland State. Then coming back home to Stoneridge I took whatever we learned at Cleveland state to try and help the culture at Ryerson because there was no culture at all, we were one of the worst teams in Canada. It was like rolling the dice, you have nothing to lose. Just roll the dice and see what works and what doesn’t work and then make the necessary changes,” said Tatham.
As the saying goes, fortune favours the bold, and it certainly did with Tatham’s coaching style. When he began coaching at Ryerson, the team was struggling. However, the rough patch presented an opportunity for growth given that the team was willing to take risks and innovate.
“I use that blueprint now, here at Mac, there’s already a base and foundation here but it’s about me cleaning up a few things. Just doing all the necessary stuff to make sure all the guys are successful, not just on the court but in the classrooms,” said Tatham.
Tatham’s journey from high school to Division 1 basketball was quite different than what you see nowadays. Typically, top Canadian basketball prospects are noticed either before high school or midway through. Then they go to a preparatory high school in the United States. If they’re good enough, they go to a top college. However, this is not always the case, and it wasn’t for Tatham. He went to Chinguacousy Secondary School in Brampton and from there attended Cleveland State University.
Young Canadian athletes are often told that if they want to follow their dreams, they have to leave Canada. Fewer and fewer Division one scouts are looking to the north for elite-level talent, as the United States is already filled to the brim with talented basketball players. As a result, top Canadian hoopers tend to relocate to the U.S. during high school. Tatham was able to stay home for high school and then play for a top school down south, and he’d like to see more Canadian athletes do the same. In order to accomplish this, Tatham says that U sports needs to do more to incentivize young Canadian athletes to stay at home.
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‘’If we want to retain some of these kids to stay home and play at the U sports level, which is pretty high in my eyes, U sports has to take it upon themselves to really find a way to make the entire playing field very balanced. Offering a little bit more money even if it’s only to five or six scholarship athletes, but I think someway somehow we’ve got to get to a point where we can retain some of these kids that go south . . . and instead get them on a scholarship for four or five years [at home],” said Tatham.
Retention of top Canadian athletes would bring U sports to another level. Can you imagine a league where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander played for McMaster or RJ Barrett played for the University of Toronto? This would bring another degree of respect not only to U sports, but to Canadian athletics in general.
Beyond his vision of a brighter future for Canadian university sports, Tatham focuses on his coaching style. He aims to ensure that his coaching staff is setting a high bar for their program and other programs around the league. He and his staff choose a philosophy of leading by example, setting a precedent of excellence for the team to follow.
“I think within our culture it’s really from the head, heading all the way down to the players and managers. I’ve got to be as consistent as I possibly can and then hopefully my coaches can follow suit and then after the coaches follow suit we all put it down to the players and then the players can follow suit,” said Tatham.
Tatham, or PT as his players know him, uses tough love when it comes to coaching, making sure to always tell players what’s on his mind, whether it’s good or bad. This transparency ensures mutual respect between the coach and team—they always know what he’s thinking, and the team can focus on improving.
Outside of performing on the court, the program has a strong presence in the community. The team holds a yearly summer camp where kids from over Hamilton can come and learn from some of the city’s best athletes. It presents an opportunity for growth, not only for the kids who come to learn how to hoop better, but also for the team and coaches.
“This is the only university in the city of Hamilton so being able to have 200 kids coming to camp for two weeks is something special,” Tatham said. “A lot of the younger kids are going to look up to some of our players and when our players graduate maybe some of those young kids will come to play at Mac. Being able to do the program is not just a great thing for our program but for the city because I think the city needs more basketball camps and I’m just grateful to be a part of it.”
Younger kids from the Hamilton area however are not the only ones being mentored and inspired. Players on the men’s basketball team have access to a mentorship program where men’s basketball alumni come in and talk about life after Mac. The alumni share how the skills they learnt through the basketball program helped them later on in life.
“We’ve been doing a mentor panel for two years. I think that’s been the biggest success in my two years, I think the guys really enjoy the mentor panel and I think alumni enjoy coming back and talking to the current players. So far that’s been the most gratifying thing,” Tatham said.
All in all, the program is in great hands. From competing at an extremely high level as a player to competing for greatness as a coach, Tatham has seen it all. His level of experience and understanding, as well as his connection with fellow staff and players, will be key for the team this season and the years ahead.
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Due to a long history of sexism in sports, women’s athletics aren’t usually given the credit they deserve. Sports have been male-dominated for over a century, but there have been recent initiatives to help change this.
Over the past few weeks the introduction of the three-on-three women’s competition during the National Hockey League All-Star weekend or greater appreciation and focus for competitive women’s national teams such as the past World Cup victory by the United States soccer and continued success by Canadian Hockey teams in the Olympics. With the increased wages in the Women’s National Basketball Association having just been announced in January 2020, we are slowly making progress in climbing to equal pay in comparison to male major league sports counterparts. The WNBA announcement comes at no better time as Feb. 6 marks U Sports’ celebration of 100 years of women’s Canadian Interuniversity Sports basketball.
On Feb. 6, 1920, the Queen’s Gael’s and the McGill Martlets played the first women’s varsity basketball game. With that U Sports has decided, starting on Feb. 6, to list off the top 100 players in the history of Canadian collegiate basketball with decisions being made by a panel of women’s basketball coaches and partners.
With this upcoming anniversary in mind, the Silhouette looked back at a few of the most successful and dominant players in the program’s recent history.
Hilary Hanaka
Hilary Hanaka was the leader of last year’s national championship team in. The five-year star played from 2014-2019 at McMaster, has a filled-to-the-brim stats sheet and a fully stocked trophy wall. Having won a national championship and a, Critelli Cup trophy, Hanaka also made the OUA All-Rookie team, was a two year Ontario University Athletics All-Star and an All-Canadian player. By the time she graduated there wasn’t much left for Hanaka to accomplish. Her individual accomplishments include the Sylvia Sweeney Award, the national award for academic/athletic excellence from U Sports and service to the community, and the Joy Bellinger Award presented by the OUA to a student-athlete who excels in academics, athletics and community service.
Hanaka had a great impact on the court, in the classroom and in the community. Having broken McMaster’s ten year losing streak in the Critelli Cup and bringing home the teams first ever national championship would be enough to be on the Marauders record books on its own. The addition of her off-the-court achievements is what makes her the first player to make our list.
Danielle Boiago
The second player who comes to mind is Danielle Boiago, who should need no introduction. In the five years that she played for McMaster from 2012 to 2017, she dominated Burridge. Since the first day she stepped on the court as a Marauder, she was a dominant guard averaging 15.5 points a game combined with 53 steals, 46 assists and a total of 340 points in her first season. She was only getting started. Impressive is a word that does not live up to her presence on the court and her importance to the team, being the first player in program history to win the Nan Copp Award as women’s U Sports player of the year in 2017. This year she averaged 25.5 points a game and she became McMaster’s all-time leading scorer with 1,719 points, which gives a better idea of her prowess. This is among the awards she gathered in addition to the four time All-Star and an All-Rookie team nod in the OUA.
After accepting a contract to play professional basketball in the Netherlands, Boiago played ten games for Holland’s Royal Eagles and averaged a staggering 16 points per game. She eventually returned to the Marauders as an assistant coach. She has given to the team on and off the court, but also for her country. She played five games on Team Canada in the 2018 CommonWealth Games, where they lost in the bronze medal game to New Zealand and finished fourth in the tournament overall.
Chiarra Rocca
The third player which led the Marauders in recent history is Chiarra Rocca. Now inducted into the McMaster Athletics Hall of Fame, she played from 2004-2008 while racking in a mountain of achievements. She led the team to win two OUA championships in 2007 and 2008 and a CIS bronze in 2008, secured in part by her defensive prowess and soft touch shot. She was an all-star from the moment she dressed up in maroon and grey, as she made the OUA All-Star team in her first season as well as the CIS All-Rookie-team and was also lauded by the province, earning the OUA rookie of the year award. Later in her career, she made the OUA all-star team three more times, making her an OUA all-star in every season she played. As mentioned, she was quite the defensive force. This won her the OUA and CIS defensive player of the year in 2006 along with the team MVP. When she graduated she was the all-time leader for rebounds in the OUA at 760 total, a title which she still holds today.
As we look back at 100 years of women’s basketball we also look back at the greatness that has walked the halls of DBAC and occupied Burridge gym. The women’s basketball team has had many prominent players dress in maroon and grey and there are probably many more to come. Here’s to appreciating the women in sports who fight for equality and recognition. McMaster has had their fair share and all of them should get the recognition they deserve.
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