WOLFPACK SOCCER PLAYERS (CURRENT AND ALUMNI) TO RUN PROGRAM FOR SPECIAL OLYMPIANS March 3, 2010
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Sport Start Soccer Participants
Cassie Drummond of WolfPack Women's soccer with a Sports Start Participant.
Helping promote their sport while working with children with an intellectual disability. That’s two of the rewards a number of current and former members of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack soccer teams are getting as they attempt to start a new soccer program in Kamloops.
It is called Sports Start. It’s one of three Youth Development Programs developed by Special Olympics BC. Kelly MacDonald, Manager of Youth Programs, developed the program and decided to pilot it in Kamloops this winter. She played soccer at TRU (then UCC from 1998-2001). “I was approached last summer to begin working on the program, “ she said “ I had just finished my Masters degree on equity issues in amateur sport programs and jumped at the chance to put into practice what I had been studying and writing about.”
Sport Start is a sport-specific training program for children with intellectual disabilities between the ages of 12-18 years. The program currently has coaching manuals for Basketball, Athletics, Snowshoeing and Soccer, though the hope is to have a Sport Start program for every SOBC sport in the future (there’s 18!).
With the help of Kamloops Special Olympics Local Coordinator Marilyn McLean, MacDonald coordinated a 4-week trial program at the Kamloops Soccer Dome in January and February and enlisted the coaching help of former TRU players Wendy Cooluris (1999-2002) and Kelsi Butner (2002,2004,2006, 2008) along with current WolfPack players Cassie Drummond and Seb Gardner.
“It was wonderful working with young athletes,” said Butner “Many people helped me partake in organized teams and events and it only feels right to return the deed.”
“They were some of the happiest, most energetic youngsters I’ve ever worked with,” said Drummond. “ Hands down, the most rewarding part of the coaching experience was to see their faces light up with sheer pride and happiness when they did something great. It was so fulfilling to see that and to be able to reinforce what they did was amazing by giving them enthusiastic praise.”
12 youngsters took part in the initial pilot program. It was so popular that MacDonald and Special Olympics BC is planning an official session beginning this spring. TRU WolfPack Women’s head coach Tom McManus has become involved and will help run the program along with Butner and former TRU Basketball player Elizabeth DeVries.
“The goal of the program is to give young athletes a place to learn, practise and compete in organized sport,” MacDonald says. “ Sport Start also offers them a space of their own to develop and hone their skills. It’s an opportunity to compete with and against other athletes with intellectual disabilities, build friendships and get active.”
“I hope it becomes a leading example of how much a program can influence young players lives,” states Butner “ I hope we have enough success that we could introduce other sports for young athletes with disabilities and be able to give them options.”
MacDonald was happy to utilize the talents of TRU/UCC players and alumni. “ I was exceedingly happy to have them as coaches for the pilot program and for the upcoming program this spring. Aside from the fact that these players are among the best in the city, they are also terrific role models and excellent coaches. I think Wendy, Kelsi, Seb and Cassie all understand how important sport is and made it a priority to give young people with disabilities the opportunity to play the sport they love so much. Their involvement and that of Tom and Elizabeth makes me so proud to be a UCC Alumni.”
The sign up for Sport Start will be April 23rd at the Henry Grube Centre starting at 4:30 pm . The cost is $35.00. For more information they can contact Local Coordinator Marilyn McLean at mmclan@sd73.bc.ca
TRU WOLFPACK ATHLETICS: PROUD HOSTS OF THE 2010 CIS MENS NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS-MARCH 12-14 TH TOURNAMENT CAPITAL CENTER, KAMLOOPS BC.
WEBSITE: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index http://francais.cis-sic.ca/championships/mvball/index
STF Award Winners (Feb 12-13, 2010) February 15, 2010
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The final group of WolfPack Sports Task Force Award Winners for 2009-10 were honored at the final WolfPack volleyball matches of the regular season against Trinity Western. Here they are:
Kate Dobrovny, Amy Dahl and Katie Wale receive Norm Lamb Memorial Bursary from Athletic Director Ken Olynyk
Drew Bleth of Men's Basketball and Karen Gamracy presenting the Colin Day Award
Greg Stewart of Men's basketball receives Sage Sport award from Tracy Kelly
Hudson Naylor of Men's Basketball and Emily Bootle of Women's Volleyball receive Blazers Education Award from Spike Wallace
Kailey Colonna of Women's Basketball receives Shirley T. Harker Award from Tom Barley
Kayla Forsyth of Women's Basketball accepts the Jack Hik Memorial Award for her sister Karalyn from Athletic Director Ken Olynyk
Kaitlyn Widsten of women's basketball accepting the Interior Savings Credit Union award for teammate Kali Ellis from Derek Dickson
‘Hockey Night in Kamloops’–Big Success February 7, 2010
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All photos by Andrew Snucins
The WolfPack Hockey team joined forces with TRU Recreation and the BC Hydro Powersmart initiative on Saturday February 6 th at Memorial Arena. The first ever meeting between TRU and SFU in Kamloops saw 1,450 fans attend the game at Memorial Arena.
More Sports Task Force Bursaries/Scholarships February 6, 2010
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There were more Sports Task Force Bursaries and Scholarships handed out the weekend of February 5 th and 6 th, 2010 at the final two home basketball games of the year against Simon Fraser University.
Here are some of the pictures:
Casey Cullen of Men's Soccer receives Mike Comte Bursary from Sports Information Officer Larry Read
Robin Schoebel of Men's Volleyball accepts Daley and Company Award from Sean Wandler
Ashley Shannik of Women's Volleyball receives the Accent Inn Award from Sports Information Officer Larry Read
Brittany Bureau of Women's Volleyball and Kevin Tillie of Men's Volleyball accept Upper College Heights Bursary from Deb McConnell
Jessie Lebert of Womens Soccer receives Ken J. Finnie Award from Sports Information Officer Larry Read
Kyle Donen of Men's Volleyball and Pat O'Brien: receiving Pat O' Brien award
WOLFPACK WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HELPING YOUTH February 3, 2010
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Kaitlyn Widsten teaching dribbling
Giving back to the sport. That is what members of the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack women’s basketball have been doing for the past month. Four members of the team: Jessica Mulock (red shirt, forward, North Vancouver, BC), Kaitlyn Widsten (3rd year, guard, Tswwassen, BC), Beth McNeill (2nd year, guard, North Vancouver, BC) and Diane Schuetze (2nd year, post, Vernon, BC) have taken time out to conduct noon hour clinics at Rayleigh Elementary School.
The girls are just the latest from the WolfPack Athletics program to spend time teaching at the school. Bill Koch is the principal at Rayleigh Elementary and has had members of the WolfPack program at the rural school for the last five years. Earlier this season, he hired volleyball players Lindsey Niminkin (5th year, setter, South Slocan, BC) and Brittany Bureau (1st year, middle, Calgary, Alta) to run a month long session.
“It was a combination of factors that got us interested in having the WolfPack athletes come to the school,” he said. “At first, it was the desire to give athletics a high profile in our school and the fact we had few coaches. The other, was to provide role models of high performing athletes in our city and how they are able to combine academic excellence along with sports. I also would rather deal with kids in positive ways rather than following up noon hour behaviours from kids that had ‘nothing to do’. I think through this partnership, we have achieved these goals.”
Koch specifically asked the WolfPack to send female athletes: with the hope that young girls in his school would take up sports. And how has he seen the sessions go as an educator? “ Our students have been allowed to take part in fun exercise and it’s helped them be better focused for afternoon classes. They’ve had a lot of fun with the ‘mini camps’.”
“It’s definitely been interesting and not entirely what I thought it would be,” said Mulock about working with the grade 4-7 students.
“Its such a short time, it’s difficult to get to know them or teach them anything too in depth,” added Widsten. “But they are a very energetic group of kids.”
“I don’t know if they retained much after the fact but they did attempt everything we gave them.” said Schuetze.
Over the last month, the WolfPack players have been working on fundamentals with the students. As the youngsters grow in their skill level, the players have learned something about what it is like to be a teacher or a coach. “ You really have to watch what you say and give clear instructions,” Mulock explains. “ Just because you said hold the basketball doesn’t mean that it will still apply a few minutes later.”
The experience did prompt them to remember back to when they were that age “ I remember being a little more focused though,” Mulock laughed “ During these rare kind of coaching sessions, I really wanted to learn.”
Looking back at the last month, The TRU Players are hoping they have left an impression on the students at Rayleigh. The students have certainly left the WolfPack players with moments they won’t soon forget. “Sometimes, I think they should have invested in a rugby team,” laughed Shuetze. “That’s because they loved to tackle each other”.
The program started at Rayleigh Elementary is starting to grow in School District # 73 (Kamloops-Thompson). Westmount Elementary has hired two members of the WolfPack soccer program to conduct clinics at their school in April.
TRU WOLFPACK ATHLETICS: PROUD HOSTS OF THE 2010 CIS MENS NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS-MARCH 12-14 TH TOURNAENT CAPITAL CENTER, KAMLOOPS BC
Kaitlyn Widsten and Jessica Mulock demonstrate how to dribble
Jessica Mulock with students at Rayleigh Elementary