windsormvb

[windsormvb]

Lancer MVBlog Feature: Warm-Up Mix

(Lancers on Halloween - Frodo Baggins (Blase), Michael Phelps (Adam) & Ness (Chella))

Here's a breakdown of the list:

Chella: Songs 1-5 - Chella's warmup favourites are all EDM hits. He loves fast and furious mixes to get him ready for games and focus on setting up our hitters for attack.

AdamThompson: Songs 6-10 - Thompson also likes to belt out the tunes before games, but also has a little bit of EDM thrown in with some 80s' and current hits to contrast.

Blase Wasser: Songs 11-15 - Blase like what he calls "a mixture of the essentials." His choices span across several genres and decades of music so he can sing along when he's getting ready. Besides his good-looking sister, Blase knows more song lyrics from more songs and genres of music than anyone I know!

Thanks for tuning in (literally) Lancer fans!! Do you like these choices for a warm-up playlist? What genres or songs get you ready before a big game??

(posted March 26, 2014)

(photo source: Facebook)

[windsormvb]

Love to see this especially when tamarathon is running the 2014 race!! Good luck to her on behalf of WIndsor Men's Volleyball and the rest of the Sport Communication class!!

Almost up and running: Eric House lifts off a BAA logo stencil while applying a fresh coat of paint to the  Boston Marathon finish line on Boylston Street in Boston, Tuesday, March 25, 2014. The 118th running of the Boston Marathon is scheduled for April 21, 2014. (Photo: Stephan Savoia/The Associated Press)

[windsormvb]

Lancer Profile: Types of Fans

1. On the edge of their seat fan. This fan is immersed in the game and thrilled with every play. Expect loud shouts of excitement and panic when rallies go long and things get tense!

2. The texting fan. This fan litters not just the St. Denis Centre, but all sport events that we've attended in the last year. With the increase of mobile technology and social media popularity, everyone checks their phone at some point during the game, but do everyone a favour and put that puppy away until time-outs or bathroom breaks.

3. The too-afraid-to-watch fan. When the going gets tough, the tough….hide under their hand fan? This fan can't handle the stress and tension in the air on extended rallies and losing streaks and often look away in despair and anxiety. This is 100% my mother (bless her), and we know you get scared, but you're missing some great volleyball action!

4. The polite cheering fan. This fan applauds all efforts on the court, regardless of the team that's on the scoreboard. This is also referred to as the polite clapping when playing at away games, although they're usually drowned out by fans #5 and #6. 

5. The school spirit fan. This fan is excited about all of the positive aspects of the game. They will start out strong and hit their peak by the end of the second set (regardless of either sets' outcome). By the third set (and definitely the 4th and 5th sets) they will resemble fan #7, so conserve your energy!!

6. The chirping fan. This fan may or may not include the author (ahem), and things can get crazy when they're around. Look out for shouts while the opponent is serving, jabs at short length, song lyrics and general lewd remarks. #sorrynotsorry

7. The exhausted fan. This fan was either A) cheering their butt off in the first two sets and has no more spirit to give or B) elderly and is resting their eyes sonny! Where is your respect for the elderly!? Jeez. 

While we encourage extensive cheering, chirping, singing and general ruckus at all Lancer games, make sure your behaviour is up to the OUA Fan Code of Conduct! See ya later Lancer fans!!

(posted March 24th, 2014)

[windsormvb]

The unofficial guide to getting recruited to a university team

Here we go:

(grade 10-11) Step 1: i) Create a unique video highlighting your skills pertaining to your court position. For example a libero would want to highlight digging, serve receive, setting and perhaps serving (for those wanting to be considered as a defensive specialist). There are companies that offer custom recruiting videos like this one HERE.

            ii) Also start compiling your academic and athletic accolades into a Volleyball Portfolio. This provides potential coaches with an complete overview of your talents and skills. Helpful information on writing an athletic resume is HERE,

(grade 11-12) Step 2: Contact potential coaches! Although it seems scary, be confident and honest in your first contact whether it be via e-mail, telephone or in-person. Find Lancer Men's Volleyball head coach James Gravelle's contact information HERE. In addition here are some other helpful links:

OUA men's volleyball head coaches' contact information HERE. OUA women's volleyball head coaches' contact information HERE.

OCAA men's volleyball head coaches' contact information HERE. OCAA women's volleyball head coaches' contact information HERE.

Step 3: Try and attend either a clinic/camp at your potential schools, or arrange through the coach to attend a practise session with the team. You want to make sure that the coaching style and team atmosphere is one that you are comfortable with. It also provides a perfect opportunity for the coach and players to evaluate your skills and attitudes to make sure you would be a good fit to their existing team.

Step 4: Keep those grades up! Even if a coach shows interest in you, you need to make sure that you can still get into your school of choice!! 

Step 5: When you're getting read to make your decision, make sure you take into account both athletic AND academic factors - this is leading to your future career! While the CIS is alluring for the high levels of competition, the CCAA is still incredibly competitive and action-packed, and may make more sense for some individuals' career choices. 

Step 6:  Make a decision! Get ready for the next 4-5 years to be some of the most memorable of your life! Please comment or message if you have any other additional questions concerning WIndsor Lancer Men's Volleyball recruiting. For OUA eligibility information please click HERE. 

(posted March 24, 2014)

[windsormvb]

Lancer look-alikes of the week?? OUA Athlete of the Week Mac McDonnell of the Men's Hockey team and Greg "Cheese" Simone of the Men's Volleyball team, both rocking their ginger genes proud with beards to boot. We need an in-person side-by-side comparison!

(March 19, 2014)

(photo source: Windsor Lancers & CEV)

[windsormvb]

Hey Lancers - are you missing Men's Volleyball now that spring has arrived? Well fret no more! Windsor Lancer Blase Wasser joined LancerMVBlog as he sat down with some of his teammates for some post-season Q&A. 

He's joined in the video by teammates Shawn Reaume, Andrew Chelladurai and Greg "Cheese" Simone. Find out the answers to team trivia such as:

Who is the funniest on the team?

Favourite on/off-court memories

Team pranks

…and lots of on-camera giggles from Cheese. Check it out!

[windsormvb]

Lancer Winter Sport Update

(the St. Denis Centre during the CIS Women's Basketball Championships.)

Women's Basketball If you've been living under a rock, then you probably don't know that the Lancer Women's Basketball team won the CIS Championships. Read the LancerMVBlog recap HERE.

Men's Basketball The Lancer Men's Basketball team made it to the OUA Wilson Cup, hosted by the Ryerson Rams. After drawing the defending national champions Carleton Ravins in the semi-finals, the Lancers  were sent to the bronze medal game against the McMaster Marauders to fight for the remaining seed in the CIS Men's Basketball Championship. The game went to the Marauders in a heartbreaking 93-89 overtime win over the Lancers. Conference award winners included:

Lien "Dedicated" Phillip: OUA West Player of the Year; OUA West First Team All-Star 

Enrico Diloreto - OUA West First Team All-Star

Josh Collins - OUA West Second Team All-Star

Women's Track & Field The Lancer Women's Track & Field team held third place after Day One, but finished in eighth place at the CIS Championships in Edmonton, Alberta. After claiming 4th at the Ontario Championships, the women combined for a total of 47 points to place 8th over the three day meet. Noteable performances included:

SILVER: Amelia DiChiara 60m hurdles;

BRONZE: Celine Freeman-Gibb, shotput; Jalicia Clarke, 60m dash;

4th: Emily Omahen, Emilie Halle, Nathana Griffiths, & Jalicia Clarke, 4x200m relay;

5th: Emilie Halle, Camille Wallace, Olivia Creary & Samantha Kellam, 4x400m relay; Sarah Swain, 60m hurdles

(the OUA Men's Track & Field Champions, the University of Windsor Lancers)

Men's Track & Field

After capturing their 15th OUA title in the last 16 seasons, the Lancer Men's team was hungry for the CIS Championship banner. The men made it to the podium for a 3rd place finish, but were unable to conquer the nation as York walked away with their first CIS men's title in 30 years. Top Lancer performers included:

GOLD: Paul La Marra, Taylor McArthur, Corey Bellemore & Alex Ullman, 4x800m relay (a CIS championship record no less); Branden Wilhelm, pentathlon;

SILVER: Branden Wilhelm, High Jump; Aaron Bowman, Matt McKeegan, Andre Wright, & Tyler Bellaire, 4x200m relay; Jesse Drennan, pentathlon

BRONZE: Alex Ullman, 1000m

Women's Hockey The Lancer Women's Hockey team bowed out of the OUA playoffs in a quarter-final loss to the Queen's Gaels (ranked 9th in the CIS). The ladies took it to overtime as the Lancers came back to even the score 2-2 with 5 minutes remaining in the third period. While the game looked like it would go to the visiting Lancers, the Gaels scored at 6:33 to seal the game for Queen's. For her efforts this season, Jenny MacKnight was awarded the first-ever Windsor Lancer women's hockey player OUA Player of the year and the first-ever Windsor Lancer women's hockey player to be named a first-team All Canadian.  Congratulations Jenny!

Men's Hockey The men's hockey team are headed to the CIS Championships after winning the 103rd Queen's Cup Final over the McGill Redman. Read the LancerMVBlog recap HERE.

The CIS Season is slowly winding down for the Lancers, best of luck to the Men's Hockey Team as they compete at the CIS Championships this week in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan!

(Tuesday, March 18th, 2014)

(photo source: Milana McNamee & Windsor Lancers)

[windsormvb]

Lancer Men's Hockey Brings Home the OUA Gold!

(the Lancer Men's Hockey team with their OUA banner and Queen's Cup trophy)

Going into the playoffs ranked 4th in the OUA West division, the Lancer men stunned the rest of Ontario with their commendable performances. In the semi-final series against Western, Windsor came back from a one-game disadvantage to best the Mustangs in the best-of-three showdown. 

The Lancers' championship opponent, the McGill Redmen, have won four of the last six OUA banners and the 2012 CIS title, and were not to be trifled with. Since McGill was playing under OUA regulations, an Ontario team must host the championship game, giving Windsor the home-ice advantage at South Windsor Arena last Saturday. 

The game started off great for the Lancers, with Evan Stibbard scoring a mere 17 seconds into the first period. Although the Redmen outshot the Lancers 16-13 in the first, goalie Parker Van Buskirk saved all 16 shots to keep the score 1-0 heading in to the second period. 

McGill didn't back down with 20 shots in the second, but Windsor pumped in 2 goals off of 11 shots by Mac McDonnel and Kenny Bradford to make the score 3-0 for the Lancers. A fully-packed arena proved to motivate the hometown heroes as they headed confidently into the third period. 

The Redmen were not done with the Lancers yet, as they tapped in two goals of their own by Vincent Barnard and David Rose to give McGill fans hope at 3-2 with 3 minutes left. The goals were sparked by back-to-back penalties by Windsor, which according to Windsor Sports Information Officer Adam Ali, "seemed to rejuvenate the OUA East division-winners".  The rowdy South Windsor crowd wouldn't have any of it and cheered the boys through the rest of the period to finish with a final score of 3-2 for the Windsor Lancers and the OUA title.

(Lancer forward Mac McDonnell)

For his efforts, Parker Van Buskirk was awarded the player of the game, while teammate Mac McDonnell was chosen as Windsor and OUA athlete of the week (we will have to see when the CIS release is made). The young first-year forward and OUA All-Rookie selection not only scored the second goal for the Lancers, but played a pivotal role in the team's overall offence strategy.

View the Lancer Men's Hockey Page HERE.

View the CIS University Cup Championship Page HERE.

To watch the Lancers in action in Saskatoon click HERE.

(Tuesday, March 18, 2014)

(photo source: University of Windsor Lancers). 

[windsormvb]

#BattleForBronzeBaby COMPLETE!

The Lancer Women's Basketball Team accomplished what only one other team has done: win the national championship 4 years in a row!

The Lancers had no doubt as they won the Bronze Baby Trophy in a convincing score of 71-45 over the Saint Mary's Huskies on Sunday evening at the St. Denis Centre. Tournament MVP Miah-Marie Langlois had 8 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists in her final game as a Lancer, while fellow tournament all-star and fifth-year Jessica Clemençon pitched in 19 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Clemençon was also awarded the R.W. Pugh Fair Play award, while Langlois takes home the MVP for an unprecedented three times (for both men and women).

The team's fourth consecutive national banner has been accomplished only by Laurentian, who won five straight titles from 1975-1979. Clemençon started Windsor's run with the first six points in the first several minutes of the game, while teammate Jocelyn LaRocque hit a three with 1:21 to go in the fourth to cap the game for the Lancers.

(Birthday Girl Anna Mullins cuts her share of the championship net.)

The road to the gold-medal game fappeared smooth for the Lancers as they beat both their quarter- and semi-final opponents by margins of 28 and 20 points respectively. The Lancers took down OUA bronze medalists Laurier Golden Hawks in the first round of the CIS Championships, now rebranded to the 2014 Arcelormittal Dofasco CIS Women's Basketball Final 8. After holding a 43-25 lead at halftime, the Lancers only let the Golden Hawks come within 13 to win the game 81-53.

The semi-final win over the University of Fraser Valley Cascades did not come as easily as the quarterfinal, as the Lancers trailed by one at halftime and only shot 19.4%. In the second half, the Windsor women upped their percentage to 34.1% and outrebounded Fraser Valley 51-43 to take the game 65-45.

Langlois ended the tournament with 58 points, only second to St. Mary's Huskies' Justine Colley with 65 points. Clemençon, LaRocque and Korissa Williams finished with 50, 30 and 29 points, respectively. The tournament was a wonderful showcase of not only the athletic talent here in Windsor, but the capacity of our athletics department to host larger-scale sport events. The St. Denis Centre and the vivacious crowd thanks to the loyal Party Army and Lancer fans were alive this past weekend and hopefully the Lancer Men's Volleyball Team can have their moment in the CIS spotlight in the upcoming future.

(photo sources: Edwin Tam and Anna Mullins)

(March 17th, 2014)

[windsormvb]

Lancer Senior Player Profile: Scott "Hickdaddy" Hickman

Age: 24

Position: Middle

Favourite Food: his mom's stirfry

Favourite Movie: Black Hawn Down

Favourite TV Series: Sons of Anarchy and House

Favourite Volleyball Moment: being a member of the only men's Team Newfoundland to beat Team BC at the Ontario Summer Games

Favourite STAR WARS character: Yoda

It was senior Scott Hickman's final game as a Windsor Lancer this past February, or should we say the last game with a number on his back. Hickman is incredibly excited to join the coaching staff at the University of Windsor and follows Lancer alumni Jimmy El-Turk, Kyle Williamson and Will Alexander. Hickman will be finishing his Bachelor of Human Kinetics, specializing in Sport Management, as balancing his volleyball and academic career proved to be difficult for the Memorial-transfer.

After his graduation, Hickman hopes to pursue his Masters in Sport Management, preferably at Windsor obviously so he will able to continue coaching with the Lancers.

Hickman is no stranger to coaching, as he already has his Level II NCCP,  a huge step for a young coach as the process is quite in-depth at this level. The Level II Coaching certification includes the following:

Analyzing performance: Candidates will be expected to reference and apply appropriate models to identify important aspects of performance that the athletes need to improve.

Planning a practice: Candidates will be expected to develop practice plans which are relevant to their athletes and take into consideration their performance capacities, performance goals, seasonal training phases, and athlete safety.

Planning and designing a sport program: Candidates will be required to demonstrate the ability to design a sport program which is consistent with the guidelines of Volleyball Canada’s Athlete Development Model and is appropriate for the athlete’s age group, skill level and aimed at improving performance.

Providing support in training: In a volleyball specific environment, conduct activities that are enjoyable, safe, structured, and consistent with NCCP and Canadian volleyball philosophy and values

Supporting the competitive experience: During and/or leading to a competition, provide support to the participants/athletes in a manner that is consistent with the NCCP and Canadian volleyball philosophy and values.

Program management: Take measures to ensure the needs of the participants/athlete and the sport programs/activities under the coach’s responsibility are met.

Ethical coaching: Analyze a situation that has ethical implications and that is frequently encountered in the coaching context. Propose a course of action consistent with the NCCP Code of ethics, philosophy, and values.

Hickman has previously coached junior high school from 2005-2011 as well as with Team Newfoundland for 3-4 years every summer during his time as a Lancer. At one point Hickman was coaching three teams simultaneously!

After finishing up his Masters, Hickman hopes to work in a professional or university sport setting. Obviously the Windsor program is enticing with its' internship options, and could provide pathways for Hickman into his future career.

Although Hickman's playing days are over, we can't wait to see him back in the St. Denis still helping steer the Lancers to an OUA championship!

(photo source: Edwin Tam)

(posted March 10, 2014)

[windsormvb]

Name: Jimmy El-Turk

Position: Assistant Coach

Favourite Food: Any type of meat

Favourite Movie: Dodgeball

Favourite TV Show: Entourage

Favourite Volleyball Moment: watch the video at 3:40

Jimmy "the Pharaoh" El-Turk has relished in his coaching experience for the last two seasons with the Windsor Lancers. Serving as an assistant to current head coach James Gravelle, and also with Shawn Lippert in 2012-2013, El-Turk says he has had a lot of fun on the bench and but he didn't start behind the bench with the Windsor program. El-Turk played for the Lancers for 3 years total (eligibility-wise it's technically 4 if you count his last year's emergency substitution during playoffs).

El-Turk remembers fondly his favourite volleyball moment with the Lancers in his third year. The last-ranked Lancers were reminiscent of David and Goliath against the formidable McMaster Marauders, the defending OUA champions. The Marauders were ranked #9 in the CIS and featured a sizeable lineup bolstered with Team Canada players. It was El-Turk's first game back after a two year hiatus due to eligibility issues, so has hadn't yet made it to the starting lineup. It was also the Lancer's home opener and a decent crowd showed up to watch the beasts from the east (slightly) take on their home-town boys.

(coach Jimmy El-Turk's fourth year varsity headshot.)

Surprisingly, the Lancers began to take control of the match and managed to win the first two sets, to a surprised and slow-reacting Marauder squad. The Lancers were close to sealing the game in the third, when allstar Josh Collins' knee began to bleed after a dive for a ball. The referee forced a substitution call and in the blink of an eye Jimmy El-Turk was back in action. Ironically, El-Turk said he forgot his contact lenses that day due to nerves and excitement, so he was forced to wear his reading glasses: "I knew that barring something ridiculous I wasn't going to play, so I didn't think it was a big deal when I wore my glasses to the game." El-Turk had barely played in the pre-season, an opportunity where players came off the bench in non-conference play. With the blow of the whistle the play began and setter Adam Prieur set El-Turk - a "no-no" in volleyball to set the player fresh off the bench. El-Turk may have been temporarily surprised, but it did not show as he pumped the ball to the floor and the crowd erupted. The Lancers went on to win 3-0 against McMaster that night.

It was the start of something good for the Lancers, as they continued to steal wins from unassuming teams. Several weeks later at the York University Exaciber Classic during Christmas vacation El-Turk got his chance to shine against Budo, a team from Japan. Not only did York beat Budo to capture the bronze medal, but El-Turk was named game MVP for the Lancers. After that, El-Turk says he started reguarily untill his "retirement" from varsity volleyball.

It's great to know the Lancers are getting guidance from someone who's literally been in their exact shoes. Hopefully, the current Lancers will have their shining moment against a nationally-ranked team in the future.

(video source: Windsor Lancers channel)

(posted: March 10th, 2014)

[windsormvb]

Windsor Inks Team Canada Athlete

With the London Fire Volleyball Club, MacNeil has led his team to three podium finishes at three tournaments, including a bronze, silver and gold. Simultaneously with his high school team, the Georgetown District High School Rebels, MacNeil helped his team to an OFSAA AAAA senior boys silver medal. For his efforts MacNeil has been named Georgetown District High School senior athlete of the year for the past two years.

On the beach, MacNeil has captured consecutive under-18 and under-16 national championships amongst a boatload of provincial titles and accolades. One of those honours was the Jason Senechal Award. The award is name after a former athlete who died suddenly when his heart stopped during a 2003 beach volleyball tournament. The award details are as follows:

In his time on the OVA Beach Tour, Jason managed to make a tremendous impact on all participants including athletes, parents, OVA Staff and Crew. With this award we aim to encourage all the values that Jason personified. Jason’s athleticism, skill and dedication to excellence helped him excel in volleyball throughout his high school career and beyond. Jason’s talent also allowed him to excel in downhill skiing, badminton and table tennis. While playing on the OVA Beach Tour, Jason was able to capture a Provincial Championship and place 3rd at the National Championships. Jason’s accomplishments go beyond podium finishes. He was involved with Athletes In Action doing outreach volleyball camps. Jason also had the opportunity to compete in Thailand while teaching volleyball to children.

Clearly the Lancers are getting a truly incredible individual and head coach James Gravelle is excited to add MacNeil's "intensity, energy attitude" to the program and "will bring that experience of winning at high level competitions." One of those noteable high level competitions was the 2013 North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation (NORCECA) Championships. MacNeil and partner Andrew Richards qualified to compete at the NORCECA Championships through the Team Canada Developmental Program Trials after competing against hundreds of hopeful athletes. You would think that competing at a championship this size would be enough for these young athletes, but it was not enough for the duo as they won the entire tournament, qualifying them for the 2014 Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

MacNeil (left) and his partner Andrew Richards after winning the 2013 NORCECA Championships.

MacNeil told NORCECA, "I am thrilled and speechless after this great moment...We won the trials in Canada six months ago to come to this tournament and we have been training very hard since then. The hard work has paid off” (read the article HERE).

Windsor is excited to see MacNeil in action in the fall, but fans can check him out at  Ashbridges Bay in Toronto this summer where the majority of the Ontario Volleyball Association's Beach Tour is held.

(posted: March 10, 2014)

(photo source: Windsor Lancers & NORCECA).

[windsormvb]

Volleyball PRO: James Battison

James Battison, or Batti as he's known by in the volleyball community, is Canada's newest addition to the men's national beach team (or by LTAD standards, the Training to Compete model). At 6'8" tall, it's no surprise that the 29-year old has chosen volleyball as his sport of choice. The talented athlete from Malton, Ontario began his varsity career at York University where he was a 5-year starter for the Lions, won an OUA championship in his fourth year and left as the career leader in blocks and top ten for all-time kills. He described the situation after a couple of months post-OUA: "I left because I wanted to continue playing at a high level and that option was't available to me here. I also wanted to see Europe and it was a great opportunity to do both. " 

After university Batti headed overseas to play in Klagenfurt, Austria where he lead his team in blocks and finished third overall in the league for total blocks. The biggest transition from the OUA to professional was surpassingly, not related to volleyball at all - it was the language. Battison struggled with the barriers of not knowing the native tongue everyday: "You move to a city where they may have little to no English and you have to carry on life." He expressed frustration not only with previously simple tasks as buying  groceries and getting around town, but also duties related to volleyball: "You would think it being your job that it's easy to do things like schedule practise and attend meetings, but it doesn't always work that way. Translations happen, but they aren't always precise or make sense."

After three years in Europe, Batti has returned to Canada to suit up for the national beach team and has mixed reasons for returning: I'm back for this amazing opportunity to work for the Canadian national team, but it's combined with the feeling that I'm missing out on life here. As I started to think about moving forward with my life, it just made sense to me and made the decision easy."

Returning home to Canada to begin playing "professionally" ("carded" as a Team Canada athlete) wasn't as easy as Batti thought it would be: "Beach in Canada is not really a recognized sport and there isn't a lot of funding. In Europe my job was to play, practice and workout. My time was free. Here, I am forced to work and find ways to support myself as well as my beach career. The game is different, but that has been the biggest change."

Batti also works as a coach and personal trainer for several teams in the Toronto area, where he trains at an indoor training facility year-round. He's currently training for the upcoming (mid-May) OVA season and preparing for his first taste of international competition. A forever fan of OUA volleyball, Batti can often be found lurking at the University of Toronto or his old stomping grounds York University gym during his time off. LancerMVBlog would like to thank Batti for his time and wishes him all the best in his upcoming beach season!

(March 4, 2015)

[windsormvb]

Spotlight: Madawaska Camps

(A camper at Madawaska Camps goes in for the attack).

(Madawaska's scenic waterfront area.)

Madawaska's directors, Ian and Carrie Eibbitt, are proud of the culture the camp has created amongst its coaches and campers. They like to think that they don't teach kids how to be better volleyball players; they teach kids how to be better people through volleyball. As North America's largest overnight volleyball camp, campers travel from out-of-province, the U.S., South America and even Europe to improve their skills, meet new people and have "the best week of their life" (the camp's unofficial motto).

Since the camp turns back the clock an hour (to maximize daylight hours), a typical camp day is as follows:

7:00am - wake up call (really 6:00am)

7:20am - all athletes/coaches report to the tennis courts for Togetherness - a morning activity session to get everyone awake and ready for the day

7:45am - breakfast in the dining hall

9:00am - session #1

11:00am - end of session #1, beginning of free time

12:00pm - lunch in the dining hall

~1:00pm - end of lunch, beginning of free time

2:00pm - session #2

4:00pm - end of session #2, beginning of free time

5:00pm - dinner in the dining hall

7:00pm - session #3

8:30pm - end of session #3, beginning of free time

9:00pm - evening activity (i.e., Dance, Hootenany, Campfire, Skit Night)

11:00pm - bedtime!

The camp boasts an incredible 7:1 coach to camper ratio amongst an impressive 500 campers and some 200 coaches for the week. Athletes range from ages 12-18 and are grouped according to skill, age and sport (beach or indoor volleyball). The coaches at the camp are typically past/present CIS/CCAA athletes and coaches who typically return for up to 15 and 20 years! Noteable Windsor Lancer coaches include: Blase Wasser, Kaila Seguin, and Jennifer Straver.

(OVA technical director Jason Trepanier addresses the beach players at Madawaska.)

The indoor players play on 60 grass courts across 70 acres of green, and typically have 350-400 athletes. Since the beach players has only 20 sand courts dumped in the middle of a picture-esque forest, they accept a maximum of 200 players. Not only is friendly inter-cabin competition encouraged, but a fierce rivalry between the beach and court sections prompted a new award in 2005: the Brownstein Cup. Named after Madawaska founders Paul and Shelley Brownstein, the Cup is awarded to either the beach or court section for a heated game series:

The top beach girl's cabin vs. the top court girl's cabin (best of 3)

The top beach boy's cabin vs. the top court boy's cabin (best of 3)

The male beach coaches vs. the male court coaches (1 set)

The female beach coaches vs. the female court coaches (1 set)

The Brownstein Cup has sparked countless dining room chants, cheers and playful rivalries during free time between athletes and coaches alike. In fact, many indoor players can be seen on the beach courts during free time (coaches and campers alike), where there is always an audience looking to watch or challenge the athletes.

(The bustling dining hall at lunchtime at Madawaska.)

On the final night, the camp is treated to Madawaska's Got Talent - a talent show that campers and staff audition to be able to play closing night and compete for the award of Camp Choice by way of applause (a very scientific algorithm for calculation I'm sure).  In addition, the camp gives awards out to the campers who best embody the true spirit of camp (Nicole Schwertner and Paul Brownstein Award for female and male, respectively) and for coach of the year (Gord Hawkins Award), as voted by the staff.

(The 2013 award winners, including me with the Gord Hawkins Award (shameless plug I know I can't help it).)

At the end of the week, campers are sent home with an evaluation of their skills with messages of inspiration, constuctive criticism and a little love. As a former camper (in 2003), I know that I still cherish my evaluations from my coaches (former OUA all-stars Steve Willis, Lyndsay Ezard and Adam Schiedel to name a few) and I hope that my campers appreciate the love and effort that goes into the letters.

Madawaska is always looking for ways to innovate and inspire their athletes and staff, and are seen as leaders for their policies, traditions and reputation across the globe. If the past 41 years are any indication of Madawaska's future, it is clear that volleyball camps in North America will always have to measure up to the "gold standard" that Madawaska has set.

For any information regarding Madawaska Camps please comment below, visit the website or contact me directly at wasserk@uwindsor.ca

(March 4th, 2014)

[windsormvb]

CIS Recap: Men's Volleyball Championship

First things first - The CIS All-Canadians and special awards were given out February 26th before the championship started. Since Windsor did not place any players on the OUA all-star list, no members were eligible for any CIS awards.

From Ontario, McMaster's Jori Mantha and Western's Garrett May landed themselves on the First Team of All-Canadians, while York's Raymond Szeto and McMaster's Austin Campion-Smith. Another two OUA boys, York's Nicolas Pirnat and Ryerson's Adam Anagnostopoulos, grabbed All-Rookie Team honours after climbing to the top of the first year pack.

Of the major awards announced, only CIS Libero of the Year Erich Woolley from the Waterloo Warriors walked away with honours. Woolley led the nation in total digs (227) and was second in digs-per-set (3.29) - both considerable since the libero missed 3 games due to illness. As a  former OUA libero, I am proud to see an Ontarian win this award and even more so since I had the privilege of helping coach Woolley during his club days with the Waterloo Tigers. Congratulations Erich and keep up the good work!!

For a full list of All-Stars and major award winners please click HERE.

On to the exciting portion - the championship! Since there was so many great matches I'm going to highlight the OUA road to the Championship Game.

Quarterfinal #3 - #3Trinity Western vs. #8 Western - re-match of last year's quarterfinal between TWU and Western where Western upset TWU 3-2 (after being down 2-0 mind you!) - Justin Scapinello led the game with 13 digs, but came up short offensively (9-9-26 and FOUR serving errors!) - Western win 3-2

Quarterfinal #4 - #2 McMaster vs. #7 Calgary - Host Calgary (11-11 regular season going 0-2 in playoffs) took the first set off the Marauders with a boisterous crowd - McMaster's Mantha and teammate Stephen Maar hit 21 and 17 kills respectively, with only 7 errors combined - Marauders win 3-1

Semifinal # 2 - #2 McMaster vs. #8 Western- re-match (again!) of last year's semifinal where McMaster won 3-0 - teams met this season 3x previously and Mac won all three, including the OUA championship game - Western's May hit an astounding 21-8-38, while McMaster had 19 missed serves (!!) - Western win 3-0

Bronze - #2 McMaster vs. #5 Laval - the match was sloppy and riddled with errors - as many bronze medal games are - a whopping 22 service errors (Laval 10; Mcmaster 12) - McMaster managed to use dominant net play (14 block assists vs. Laval's mere 3), while Laval struggled both offensively and defensively at the net (19 hitting errors)- McMaster win 3-0

Final - #1 Alberta vs. #8 Western - brother vs. brother --> Western's May against Alberta's Reed May (younger sibling to Garrett and son of Western assistant coach John May) - statistics very similar with few errors between teams, but Alberta outblocked Western 5-0 on block stuffs; 8-4 on block assists and 0-3 on blocking errors - Alberta win 3-0

With the success of the OUA teams at the CIS championships, Ontario will have a third berth at the 2015 Championships. This marks an amazing step for Ontario volleyball as the championships have been cluttered with Canada West teams in the past decade. Overall it was an amazing weekend of volleyball for Canada and Calgary to witness! Congratulations to everyone and enjoy your end-of-season celebrations!

[windsormvb]

Sport Communication Spotlight: Everett Delorme

I first met Everett at Madawaska Camps as campers in high school. A former OVA club and Algonquin Thunder player, Everett spends his time in Toronto attending Ryerson University and coaching at both George Brown College and the Toronto Pheonix volleyball club. He is one of the top contributors to Canada's national volleyball magazine (named aptly, Volleyball Magazine), and sat down with Lancer MVBlog for a look into his start in the sport communications industry.

Lancer Men's Volleyball Blog: How did you get involved writing for Volleyball Source Magazine (VSM)? Is this your first experience (or elaborate on your first experience) working in the sport communications industry?

Everett Delorme: I’ll answer these two questions together. I started working in the sport communications industry when I was working at Volleyball Canada. I had originally been hired as just a general aid for all the events they were running, and was pretty much only hired because I was bilingual. Since I was the only person who knew how to run Facebook and Twitter and I was able to write in both languages, I was put in charge of all social media. I gradually took on roles like writing press releases and one-pagers, and by the end of the summer, I was running all communications for VC. Volleyball Source is mostly paid for by VC, so I already had the relationship. It was also a slight factor in my moving to Toronto, knowing that if I was living here, I would be able to have a major role in the magazine.

Lancer MVBlog: What is your exact role at VSM?

Everett: I’m the primer writer for the website, I write for the magazine, manage the website and social medias (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), as well as running our weekly podcast where I have to book guests and stay in touch with everything that’s going in with Volleyball Canada, the CIS, the CCAA, as well we the FIVB. It’s my role to know everything about Canadian volleyball.

Lancer MVBlog: What do you like most about both working for the magazine and working in the sport communications industry?

Everett: I like that I’m creating content that is getting people excited about volleyball. If people are talking about our content, then they’re going to be that much more aware of what’s going on in the volleyball world, which is something that’s dearly needed in the sport. I love the sport communications industry simply because I love sport. The media has become a part of at all; it adds to the drama and to the intrigue of the story line. The media helps shape the narrative that is competition.

Lancer MVBlog: What do you see for the future for the already innovative VSM (tech-wise VSM is an electronic format (e-magazine))?

Everett: We are planning to expand in both what we cover and the way we cover it. We feel as though we’ve barely scratched the surface with what we can do. We are looking to expand our Live Streaming service which can hopefully be revenue generator, as well as adding more visual content, like video updates of National Championships or longer feature documentaries to our website and magazine to tell stories in a different way. We want to tell the stories of the entire Canadian Volleyball community. This summer, we’re also looking to cover all of our National teams in a way that has never before been done in Canada.

Lancer MVBlog: How involved do you think you'll stay with VSM in the future or do you have any exciting future plans or plans that involve sport communication?

Everett: There’s no doubt that I will be with Volleyball Source for a long time. It’s not something that’s going to be an over-night success, and it’s a long process. We are limited by many factors, and it will take time to deal with them one by one. In the meantime, I will be broadening my horizons in the Sport Communications industry by attending Ryerson University’s brand new Sport Media program. I believe the mix of my work with Volleyball Source, and my education at Ryerson will provide me with the opportunity to become one of the best in the industry.

Lancer MVBlog would like to thank Everett for his time and the best of luck with his academic and professional career and also to the Pheonix heading into playoffs.

(posted: February 25, 2013)

[windsormvb]

Coach Spotlight: Mathew Brooks

(coach Brooks with fellow assistant coach and MHK peer Jimmy El Turk).

Name: Mathew Brooks

Position: Assistant Coach

Favourite Food: Pizza (gluten-free)

Favourite Movie: Die Hard

Favourite TV Show: Battlestar Galactica

Favourite Volleyball Moment: Capping off an undefeated season by winning 18U East National Championship

Favourite Star Wars character: Han Solo (A GREAT CHOICE)

Brooks started his volleyball career in Whitby, Ontario, where baseball was his sport of choice (a rumoured 94mph fastball thrower in his day), but ultimately turned to volleyball as his primary passion. After playing five seasons at the University of Regina on a scholarship, he left the Cougars as the school’s career leader in attack attempts, kills and points. Although the Cougars did not have much success during the 2000s’, Brooks told his former club (Durham attack) that he left Regina utterly satisfied with his choice of postsecondary education: “Playing against teams who always win the national championship (as Canada West teams do) was what I wanted to do — and I got to do that here…There’s not a whole lot of things I didn’t enjoy here - I got to go to B.C. more times than if I had stayed in the east, Calgary, too.” (Durham Attack Volleyball Club, 2010). A country-music fan, Brooks said he loved the country atmosphere of Saskatchewan and even enjoyed the lengthy cross-Canada road trips. Eight hour bus rides fostered a family atmosphere between the men's and women's volleyball teams and allowed Brooks ample time to finish homework assignments, when he wasn't playing euchre with his teammates. 

Brooks made the move to Windsor in 2012 to pursue his Master’s in Sport Management under Dr. Marijke Taks. With Dr. Taks he worked extensively with the International Children's Games (ICG) in Windsor this summer, specifically with the volunteer coordination. With the ICG he was able to develop framework to predict volunteer retention. Brooks previously worked at a recreation facility in Whitby before coming to Windsor, and is striving to pursue higher education in order to help contribute more to his local community as a sport manager.  During that time he also coached for his alma matter, the Durham Attack Volleyball Club with some former club teammates.

After joining the team in September 2013, many players have expressed gratitude for the additional coaching perspectives and experiences that Brooks brings to the team: “Coach Brooks has really added to the technical knowledge of this team, especially defensively. He makes sure that every drill we do we put the most amount of effort that we possibly can.” Also second in Regina's career digs and aces list, Brooks likes to  emphasize defensive posture throughout practises and games, which helps in producing more stable and enduring volleyball defence. 

After concluding the 2013-2014 season several weeks ago, Brooks is antsy for more volleyball: he will be playing in a tournament with some Windsor alum and can be found lurking around the St. Denis intramural courts substituting in where he can.  His future in Windsor is up in the air, but it’s clear he was a key component of the team and will definitely be wanted back for 2014-2015.

(photo source: Mathew Brooks)

(February 24th, 2014)

References

Durham Attack Volleyball Club. (2010). Alumni News. Retrieved from: http://www.durhamattack.ca