Prioritize

Cougar Athletics

When identifying priorities in my community I am going to look at Cougar Athletics as a whole. We need to reach out into our surrounding communities to get support and involvement for our future. MRU is looking to move its athletics into the CIS in the near future. By doing so we are going to need to make some adjustments.

I feel there are three main ideas that must take priority:

Athlete Retention

Moving into the CIS means that recruiting will become even more important than it already is. MRU has already broadened its appeal to athletes, as it now has university status.  Now retention is going to be key to build strong programs that can compete competitively at the CIS level. MRU should make a goal to keep its athletes throughout their years of eligibility so that they no longer move on to other universities. This way when MRU is granted CIS status its athletes will have the mentality that they are going to play out their eligibility as MRU Cougars.

Social Responsibility

There are multiple existing programs that help the community but we could do so much more. There are a lot of athletes, when combined all together and many are minimally involved outside of playing their sport. The athletes should make a collective effort to band together and invest more time into helping the surrounding community. By doing so we would form many beneficial relationships with fans, sponsors, potential recruits, etc.

The Fans!

Fans make playing fun. When the fans are pumped up and drawn into the game, it becomes infinitely more fun to play (or at least I think so). We need to recognize our fans and appreciate them. They need to be attracted to attending our events because they play so many roles. Fans watch our games and cheer really loud, but they are also important part when it comes to funding our programs. Many fans pay entrance fees and make donations that contribute that making our athletics as successful as they are. They need to be recognized on all levels for all their contributions to ours athletics. This way we can attract more fans and ultimately have a larger crowd, more money for scholarships, and a larger community to back us when we need it most.

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We want our community and those surrounding us to share the enthusiasm and commitment that our varsity athletes hold. Everyone’s involvement is crucial and greatly appreciated for making MRU Cougar Athletics great.

Cougar Basketball

I am a member of the women’s basketball team at Mount Royal University. I just became a part of this community this year and I love it. I wasn’t planning on playing this year as I was at Red Deer and a rival to MRU the past two years. My decision to tryout was spontaneous and I am so glad I did it. I love all the girls on the team and I feel we are bound for greatness (and yes that may sound corny).

We are on a mission this year and it’s coming down to the wire. We started this season with 16 girls but due to injuries and other unfortunate events we are now a very tight group of 14. We are constantly growing as a whole and working on our team dynamics as this season progresses. We work hard, we push once another and we hold every member accountable every day.

We have great support at MRU. Our facility is awesome and perfect for both practices and games; this is not just due to the physical gym itself. All the Cougars on campus are supportive and involved in both sports and the community. The athletic therapists help our athletes every day so that we can perform our best. The events crew and support staff make games exciting and ensure they run smoothly. And the fans, all the dedicated parents, siblings, friends, etc are very important. Without one of these groups our community would feel incomplete. All these communities are connected and vital to the success of MRU Women’s Basketball.

In the future…

• Recognize everyone in the community. There are more than just athletes in the Mount Royal Cougar Athletics community. Everyone deserves to be recognized for the hard they put into making every game a success.
• More community involvement. As athletes at a post-secondary level, it is our responsibility to share our experiences and knowledge with the surrounding communities. Programs like Cougars On The Court are great for getting our athletes helping out the community but we could do more as there are a lot of us (10 varsity teams total).

MRU Women’s Basketball has taken many steps forward as a community but we still have a ways to go before we achieve our goals. Both provincials and nationals are quickly approaching so we have our work cut out for us. It will be hard but with support form all the fans, therapists, and event staff I truly do believe we are up to the challenge!

A Divided People

The term Recreation holds different meaning for different individuals and so there are many ways to define it.  Common themes in recreation are relaxation and enjoyment. For many it means to participate in sport and in Invictus recreational activity brought a struggling people together.

Sport can bring a diverse group of people together. People are drawn to recreational activities as it refreshes both body and mind. Players, spectators, coaches and others must all come together to build the atmosphere that people thrive for in sport settings.   

Invictus takes place in South Africa from 1990-1995, when Mandela assumes the role as the nation's first black President. South Africa is made of two predominately different groups and with the racial tension at its highest Mandela focuses his efforts on the Springboks, the South African rugby team. Mandela uses the Springboks to unite his people by building a cohesive, spirited nation that drives the Springboks to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.  

I feel there were three main scenes where there was clear theme acceptance between the two races:

1. The Springbok team goes out and plays with local kids who are not as privileged as themselves. They connect with locals and find common ground by playing rugby. By doing so a positive relationship is formed and the black people begin to accept the Springboks (who are primarily white) as their own Rugby team.
2. Mandela’s security team are opposed to working with one another at first but over time they find common ground and accept one another and their roles. They begin to relate their enthusiasm for the Springboks as well as their united support for Mandela. Due to national pride and the need for change the security guards are a clear example of a nation that no longer supports the division between its black and white members.
3. The people of South Africa join together to support the Springboks and are so caught up in the spirit of sport that race becomes irrelevant. The black Africans were rebellious against the Springboks initially but they come to accept them and cheer for them. Mandela set an example of acceptance and persuaded the nation to promote their rugby team as a method to create a common interest between the black and white Africans.

The South African nation was able to turn into a community by embracing their similarities and learning to overcome the differences for which they once hated each other. They unite to support their team and their nation and ultimately give the Springboks the support they need to win in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The people of South Africa come to accept one another, and led the country to success. They were a happy, united people and they accomplished a common goal, a huge feat for a country that was so divided.  

Contribute, Create, Change

The Alberta Centre for Active Living has a goal to turn all communities into healthy active communities. To begin bettering these communities someone must begin the initial movement towards change.

Healthy Active Communities: Creating Change in Your Community is an article released from the Alberta Centre for Active Living. They created a three-year initiative, Alberta Active Communities in 2006. The “ARPA selected 10 diverse communities to participate in the Alberta Active Communities” and facilitated their efforts.  

“Without leaders, change cannot happen.”

            -       Carol Peterson, Active Communities Manager

Many members in our communities want change but they do not take the initiative to start change. Organizations like the ARPA are essential to encouraging communities to better themselves. By promoting community development and encouraging the formation of local coalitions, members can begin bettering their own communities. A diverse coalition consisting of individuals with various skills, backgrounds, and needs that collectively help a community thrive and become an active community.

“If you have a vision, if your want to change the status quo, if you want change, then you are a leader.”

            -       Carol Peterson, Active Communities Manager

Alberta Active Communities wanted a diverse group of individuals to step up and facilitate the change, taking place in their community. It is very important, especially in communities that include a diverse people, that the leaders reflect all groups within the community. By having a diverse group of people driving the change and putting forth effort, the results will better reflect the wants of the whole community.

“Older adults, youth, cultural groups, low-income families and other groups are often not heard”

These minorities are commonly disregarded in community decisions because they are not active members in the community. I see this as the largest issue. Most communities will have people step forward and take control in a movement towards change but will they really be working towards goals that satisfy the community as a whole? The ARPA has created a Community Assessment Tool that can help committees help those who do not have the availability or ability to be an active member of the coalition. By using tools like this and encouraging participation in inclusive community activities, the community will be able to develop a vision as a whole and reflect the values of all its members.  

What is community development all about? “It’s about the relationships that bring individuals together to create positive change in their neighborhood.”  Everyone in the community should be involved at some capacity, and remain as active as possible. Being involved in community development helps us to create a better place for ourselves and everyone else that is a part of it. 

to view the whole Healthy Active Communities: Creating Change in Your Community article go to:

http://www.centre4activeliving.ca/publications/wellspring/2008/apr-communities.pdf