By Vanessa Lee
Recruiters say OAC athletes shouldn’t stress about missing a season — but athletes feel they need to go that extra mile to prove themselves. As teachers and athletic directors in the English public schools continue to refrain from any voluntary activity like coaching, athletes are left scrambling to practise and get exposure on their own.
University coaches who recruit players feel bad for athletes, but don’t think it will have that great an impact on how they pick next year’s university teams.
“We recruit two to three years in advance so we’ve got a good eye on who we want to recruit when the time comes,” says Fabienne Perrin-Blizzard, head coach of the women’s basketball team at the University of Ottawa.
Perrin-Blizzard feels that an athlete’s OAC year is more important to honing their skills than to attracting university recruiters.
Donn Smith, head coach of the Carleton Ravens football team, agrees. Smith says he identifies prospects as early as grades 11 and 12.
Smith says he’ll have to use other methods when evaluating those who may be sidelined this season.
“We always have potentials in mind, but we will have to rely heavily on high school coaches’ recollection of the 1997-98 season. Unfortunately, this might be a hit-and-miss situation,” says Smith.
Despite what university coaches say, OAC athletes are still concerned with not getting enough exposure in their final year.
“It’s your OAC year that’s the clincher. Tournaments like Carleton and Queen’s are where recruiters go, so they can have a look at us,” says Hien Nguyen, an OAC basketball player at Lisgar Collegiate.
Cancelled tournaments have been a disappointment to athletes, especially those hoping to play for the host university.
Murray Shoup, who usually coaches the senior girls basketball team at Glebe Collegiate, has voluntarily organized a city-registered community basketball team. It gives Lisgar and Glebe high school girls a chance to play and show off their skills.
The team played three games against Catholic and private schools but were later told they could no longer play against teams in that league because of the labour dispute.
The players want one thing, aside from the scholarships and exposure.
“I came to Lisgar for my last year specifically to play sports,” says Nguyen. “All I want is to be able to play.”