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Being There Without “Being There”: How the Lancer Women’s Hockey Players are Helping Girls Connect with Sport During COVID-19
Photo credit: golancers.ca by: Shaun Smith With a lack of programs designed to keep young female hockey players connected to sport throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, at the start of 2021 the Lancer Women’s hockey team brainstormed and created the Lancer Development Bubble. The first round of the bubble began in January and ran through February. For four weeks approximately 10 girls aged 10-14 participated in hockey-specific discussions, home workouts, mobility exercises, and in the words of Amy Maitre, “gave them some hockey at a time when they can’t be on the ice with their team.” Maitre, who took the lead
From Playing on the Floor to Stylizing it: How a former Lancer Basketball Player Became a Fashion Entrepreneur
by: Shaun Smith What comes after the Lancers? For Chris Poloniato, who played guard on the varsity men’s basketball at the University of Windsor from 2016-2020, the answer was slightly different from most graduates: a clothing line. “It was an idea where I’d seen shirts that said [basketball related-phrases] before, but it was a one-off. I’d think that’s a really cool shirt, and then I’d never see one again.” Chris, a graduate of the kinesiology program, and his brother, Nick, co-founded “Hoopn” last year and launched their first products in December. Through their line, they contend, basketball players to be
Kinesiology and Athletics Combine for Rebranded Centre for Human Performance and Health
by: Shaun Smith The Department of Kinesiology, in both its sport management and movement science streams, has long worked with the Athletics and Recreation Services in research and a new on-campus initiative seeks to build on that history. In a project lead by Chad Sutherland, the Centre for Human Performance and Health (CHPH), seeks to formalize many prior informal and individual efforts to the benefit of both units. “This Centre is really Kinesiology’s focus on creating a healthier community,” says Sutherland. According to the Centre’s webpage, the CHPH offers a framework for multidisciplinary research, bringing together experts from a variety
A Strong Demand and Little Supply: The University of Windsor’s Recreational Facilities in the COVID-19 Pandemic
by: Shaun Smith The regulations and policies put in place to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in Ontario has impacted everyone. For the university athletic staff, it has been a hard line between following the rules and accommodating the requests for facility usage. On one hand, there are the ever-present needs of the varsity coaches and their athletes. On the other, there are the responsibilities that the athletic department has toward the student community in general. Managing both of those groups has not been easy, but everyone has been understanding of the circumstances. “We are like any other facility in
All of the things I could’ve done…but probably wouldn’t have: A student’s reflection on COVID-19
by: Shaun Smith Five years ago, at my first orientation at the University of Windsor, older students that spoke with us echoed one thought: “I wish I’d become involved sooner.” The word “involved” means a lot of different things on a university campus. For some, it might be as simple as applying themselves properly in their studies and getting good grades. That’s how I, as a freshman, interpreted it. But it can also mean an entire world’s worth of things that a student entering university cannot yet comprehend. Over the course of my time in university, I played intramural sports,
A Different Kind of Loss: Lancer Men’s Volleyball and COVID-19
Photo Credit: Robin Kasem By Shaun Smith The Lancer men’s volleyball team was primed to make a run at the 2020-21 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) championship. They never got the chance. Rewind the clock to February 29, 2020. 11 pm, Kingston. Coach James Gravelle and his Lancers, ranked third in the OUA West, had just lost a tough quarterfinal match against the defending OUA champions Queen’s. In spite of the immediate disappointment, optimism for the future of the team, and the next year, in particular, remained high. In 2019 the Lancers had won the OUA bronze medal, and a strong