sports hall of fame inductees
the doctor is in
big block club
Blue;Gold g ot h u n d e r b i r d s. c a
spring 2013
Medical All-star:
UBC’s Dr. Rob Lloyd-Smith
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Blue;Gold spring 2013
Editor Don Wells Assistant Editor Steve Tuckwood
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Message from the president
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5 UBC Salutes the 20th Class of Sports Hall of Fame Inductees 10
SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
THE DOCTOR IS IN
BIG BLOCK CLUB
BLUE✛GOLD G OT H U N D E R B I R D S. C A
SPRING 2013
the doctor is in MEDICAL ALL-STAR:
Development Office UBC Department of Athletics
UBC’s Dr. Rob Lloyd-Smith
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Volume 9, Issue 1 • Printed in Canada by RR Donnelley Canadian Publications Mail Agreement #41473026
On the Cover }
Thunderbirds team physician Dr. Rob Lloyd-Smith will be inducted into the Builder Category of the UBC Sports Hall of Fame in recognition of over 30 years of service.
Scores, news & event info:
gothunderbirds.ca
c o ve r p h o t o : ma r t i n d ee
Message from the president
S
ince 2011, I have co-chaired a Canada West Task Force, comprised of university presidents and athletic directors from Canada West (CW). It was struck to develop proposals for restructuring competitive arrangements in CW and Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). The goals are to enhance the competitive environment and level of excellence in interuniversity sport in Canada, and to retain more of the most talented Canadian studentathletes Nearly 4,000 Canadian athletes are choosing to attend US universities this year. Canada is losing out on multi-talented contributors to campuses and programs, as well as future engaged and successful alumni for universities, communities, and society as a whole. This indicates that CIS is not succeeding in its mission statement to be the destination of choice for Canadian student-athletes. The task force is committed to invoking change to enhance excellence in Canadian university sport. The Task Force produced a final report which was unanimously endorsed by all Canada West member universities and was presented at the CIS Annual General Meeting in June 2012. Highlights of the final report include commitments to:
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Improving student-athlete support (academic and financial), enhancing the level of competition, and improving opportunities for excellence in student development.
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Exploring the development of high performance competitive structures on a sport-by-sport basis.
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Providing adequate cost of living support for students competing at high performance levels.
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Exploring options to enhance high performance support, training, and competitive opportunities for elite level athletes in Canadian universities through partnerships, such as with Own the Podium and partnerships with national sports organizations.
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In November 2012, I co-chaired a meeting of CIS presidents to discuss the commitments within the final report. As a result of this meeting, I anticipate continuing discussions among CIS University presidents, and for proposals for pilot projects to promote Canada as the destination of choice for high performance Canadian studentathletes to be considered at the CIS Annual General Meeting in June. While I cannot be certain of the outcome, I am cautiously optimistic that the changes to which we remain committed will be realized, either in whole or in part. I will provide a further update to our UBC Thunderbird alumni and friends in a future edition of Blue + Gold, and wish to thank you all for your continued interest in UBC’s efforts to improve Canadian university sports opportunities. Stephen J. Toope President and Vice-Chancellor The University of British Columbia
Left: 2013 Hall of Fame athlete inductee Penny Cooper (in foreground) and 2006 inductee Melanie Slade prior to departure for 1988 Olympic Games; Centre: athlete inductee Jessica Deglau; Right: athlete inductee Jessica Mills.
UBC Salutes the 20th Class
of Sports Hall of Fame Inductees A crowd of over 1,000 athletes and alumni is expected to be on hand to witness the upcoming 20th induction of former athletes, teams and builders into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame. The Class of 2013 will take their place among the 107 individuals and 20 teams currently in the Hall of Fame at the annual Big Block Awards, to be held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on April 3. For tickets and information, please contact Steve Bell-Irving at steve.bell-irving@ubc.ca or call 604-822-6183. For a complete list of current inductees and bios, go to ubcsportshalloffame.com.
athletes Penny Cooper – field hockey
Jessica Deglau – swimming
A litany of accolades and awards places Penny Cooper in the upper echelon of a countless number of extraordinary women’s field hockey players at UBC over the years. A member of the Thunderbirds from 1986 to 1990 under Hall of Fame coach Gail Wilson, Penny led the Thunderbirds to a CIAU (now CIS) national championship title in her 1990 graduating year. She was named a Canada West all-star in all but her first year; a second-team All Canadian in 1988; a first-team All Canadian in 1989 and 1990, and was voted to the CIS Championship All-Tournament Team in 1990. Throughout much of her UBC playing days and beyond she was a member of Canada’s national team and an Olympian in Seoul in 1988, where, along with UBC team mate Melanie Slade, she helped Canada to a respectable sixth-place finish. She was awarded the Harry Jerome Comeback Award by Sport BC in 1988 and UBC’s Kay Brearley Award for service to women’s athletics in 1992.
Jessica Deglau was a butterfly specialist on five CIS Championship swim teams at UBC between 1995 and 2002. She took time off from university to focus on training for Olympic competition in 1996 and 2000. The Vancouver native was a finalist in the 1996 Games with a sixth-place finish in 200-metre butterfly, setting a Canadian record in the process. She was also a finalist in both the 1996 and 2000 Games as a member of the 800-metre and 400-metre freestyle relay teams. She won a total of five Commonwealth Games medals in 1998 and 2002, and at the 1999 Pan American Games she posted the second fastest time in the world that year in 200-metre butterfly. She won a total of 29 medals in CIS competition, the most ever for a female swimmer, and was CIS Swimmer of the Year in 1999 and 2000. She capped off her graduation year in 2002 as a co-recipient of the Marilyn Pomfret Trophy and as an Academic All Canadian in the Faculty of Arts. continued on page 18
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LockerRoom
Left: Jubilant UBC hockey players hope to secure first-ever home play-off series; Right: Promising sophomore forward Adrienne Parkin; Opposite: UBC scoring leader Max Grassi.
Six of Six T-Bird CIS Teams Playoff Bound
All of UBC’s winter CIS teams appear bound for post-season play as the regular league schedules wind down, with women’s volleyball and men’s basketball holding down first place in their conferences at press time. Fresh off a successful exhibition series in Hawaii over the holiday break, men’s basketball is currently ranked second in the nation behind, you guessed it, Carleton Ravens. The T-Birds men’s and women’s teams round out league play at home with a February 15 date against Victoria. The fivetime defending national champion UBC women’s volleyball squad has lost just one match this season and is in a neck-and-neck battle with Trinity Western for number one spot in the conference and the number one rank in the nation. The men’s volleyball team, ranked no. 7 at press-time in CIS, celebrated the holidays in fine fashion by winning the 2012 McDonald’s International men’s volleyball tournament in Kamloops, downing host Thompson Rivers 3-1 in the final. UBC opened the tournament with a come-from-behind win in five sets over Pepperdine, ranked fourth in NCAA division I, in the tournament opener. Canada West men’s and women’s volleyball best-of-three quarter-final playoffs (5@4; 6@3; 7@2) kick off February 15. Women’s basketball has steadily climbed in the rankings from 10th place in pre-season to fifth place currently. The T-Birds, who last won the CIS title in 2008, are in third place in the Pacific Division
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behind CIS no. 1 ranked Fraser Valley and 2013 CIS Championship host Regina. Not only are both UBC’s men’s and women’s hockey teams bound for post-season play with far more wins than losses in the regular-season campaign, there is a good chance for both teams to qualify for home-ice advantage in the first round of playoffs. Post-season play gets under way February 15 with best-of-three series for both men’s and women’s hockey (6@3; 5@4). For complete schedule information, results, live stats, webcasts and links to CIS and Canada West, go to gothunderbirds.ca.
Swim Birds and Alumni in Top 10 at World Short Course Championships
Current swim team members Tera Van Beilen, Heather MacLean, Luke Peddie and Coleman Allen joined last season’s CIS Swimmers of the Year Martha McCabe and Tommy Gossland to represent Canada at last December’s World Short Course Swimming Championships in Istanbul, Turkey. McCabe turned in the best performance of the UBC contingent with a sixth-place finish in women’s 200m breaststroke, while her 2012 Olympic Games team mate Van Beilen finished seventh in the same event and ninth in the 100m race. Both UBC’s men’s and women’s teams will look to repeat last year’s
Championships, setting a Canadian record in the 400-metre freestyle race. She then made her second Olympics appearance, competing in the 400m and 800m races. King will be going up against two others, including another T-Bird, in the University Athlete of the Year category. Women’s volleyball alumna Kyla Richey capped off her final year with UBC in 2012 by helping the T-Birds to their fifth straight national championship.
Travelling T-Birds
Opportunities in international competition have abounded for UBC teams so far this year, with no fewer than five teams hitting foreign lands of late. The men’s basketball teams trained hard in Hawaii over the holidays and split a pair of games against a semi-pro team (Hawaii Selects) and scrimmaged against NCAA Div II Hawaii Pacific, losing by just four points in spite of having just eight players dressed. In women’s volleyball, the pre-season saw Doug Reimer’s team win two of three games at a September tournament hosted by Hawaii Hilo. The women’s field hockey team got yet another national championship season off to a flying start with a trip to New Zealand to take on some top-flight university and club teams and a series of training sessions with elite New Zealand coaches. More recently, the men’s field hockey team had such a good showing in their 2010 competition trip to Barcelona they were invited back for another series of exhibition games and a tournament over this year’s Christmas break.
sweep of the CIS Championships, which will be held February 21-23 at the University of Calgary.
UBC earns three Sport BC Awards nominations
The UBC Thunderbirds athletics program has been honoured with three nominations for the 47th Annual Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards, which will be handed out March 7th at Richmond’s River Rock Show Theatre. The 2011-12 UBC women’s swim team is one of three squads nominated for Team of the Year. The Thunderbirds won the Canada West and CIS championships in 2012 and set a new record at the CIS meet by scoring the most points ever at the event. After the university season, four swimmers represented Canada at the Summer Olympics in London. One of those Olympians, Savannah King, is also nominated for University Athlete of the Year for 2012. King was named CIS Female Swimmer of the Year after capturing two gold medals at the CIS
UBC’s men’s hockey team, which recently lost their NHL training partners at the conclusion of the lock-out, warmed up for regular season play back in October with a successful three-game tour in Colorado, with one win (over Air Force 4-2), one tie (University of Denver 2-2), and one loss (3-1 to Colorado College). UBC’s men’s volleyball squad didn’t travel internationally this year but played host to two 3-0 wins over visiting Fudan University of Shanghai. The inspirational victories set up a spectacular season home-opener the following week as the Thunderbirds downed CIS no. 2 ranked Trinity Western by winning the fourth and fifth sets.
Diamond Birds Looking to Sparkle in 2013
The standards for success have become quite lofty for the UBC Baseball program through head coach Terry McKaig’s 15 years at the helm - 453 wins, 18 Major League Baseball draft picks, six NAIA West Championships, and an appearance at the 2006 NAIA World Series. This might explain why McKaig described 2012 as a disappointing season, continued on page 8
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LockerRoom
continued from page 7
UBC’s women’s softball team begins its 2013 NAIA campaign February 8 at a tournament in Redding, California and opens at home against SFU on March 2 at London Park in Richmond. With 15 of 16 players returning from last year’s 13-25 squad, the Thunderbirds hope to continue their steady yearover-year improvement since the team was formed in 2009.
Andrea Neil Named Women’s Soccer Head Coach
UBC has added another marquee head coach with the recent addition of alumna Andrea Neil as the new head coach of the women’s soccer team. A former Thunderbirds standout, Andrea is one of Canada’s most accomplished players, with 132 appearances in a Canadian jersey, including a remarkable four World Cup appearances. “UBC is my alma mater and therefore it was a definite yes to take on this role,” said Neil after her appointment was made official on January 7. “I have a deep sense of gratitude and belonging with this school and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to share what I’ve learned in the game and to give back to a new generation of players.”
Former national team veteran Andrea Neil is UBC’s new women’s soccer coach. P h o t o c o u r t e s y o f C a n a d i a n S o cce r A s s o c i at i o n .
despite a 28-19 overall record and a 20-12 mark in conference play. Specifically, it was the early playoff exit that has the 2013 squad looking for redemption and a return to prominence in the NAIA. One of the most publicized parts of the team’s success is the MLB draft picks, which has resulted in seven players in the past three years leaving UBC early for professional baseball. Although a good-news story in many respects, the pre-mature talent rollover is also one of the reasons that staying at the top has at times been additionally challenging. The 2013 squad has reloaded with a deep recruiting class of top junior college transfers and top high school players from across Canada. The season begins February 8 in Lewiston, ID. The first home series of the season begins March 15 against Oregon’s Concordia University. All home games will be played at Thunderbird Baseball Park.
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The Vancouver native played at UBC from 19891995, leading the Thunderbirds to a CIAU National Championship in 1994. She was named the Marilyn Pomfret Award winner in 1993 as UBC’s top female athlete and graduated with a Bachelor of Human Kinetics in 1996. “Her resume speaks for itself,” said Theresa Hanson, UBC’s Associate Director of Athletics. “In this country Andrea is a soccer icon who has dedicated her life to the sport over the last 20-plus years and our players will benefit greatly from her experience and knowledge of the game.” In addition to being a member of the Canadian Women’s National Team from 1990-2007, Andrea played six seasons with the Vancouver Whitecaps Women’s FC (2001-2006), leading the club to two W-League Championships in 2004 and 2006. Her coaching career began as an assistant under UBC head coach Mosher from 1997 to 1999. From there she went on to work as the head coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Girl’s Elite Youth Program (2004-06), an assistant coach with the Vancouver Whitecaps Women’s FC (2004-06), and as an assistant coach for the Canadian Women’s Senior National Team and U20 National Team (20092011). She was inducted into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame in 2009; the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2011, and both the BC Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in2012. ;
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News ; notes from the big block club
Clockwise from top left: Rugby alumnus Ralph Bagshaw inspects McKechnie Cup, BC’s oldest trophy; L to R: Rugby alumni Gary Bruce, Doug Sturrock and Ted Hunt; UBC coach Spence McTavish and Gerald McGavin; Ribbon cutting. L to R: current UBC rugby players Erika Sutherland and Alexander Kam, rugby alumni Gerald McGavin and Peter Bull, BC Rugby Union CEO Jeff Sauve, UBC President Stephen Toope and Vice President, Students Louise Cowin; L to R: UBC rugby alumnus Jim McWilliams, BC Rugby Union President John Lecky and alumnus David Smart.
An overflow crowd was on hand to witness the official opening of the spectacular new Gerald McGavin Rugby Centre on January 8. Speakers included Gerald McGavin and Peter Bull, whose lead gifts have sparked an impressive and rapidly mounting charge on the part of Thunderbird rugby alumni to energize UBC’s men’s and women’s rugby programs. UBC President Stephen Toope also took the podium and reminded the assembled that UBC’s much celebrated rugby traditions began on Christmas Day 1920, when future BC Supreme Court Justice Art Lord coached the Varsity XV to a famous 12-0 win over defending Olympic Games champion Stanford. President Toope also highlighted the extraordinary off-field achievements of former varsity players by noting that six have been named Rhodes Scholars. In a sad coincidence just days before the opening, word came that one of those Rhodes Scholars, Basil Robinson, had passed away in Ottawa. Robinson, who received his Rhodes Scholarship after graduating from UBC in 1940, was former Undersecretary of State for External Affairs and Officer of the Order of Canada. Speaking of Stephen Toope, UBC’s president has indeed made good on his word to play a lead role in seeking changes in CIS sport and university sport governance by co-chairing a Canada West Task Force consisting of university presidents and athletic directors
(see message from the president on page 4). Professor Toope has also agreed to participate in a discussion with former Canadian National Women’s Basketball Team coach Allison McNiel concerning university sport in Canada at the upcoming TELUS Millennium Scholarship Breakfast. The breakfast, which has raised over $8 million to date for athlete scholarships, will be held February 26, 7:15-8:45 a.m. at the Vancouver Convention Centre. On-line registration is now under way. All net revenue from ticket sales will be matched by UBC Athletics and can be directed to scholarships for any UBC Thunderbird teams. For more information and to register, go to gothunderbirds.ca. Now in its seventh year, UBC Desert Days is becoming a fine annual tradition and another way to support scholarships for UBC student-athletes. This year’s event goes March 10-12 and includes an exclusive welcome cocktail reception; the annual Desert Classic Golf Tournament and Luncheon at the spectacular Arnold Palmer designed Classic Club; a tour of Joshua Tree National Park, and the opportunity to attend a day of tennis at the BNP Paribas Tournament. Net proceeds of the UBC Desert Classic golf tournament event will be matched by UBC Athletics and directed to the permanent scholarship endowments of any continued on page 17
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The Doctor is in T
he following is an absolutely true statement, but not one you would have seen in any of the sports pages following UBC’s much celebrated Vanier Cup championship victory of 1997. “Thunderbirds physician Rob Lloyd-Smith treated quarterback Shawn Olson’s flu symptoms and helped to rehabilitate running back Mark Nohra’s damaged knee ligaments to lead UBC to a 39-23 victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees in yesterday’s Vanier Cup.” }}
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The Doctor is in continued from page 11
Instead, the reporters who covered the national university football championship that year appropriately adhered to the conventions of their profession, with words to the effect of: “Having battled back from a nasty flu bug earlier in the week, UBC quarterback Shawn Olson completed 10 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown, and scored another on a running play to lead the Thunderbirds to a 39-23 win over the Ottawa Gee-Gees.” Others went with something along the lines of: “Hec Crighton Award winner Mark Nohra showed no effects of the knee injury that sidelined him three weeks ago as he rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns to lead UBC to its third Vanier Cup title.” But anybody close to the team knew beforehand that the health of its two offensive leaders was a matter of deep concern with a high-profile national championship on the line. As with all team physicians, Dr. Rob Lloyd-Smith was then, and still is, perfectly happy to ply his exacting skills far away from the limelight. But there is no denying the role he played in that national championship and in countless other missioncritical situations in his 30-plus years of service across the entire portfolio of Thunderbird teams. And for that reason the 2013 UBC Sports Hall of Fame selection committee didn’t hesitate to vote unanimously in favour of inducting him in the Hall of Fame’s Builder category on April 3 at the Big Block Club Athletic Awards Banquet. The news of his impending induction was applauded by the entire UBC coaching staff, especially the long-serving veterans who know perhaps better than anyone the value of his quiet dedication and expertise. “Dr. Rob is one of the key components in the outstanding quality of care that our students have access to at UBC,” says women’s basketball coach Deb Huband. “Not only is he tremendously skilled, knowledgeable and experienced, but he has a palpable kindness and empathy that transcends his craft. His contribution and depth of caring for the wellbeing of student-athletes is inspiring and much appreciated.” Women’s volleyball coach Doug Reimer concurs, saying that Lloyd-Smith has been a conscience for his team in many ways both before and during their current five-year reign as national champions. “I consider Rob without question to be a key component in the success of our program,” says Reimer. “I would suggest he is the top sports
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doc working with varsity sport in Canada when you consider his expertise, dedication and the care he provides for a wide range of issues and injuries. He has been a huge support not only on acute injuries and illness, but also with guidance and advice both for me and the team members in many areas.” After completing medical training at McGill University in 1977, the Montreal native ventured west to join his then fiancé, Elizabeth Mackenzie, who was studying Architecture at UBC. After approximately four years in general practise, he joined the medical staff at UBC Student Health Service, where he was pleased to learn that a significant part of his mandate would be to provide care for varsity athletes. By this time he had also heard about the BC Sports Medicine Clinic (now the Allan McGavin Sports and Exercise Medicine Centre), where in 1982 he was the first to complete a newly developed Fellowship in Sports Medicine. A lifelong athlete and lover of sport, his first season as team physician for the Thunderbirds (198283) turned out to be particularly memorable, with five teams winning national championships, including the football team’s first-ever Vanier Cup. “I thought every year was going to be like that,” he laughed just minutes before he received a phone call from associate athletic director Theresa Hanson to inform him of his upcoming induction. “To win a national championship is the annual goal of each UBC team and athlete. To witness such a win is very special.” In addition to sharing the joys of winning with many teams over the years, Rob says there are other
Dr. Rob’s Vitals } I was born and raised in: “Montreal. I
lived a block away from a large park with an outdoor hockey rink in the winter and playing fields during the other seasons, which fuelled my interest and involvement in sport.”
} I f I wasn’t a physician, I would most
like to be: “working in environmental conservation. We all have a responsibility to plan for future generations.”
} M y favourite activity outside of work is: “sport and recreation, including cycling, hockey, skiing, running and hiking.”
unique aspects of working with student-athletes that make them different and that require extra measures of sensitivity and attention. “Studentathletes have a greater constellation of stressors in pursuit of their academics and sport, in addition to ongoing postsecondary growth and development,” he said recently. “They are at a very exciting phase of their lives, juggling many balls at the same time. It is important for me to appreciate the complex interrelationship between different facets of their lives.”
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} M y idea of an ideal vacation is: “exploring new regions with cultural and natural highlights with family and friends.”
} T he person who has influenced me most
in my life is: “my spouse, Elizabeth, with reminders to be the person you want to be, live the life one wants to live and other personal responsibility concepts.”
} M y medical advice is: “involvement in
sport and exercise is a lifelong pursuit and one of the most important determinants of health. I encourage alumni, their families and friends each to be involved in 150 minutes of aerobic activity per week.”
He also says that the annual Big Block Banquet Athletic Awards night is always an enjoyable highlight, although the 2013 event promises to be extra special as he moves from being a congratulatory observer to taking his place among those being honoured on the big night. And deservedly so. After thirty years of providing superb health care and council to thousands of UBC student-athletes, chances are the ovation from the floor at the mere mention of his name will be thunderous. ;
Desert Days Reception
Join us for an exclusive cocktail reception to network with UBC alumni and friends and kick-off UBC Desert Days 2013.
7th Annual Desert Classic Golf Tournament and Luncheon
Play in the tournament and help UBC’s athletes. Net proceeds are matched by UBC Athletics and your donation will be directed to the permanent scholarship endowments of the Thunderbird team of your choice.
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Joshua Tree National Park tour
For those who are not golfing, join us for a tour of Joshua Tree National Park. Guests have the option of joining the golf luncheon following the tour.
Attend the BNP Paribas Open Tennis Tournament
Watch the world’s best tennis players compete at the most-attended nonGrand Slam tournament in the world.
Join us in Palm Desert from March 10 to March 12, 2013, for UBC Desert Days. With four great events to take part in, UBC Desert Days 2013 offers something for everyone! Whether you’re a snowbird or a local, you’re welcome to join us for this exciting week of UBC activity continued on page 18 in the warm and sunny desert. This is a time for UBC alumni and supporters to gather and celebrate their shared UBC connection. For more information or to RSVP, visit: www.alumni.ubc.ca/events/ubc-desert-days. If you have questions about the event, contact Nicola Wootton at nicola.wootton@ubc.ca or call 1.855.427.5767. RSVP deadline is March 4, 2013. spring 2013 BLUE ; GOLD
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Notes From Max By Don Wells
I
recently had cause to seek the whereabouts of distinguished UBC Professor Emeritus Dr. Max Howell, and pleasantly discovered him alive and well in Brisbane, Australia. Through a protracted e-mail exchange, I received over 5,000 words of insightful, poignant and often amusing observations from the razor-sharp 85-year-old UBC Sports Hall of Fame rugby coach concerning the years from 1954 to 1961, during which time he taught in the School of Physical Education (now Kinesiology) and all but revolutionized the way the game of rugby was played in these parts. In the midst of our exchanges, the University began to make plans to officially open the new Gerald McGavin Rugby Centre, which bears the name of one of Dr. Howell’s top players during one of the many heady eras in UBC rugby history. Not surprisingly, Max’s heart was greatly warmed by the news that Gerald’s experience playing at UBC left a lasting impression upon him, and upon other accomplished alumni who have recently mobilized to further support UBC’s rugby teams. Upon graduating in 1954 from the University of California at Berkeley with the first doctorate degree in Physical Education ever awarded an Australian, Max accepted a position at UBC which included coaching responsibilities for the rugby and swim teams. After establishing the first Master’s Program in Physical Education in the Commonwealth at UBC, he went to the University of Alberta where he established its first doctoral program. He also ran the first teaching clinics on rugby across Canada, wrote a coaching manual and coached the national side for a time. His extraordinary academic career included a second doctorate degree from the University Of Stellenbosch, South Africa in Sport History, seven years as a dean at San Diego State and two years at the University of Ottawa. He then returned to Australia as Foundation Chair and professor of Human Movement Studies at the University of Queensland, from which he retired in 1992 – “compulsory” he adds with a hint of bitterness. For his contribution to graduate education in Canada and sport history world-wide, the University of Alberta conferred an honorary doctorate upon him in 1998. He was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2003. But in spite of so much accomplishment, it was clear from Max’s notes that teaching and coaching UBC undergraduates was a particularly memorable and
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fulfilling phase in his career. More importantly, it occurred to me as I read the e-mails that the opportunity to elicit such valuable oral history from key influencers who helped shape UBC sport history grows more difficult with each passing year. And in light of the fact that a growing cadre of rugby alumni and friends are rallying to help restore the competitiveness that characterized the game at UBC for decades, I wondered if perhaps Max would permit me to share some of his altogether intriguing first-person recollections with a wider community. Thankfully, he approved the print distribution of the notes that follow, including edits regrettably required for the sake of length and libel. December 7, 9:27 pm Don: I read your questions and I must confess my reaction was BLOODY HELL! It will take me some time, so I will probably do it at different sessions. You can depend on me- famous last words. I am not your normal 85 year old. UBC was my first university appointment and I hold the institution very dear to my heart. So I will do my best. Max December 7, 10:45 pm I was a Wallaby from 1946-8. I was one of the youngest to play for Australia, and I was certainly the youngest to retire, at twenty years of age, after playing 32 times in Australian colours. It would take me too long to explain, but essentially I was from a very poor family, and after touring New Zealand for six weeks I went on the nine-month tour of the British Isles, France, Canada and the USA. My decision was to study. I have to add an element that spurred me on. I always wanted to teach, and I thought then and still do now that it is the most important vocation in the world, and your life’s goals are reached if you change one person in your life for the better. Incidentally, on the Wallaby tour I saw UBC and University of California at Berkeley and was impressed. There were no graduate degrees at UBC and hence my choice was Berkeley. While there I played rugby for five years, and each year we would go on the annual pilgrimage to BC. It was the highlight of the year for both teams. None of the Berkeley had ever played rugby, and they knew nothing about the game in other parts of the globe. They knew they were playing for the World Cup, and no one ever informed them it was a cup given by “the World” newspaper.
Max Howell as a young UBC coach and Physical Education faculty member. Right: L to R: Gerald McGavin, Ted Hunt, Max Howell and Neil Henderson.
They thought in those days that whoever won it was the world champion. I felt, why would I tell them the truth? Max December 8, 1:17 am Don: Here I go again! The first Master’s degree students in Physical Education were my own - Bob Morford, Rick Alderman and so on. In those days the title of each degree was read to the Graduate Council, which (Gordon) Shrum chaired like everything else on the campus. No trouble with Morford, but Alderman’s had to do with the grip of the golf club. When his title was read out, the Oxbridge types, and there were many of them at UBC, said: “the golf club? What is the university coming to? ” I rose, my blood pressure rather high and I said: “Before I answer the question, I would humbly ask an additional question beforehand. Did I hear right? I just heard that a student in Oceanography just received his PhD for counting the salmon in a particular fashion. Did he have a particular method of counting? Did he seize every one that passed by him? And what particular formulae did he use to validate the count? Would someone please elaborate, and we could lend our own graduate students to assist in the count unless a salmon may be missed?” The whole Council burst out laughing and Shrum said: “You have proved your point, Howell. Would you be so kind to see me after the meeting?” I saw him, and I was still frothing at the mouth. He said: “You did fine, Howell. But there is something you should have learned!” “What’s that, sir?” I said rather belligerently. “It’s this Howell, always be obtuse in the title so no one will know what you have done. It’s simple, just put your titles in Latin!” I must say, it was good advice. I never had a thesis title queried after that. Max
December 8, 2:35 am You asked about Morford. I could write a book about him, but he was a “Silent Sam” type, who rarely said anything. He was the top student in PE by a country mile. He also had been captain of the rugby team, a plodding second rower who would never let you down, and a very good goal-kicker. When Bob was doing his Masters with me I talked him into being my assistant, the forward coach. And we were very successful together. Allow my rampant modesty to intervene again, but I believe I was the first in the world, no less, to form a two-coach setup, which I had always believed in. One funny thing, however, Don Coryell, who became one of the great coaches in the US professional ranks, talked Morford into playing football as the kicker. One of the most ridiculous sights I have ever seen was Morford, attired in football gear, helmet, shoulder pads and so on, and he kicked off, with a great follow through. He was watching with pride his kick, and two of the opposition flattened him. They had not explained all about the game to Silent Sam. As for any outstanding students, there were so many I would not know where to start. Don Shore was my favourite, one helluva nice guy. Then there was Paddy Sloan, Gerry McGavin, Donn Spence, etc, etc. Gerry Kenyon was the outstanding one intellectually, and he became the guru in sport sociology. Ted Hunt was the most gifted athletically, and I poured countless hours into his development as a rugby player. Peter Tynan was also a great rugby player. We were playing against the Barbarians, who were the best players in the British Isles. My brother was in the British Isles, and I asked him to follow them on their Easter tour, and send me information on each player. I decided, like Vince Lombardi, to attack them at their strongest point, which happened to be Cliff Morgan, the five-eighth, considered at that time the best in the world. My brother’s notes informed
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Notes From Max me that Morgan stood his man up and broke to the outside. So I invented the shadow defence, which was unknown at the time. The essence was that each man was responsible for his man, and followed him, pushing him to the outside. Hunt was our fiveeight to mark Morgan. I was inside centre and Tynan outside centre. We had trained meticulously on the execution of what we had to do. The ball went to Morgan, he faked Hunt who stuck with him, he broke to the outside twice more but Ted stuck to him like glue, then in somewhat of a panic he sent it to my man, the great centre Gordon Griffith, and I stuck to him and Peter Tynan moved in and tackled him, which was contrary to our plan. They passed the ball out and scored. While they were taking the conversion I grabbed Peter by the throat and said: “What do you think you are bloody well doing?” He said, limply “my coach at St George’s said it would not work.” I did not release my grip, and said: “Peter, if you step away from our strategy again, I will immediately send you off the field. Do you understand that?” He nodded, and it was a hell of a game. Max December 8, 3:15 am Don: As for the calibre of UBC rugby at the time, generally speaking the team was either the best, or close to it, of the other provincial teams. The BC team, which had some outstanding former UBC players in George Puil and John Newton, could go up against the best teams in the world. By North American university sides, UBC was on the top echelon. Berkeley always thought that UBC knew more about the game than they did, but they made up any deficiencies in this regard by their athleticism, bulk, and their knock’em-back defence. By the way, when I played, spring football was banned in the California universities, so the coach sent all of his team out for rugby. I was normally the only non-football player. Some of the players that UBC went up against were Les Richter, a two-time All American and the Los Angeles Rams traded 11 players to get him. Then there was Matt Hazeltine, who was an All-Pro linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers and Gerry Perry was in the line for Detroit. They were formidable athletes, and in a game I was in we led the All Blacks with three minutes to go. Think I will leave it here for the day. I can only talk about myself for a little time otherwise I start to believe it. Max
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January 3, 10:40 pm Dear Don: Buzz Moore was a remarkable individual as you well know. He was Canada’s captain in this time period. He was a specialist front rower, and everyone loved him. He was a born leader in his own way. If I had to evaluate him as a player, I would have to classify him as a plodder who was always in the thick of things but never was brilliant. I can never remember him making a long run, and as for sidestepping or anything like that, I think he would have broken his leg if he was ever that adventurous. He was a man’s man, and never took a backward step. A great bloke and a great leader. I have written about 50 books in my lifetime, and some 300 research papers. I had written mainly on sport, and as my life was inexorably drifting away I decided that I wanted to do work that might stand the test of time and make more of a contribution to Australian culture. My wife, Dr Lingyu Xie and I have projected a number of books. We are co-writing them. Already, Did the Chinese Discover Australia is being advertised on Amazon, and in the next few days they will be advertising China: the Birthplace of Golf and a novel, The Love Rings. And there are a few others. Not bad for an 85 year old? As for the McGavin opening, I would say: In far-off Australia the memory of UBC days goes on. Rugby players in the 50s and 60s lived in the best of years. We were innocents, with few worries, and you played for your University with great pride. There was never a UBC side that played less than 100 percent. You were learning every day on the sports field. You learned about courage, pride, sportsmanship, motivation and so many things important for future life. I have forever been a fan of the book and movie Good bye Mr. Chips. In the final scene Chips is dying, and one of the nurses by his bedside said “Pity Chips had no children!” Chips, dying, said: “Children? I had hundreds of children, all boys!” and as he drifted away, the boys took their hats off and stated: “Bennett, Mr. Chips! Bedwell, Mr. Chips!” and so on. I somehow feel that way about my rugby lads at UBC. Now 85 years of age, I would like nothing more to acknowledge my players as they drift away: “McGavin, Dr. Howell! Vallis, Dr. Howell! Hunt, Dr. Howell! Shore, Dr. Howell...and so on and so on. It would be a wonderful way to go out, with the acknowledgments of my players as the last words I hear. Best wishes Emeritus Professor Max Howell AO
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Left: UBC baseball coach Terry McKaig; Right: Former T-Bird left-hander Mark Hardy will play for Canada in upcoming World Baseball Classic.
UBC Thunderbird team. For more information and to register, go to alumni.ubc.ca/events/ubc-desert-days/. It was just over 15 years ago now that alumni Dick Reid, Andrew Grant and Mark Hiscott and a handful of other baseball enthusiasts rallied to resurrect UBC’s baseball program. A great deal of growth and evolution has occurred since that time, including the completion of the new Thunderbird Baseball Park on the south campus and the rise of alumnus Jeff Francis to major league all-star status as a left-hander with the Colorado Rockies. Just before Christmas, the Rockies finalized a one-year, $1.5 million base contract with Jeff as part of their plan to give stability to their season-opening rotation. Who would have guessed back in 1996 that all this and more would come to pass? But it gets better.
UBC coach Terry McKaig has proudly announced to UBC baseball supporters that former UBC pitcher Mark Hardy (2007-2010) and current member of the San Diego Padres organization has been contacted by Baseball Canada and informed he has been selected to represent Canada in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. Terry says he has a hunch that by Jeff Francis turning down a spot on the roster to concentrate on his spring training, he may have effectively opened a spot for Mark. “Pretty amazing having it involve two former Thunderbirds,” says Terry. Mark becomes the 3rd UBC baseball player to play in the event joining Jeff Francis in 2006 and Brooks McNiven in 2009. The tournament will open with Brazil facing two-time defending champion Japan in Fukuoka, Japan, on March 2, and end with the final game in San Francisco, scheduled to be played on March 19. MLB Network will broadcast all 39 games. ;
TELUS MILLENNIUM BREAKFAST TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2013
IN CONVERSATION: PROF. STEPHEN TOOPE WITH COACH ALLISON MCNEILL REGISTRATION NOW OPEN @ WWW.GOTHUNDERBIRDS.CA/BREAKFAST
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Sports Hall of Fame Inductees
continued from page 5
Victor Warren – field hockey
Jack Henwood – Football An extraordinarily versatile athlete, Jack Henwood played on UBC’s basketball and rugby teams, but it was on the gridiron under Hall of Fame coach Frank Gnup that he made his most indelible marks in UBC sport history. He was a multi-purpose player throughout his UBC football career from 1956 to 1959, playing quarterback, running back, defensive back and added kicking and punting duties in his final two seasons. Playing in his freshman season against tough US opponents, he remarkably led the Thunderbirds in rushing yardage, scoring, total offence and interceptions, and was the only UBC player to be named to the prestigious Evergreen Conference all-star team that year. He continued to lead UBC in scoring throughout the remainder of his playing career. In UBC’s first season in the Canada West conference in 1959, he was instrumental in the Thunderbirds winning the conference championship and earning a berth in the team’s first-ever national championship. The 1960 Bobby Gaul Trophy winner set many offensive records, and his 100 per cent single-game pass completion record (10/10) set against Saskatchewan in 1959 remains unbroken.
Jessica Mills – Basketball After a brilliant athletic and academic career from 1995 to 2000, Jessica Mills graduated as UBC’s alltime scoring leader with 1993 points and an Academic All Canadian in each of her five seasons. In just her second season she led the Canada West conference in field goal percentage (56.7%) and was consistently ranked in the top 15 in the conference in numerous statistical categories from 1997 to 2000. She was named a first-team All Canadian in 1999 and 2000 and was the Marilyn Pomfret Trophy winner as Female Athlete of the Year in 2000. She was also named the Top Female Academic All Canadian in the Canada West conference for the 1998-99 season. She entered the UBC Faculty of Medicine in 2000 and returned to War Memorial Gymnasium for a year as an assistant coach.
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The sister of 1996 UBC Sports Hall of Fame inductee Charlotte Warren and son of the late Harry Warren, UBC’s first-ever Olympic athlete and an inaugural UBC Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Victor Warren was one of Canada’s top field hockey players in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. He led the Thunderbirds to Vancouver City League Championships in 1958, 60 and 63 and is still recognized as UBC’s all-time scoring leader, with 114 goals in 92 games over six seasons. He was also selected to the provincial team on six occasions, leading BC to four national championships. A key member of Canada’s national team in the 1960’s, he played for Canada in the 1964 Olympic Games along with fellow UBC alumni Peter Buckland and Lee Wright.
Teams 1989-91 Men’s Soccer team With UBC’s men’s soccer teams so completely dominant in Canada West and CIS in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, the UBC Sports Hall of Fame selection committee had an inordinately challenging task identifying which among the teams from this period was most worthy of induction. After considerable consultation and discussion at both the nomination and selection stages, the committee selected the players who played for UBC during a three-year period in which the Thunderbirds were undefeated against Canadian university competition with an overall record of 30-0-8, won the CIS Championship in each of those years, and consisted of a core of many of the most outstanding and officially recognized CIS players at the conclusion of each of those seasons. Additionally, those same teams represented Canada at the World Collegiate Soccer Championships (Invitational) in Las Cruces, New Mexico and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico in 1990, 1991, 1992), and qualified for the championship final in 1991, losing by one goal to the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Between 1989 and 1991, four UBC players were first-team All Canadians, five were second-team all Canadians, and a total of nine players played professionally in the Canadian Soccer League. In 1989, UBC’s Dick Mosher was named CIS Coach of the Year and son Mike (UBC’s current head coach) was selected as CIS Championship Tournament MVP. Rob Reed was named CIS Player of the Year in 1991. The UBC players who played in at least one of those three years are: Paolo Bordignon, Steve Burns, Ed Cannon, Randy Celebrini, Rick Celebrini, Kevin
2013 Hall of Fame team inductees were victorious at home. Left: 1973-74 women’s volleyball team won women’s national championship in War Memorial Gym. Right: 1989 soccer team in aftermath of national championship win at Thunderbird Stadium.
Colbow, Bill Connor, Willie Cromack, Paul Dixon, Enrique Domingo, Colin Elmes, Markus Felderer, Jamie Gurniak, Jeff Hutton, Gary Kern, Tom Kim, Mark Korn (asst coach), Ray Lohr, Gordon MacIntyre, Ken More (asst coach), Dick Mosher (head coach), Mike Mosher, Marno Olafson, Pat Onstad, Dave Partridge (asst coach), Marcello Pavan, Alex Percy, Colin Pettingale, Rob Reed, Gordon Sanders, Doug Schultz, Fernando Torres, Ron Village, Mark Watson, Anthony Weaver, Neil Wilkinson, Gregor Young and Rob Zambrano.
1972-74 women’s volleyball team Coached by Marilyn Russell (Pomfret), the 197273 UBC women’s volleyball team was just the second UBC women’s team in any sport to claim a national university championship, winning the 1973 Canadian Women’s Interuniversity Athletic Union (CWIAU) Volleyball Championship at Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia following an undefeated regular season. The Thunderbirds followed that up with another undefeated regular season the following year (1973-74) and claimed a second consecutive CWIAU Championship before a home-town crowd at War Memorial Gymnasium. Although the era pre-dated selection of conference all-stars and All-Canadians, the team’s key players in those two seasons included subsequent national team members Betty Baxter, Sandy Vosburgh and Maureen Fishleigh. The UBC players who played in at least one of those two years are: Margaret Atkinson, Betty Baxter, Laura Buker, Sandi Burh, Ellen Crute, Lynne Day, Jo-Anne Fenton, Maureen Fishleigh, Patricia Horn, Faye Hudson, Karen Johnson, Carin McBean, Norma McDonald, Susan Murray, Jacquie Pike, Sandy Richardson (manager), Marilyn Russell (coach), Vickey Sahota, Anne Taggart (manager), Janice Van De Putte, Sandi Vosburgh, Sharon Williams and Barbara Wollner.
Builders Dr. Rob Lloyd-Smith A unanimous committee selection for induction into the UBC Sports Hall of Fame, Dr. Rob LloydSmith has been the head sport medicine physician for UBC Thunderbird teams since 1982. He has been credited by numerous UBC coaches with making significant contributions to conference and national championship victories by providing topflight injury treatment to a countless number of UBC student-athletes from across the entire varsity sport portfolio. After completing medical training at McGill University in 1977, Rob ventured west and soon entered general practice. In 1982 he came to UBC to work at the Student Health Service as well as the BC Sports Medicine Clinic (now the Allan McGavin Sports and Exercise Medicine Centre) where he was the first to complete the newly developed Fellowship in Sports Medicine. He began as a clinical instructor in both the UBC Faculty of Medicine and School of Kinesiology in 1984 and earned the designation of clinical professor in 1999. His academic credentials and publications are numerous and his medical consulting experience has spanned a broad spectrum of organizations including Canada’s national biathlon, nordic ski and field hockey teams, the FIS (Federation Internationale de Ski) Medical Committee, the NHL Players Association, the National Ballet of Canada. Most recently he was chief medical officer at the men’s ice hockey venues during the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. ;
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