ports

Beyond sports: the meaning of competition

Hannah Rizun
Contributor

F’ most of us, sports have been a part

of our lives for longer than we can
remember. However, as health and wellness
have always been the main goal, we rarely
focus on the benefits that sports can have off
the field.

From the Court to the Classroom

Group-oriented assignments have been on
the rise, both in the workplace and in the
classroom. Upon graduating from post-
secondary, you may enter a job that demands
group collaboration on numerous projects.
At school, we have all been exposed to group
homework assignments or term projects.

Through participating in sports at UNBC,
students can reap the benefits of learning
the meaning of competition, persistence,
and teamwork, as well as learning life lessons
such as time-management. Running off some
stress doesn’t hurt, either. I interviewed a

few people to get their takes on the role of
sports in academic and professional success.

An Employer's Perspective:
cooperation is key

My first interviewee was UNBC’s Director
Human Resources, Sheila Page. She
enthusiastically stated that: “As an employer,
I would be more inclined to hire a person
that has participated in sports. Cooperation
is such a large part of being a member of

a team and a workforce; lessons such as
competitiveness and multi-tasking are all
lessons that can be learned from sports to be
carried over to the workplace or classroom.”

When I asked Sheila about the transfer from
sports to the classroom she firmly professed
that, “life is about priorities; prioritizing and
organizing, and an involvement in sports
during your education shows your ability

to juggle a number of activities, as one is
expected to do ina further career path.”

An Athlete's View: the
transfer of competition

Intramurals at UNBC:
Stress-busters

Heartened by Sheila’s enthusiasm for
athletics, I decided to get the first-hand
account from Devin McMurtry, a varsity
basketball player at UNBC who details the
transfer of knowledge from the court to

the classroom. “In order to participate in
sports at a high level, you have to develop

a strong work ethic, and if you can transfer
that to the academic sphere, you set yourself
apart from your peers. By overcoming
athletic struggles, it makes a lot of academic
inconveniences seem trivial in comparison.
Playing basketball has definitely helped me
in school, as it has fueled my competitive
streak. I am able to outwork students as a
result of my sports background, and I know
this will carry on to my professional career.”

Devin is one of fifteen Academic All-
Canadians honored at UNBC this year
for both excellence in the classroom
and in their respective sport.

Family Day with the PG Cougars

Brady Stark
Team Member

Foo a thrilling 3-2 shootout victory over their BC Divisional
rivals the Kamloops Blazers, the Prince George Cougars gave
back to the community in a big way. The players and staff
of the Western Hockey League club invited fans of all ages
to skate with them after the game, which was fittingly
dubbed “Family Day. There were autographs being
signed by all the players, and photos being taken by

parents.

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©@ PRINCE GEORGE

The last question that remains is: How to

get involved in team sports? I spoke to Kaz
Ikuta, Athletics & Recreation Coordinator,

to get more information on participating in
UNBC’s intramural season. Throughout the
year, students at UNBC are able to participate
in a wide variety of organized sports, such

as basketball, floor ball, soccer, ultimate
frisbee, and volleyball. Kaz strongly believes,
“through participating in intramurals,
students will learn how to work with other
teammates; these communication skills carry
on to both the classroom and the workforce.
Intramural sports all provide stress-relief that
is a large factor in academic success.” Email
intramurals@unbc.ca for more information.

Though it’s difficult for students to make
time for extracurricular activities, sports
will train you to cooperate and compete.
With those skills, success will become
eminent, both athletically and academically.
And wouldn’t it look great on a resume?

Every time people show you support like the people in Prince George
have, we owe it to them to be more accessible to the community.”

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~9 9-95

The Cougars have a number of community-oriented events

throughout the year, but none are more intimate than these
family skates. Not only do they provide the fans with a chance
to interact with their team, but it provides kids a chance to
dream about one day being a Cougar. Getting the chance to talk
with and skate next to someone they idolize provides the
opportunity for these young fans to get to know what

it takes to achieve their goals. This community event
also provided the cougars a one-on-one interaction

Over the Edge caught up with veteran defenseman
Joseph Carvalho and asked him what these kinds

of events mean to the team. “The community has
done so much for us over the years,” Carvalho stated,
“The arena has been filled every game with at least
2000 people, which is more than we had last year.

with their fans. The Cougars not only got to interact,
but they got to show off their skills and help the
younger fans with their skating abilities. The fans got
to see their favorite stars as people in the community,
which is exactly what the new Ice Age is all about!

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GK