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<\/a>Basketball<\/strong><\/p>\n The Camosun Chargers men\u2019s and women\u2019s basketball teams kicked off their season on October 30 in Nanaimo against Vancouver Island University. Men\u2019s basketball head coach Scot Cuachon says that he is happy with how things are coming together but hopes to push his players a little more this year.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re a little bit deeper as far as players and community, so we\u2019re hoping to push the pace a little more,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re a little bit older, so the leadership hinges on a few more guys, and hopefully because of that, we won\u2019t have any effort issues. At the same time, when you go six days a week, there\u2019s certainly a point in that week where guys are going to be a little bit tired. But motivation and effort are intrinsic.\u201d<\/p>\n Everyone has a style of play that works for them, and Carl Macdonald, head coach of Camosun\u2019s women\u2019s basketball team, says that it is all about quick transition basketball.<\/p>\n \u201cWe use a combination of quick basketball, which is called transition basketball, to score as quick as we can from when we get control of the ball,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd, of course, you have to play great defence to be able to do that, so we focus on both transition and defence.\u201d<\/p>\n Macdonald, who hails from Guelph, Ontario, led the Central Vancouver Island Basketball Club to win the championship back in 1999. He\u2019s looking forward to having a great start this year, but he is also aware of the team\u2019s obstacles: he\u2019s quick to point out that a big part of the problem with getting students aware of the Chargers is that Camosun is spread out over two campuses.<\/p>\n \u201cEven though most of our players go to school at Lansdowne, there\u2019s not a lot of connect between the two campuses in terms of sports,\u201d he says. \u201cIt needs to be promoted better so that the student body knows what\u2019s going on and when and where our games are.\u201d<\/p>\n There are a few changes to the women\u2019s basketball roster this year, including forward Jade Heavener and guard Michaela Witte.<\/p>\n \u201cOur players work just as hard as the players at UVic,\u201d says Macdonald, \u201cor anybody who plays any sport in the city. All our players compete with as much intensity as anybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n The women finished fourth in the province last year and will play their home opener against Quest University on Friday, November 20 at 6 pm at the Interurban campus, followed by an afternoon game the next day at 1 pm.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re putting the finishing touches on our game and we expect to be ready to go,\u201d says Macdonald.<\/p>\n Over at UVic, the Vikes players hear the squeak of their Nike high-tops in the new Centre for Athletics, Recreation and Special Abilities (CARSA) athletic building.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a world-class facility,\u201d says Craig Beauchamp, head coach of men\u2019s basketball at UVic. \u201cThe season is progressing really well. One of the things we can do now is attract our fans into a first-class facility and first-class entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the absence of professional sports, both Beauchamp and Dani Sinclair, head coach of the Vikes women\u2019s team, say that Victoria is the place to be for basketball.<\/p>\n \u201cVictoria is a really special place to be because of the history here with [former Vikes coaches] Ken and Kathy Shields,\u201d says Sinclair, a former Vike herself. \u201cWhat I really appreciated as a player and now as a coach is that because there\u2019s not those professional sports in the city, there is a lot of support for amateur sports, and we get a lot of support from the community and from the student population.\u201d<\/p>\n Sinclair compares Victoria to her hometown of Hamilton, which, being close to Toronto, centres largely on professional sports; however, it is also where many of UVic\u2019s top female basketball players hail from. Sinclair says that the team, who won two of their first three games, is coming together very nicely for the 2015-16 season.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just flew back from a weekend in Montreal. Those trips are always really good for team chemistry,\u201d she says. \u201cWe have five new girls. It was a really good weekend on and off the court.\u201d<\/p>\n Sinclair points out that going from playing for the Vikes to coaching them was quite the adjustment, as most competitive athletes might imagine.<\/p>\n \u201cIt took a couple years once I started coaching at the high-school level to get over not being a player anymore. Your instincts make you want to jump on the court and get it done yourself. I\u2019m old enough now that I don\u2019t really feel that way anymore, so you just approach it very differently. They\u2019re both really exciting in their own way, but as a player, you\u2019re so much more directly involved in the outcome of the game. Being a coach is more cerebral than physical.\u201d<\/p>\n The CARSA facility, which may be home to some Chargers athletes in the future if they attend UVic after Camosun, holds over 2,000 people and is just one more thing for Victoria to be proud of with respect to amateur sport.<\/p>\n \u201cThe culture of basketball in Victoria has been second to none over the last 30 or 40 years just because of the history of success,\u201d says Sinclair.<\/p>\n The UVic men\u2019s basketball team lost 70-88 to Eastern Oregon on October 30, then on October 31 lost 59-88 to the College of Idaho for a record of 0-2 in the Quinn Classic Tournament. Their next game is November 6 against Trinity Western, in Langley.<\/p>\n The women\u2019s team\u00a0 lost 65-74 against Thompson Rivers on October 31, and then won 76-70 against Macewan University on November 1, for a record of 5-3. Their next game is November 6th in Langley, B.C.<\/p>\n Golf<\/strong><\/p>\n Over at UVic, Vikes golf coach Justin Clews is quick to point out that golf is a unique sport because it is often more psychological than it is physical; the team even uses the services of a sports psychologist.<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s working with the players on the mental side of the game,\u201d he says, \u201cdeveloping scenarios or how to overcome a shot if you have a bad hole. The most elite golfers are those who are the mentally strongest.\u201d<\/p>\n There is a huge element of composure and discipline to all sports. (Tiger Woods\u2019 father used to jingle coins in his pocket to teach his son to deal with inevitable mental distractions.) Clews admits that as a coach he sometimes feels \u201ckind of helpless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s more stressful to watch and coach, to be honest,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s a whole different element. When you\u2019re a player, you have more control. When you\u2019re coaching, it\u2019s almost more difficult, because you can\u2019t hit the shots. I might see the shots and I can explain what I see to the players, but whether it\u2019s executed or not is completely out of my control.\u201d<\/p>\n Clews says that teaching players how to read a putt is one of the biggest elements of coaching.<\/p>\n \u201cI found that the biggest success is asking the players what they see in a putt or a shot and then just reassuring them that it\u2019s probably the best thing to do,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n Clews recognizes that as well as being athletes, his players are also students who have papers due and deadlines to meet, just like the rest of us, and that they still need an education off the course.<\/p>\n \u201cCollege golf is pretty special,\u201d he says. \u201cThese kids that go to school are here to get a great education. The fact that they can play competitive golf against competitive schools is a real privilege, and I think they can apply a lot of what they learn in a team situation with their teammates and the development of their game to everyday life and their career.\u201d<\/p>\n The Camosun Chargers golf team competed in nationals in Chilliwack on October 3 and 4, taking home a gold medal (requests for an interview were unanswered by deadline).<\/p>\n Volleyball<\/strong><\/p>\n The best offence is not a good defence: that\u2019s just one of many lessons that Chargers men\u2019s volleyball head coach Charles Parkinson has learned in his career. Before he made himself at home in front of drawing boards and on the sidelines, Parkinson was the captain of the Canadian men\u2019s volleyball team, and that is exactly the experience he tries to harness.<\/p>\n \u201cI spend a lot of time at the international level analyzing the film,\u201d he says, \u201cand I try to break that stuff down, and I talk to a lot of the national team athletes and the coaches and ask myself, \u2018What can I bring back that is current at the international level, but that our guys can play? And can we adapt the systems that are being used internationally and sort of weave them into our games to make ourselves better?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n The systems Parkinson is referring to consist of really strong serving, blocking that is equivalent to a brick wall, and pure physique and athleticism in the back row.<\/p>\n \u201cWe try to sort of knit together guys with different skill sets to make the whole team,\u201d he says, \u201cand to play a style of volleyball that is both powerful and very fast.\u201d<\/p>\n This aggressive, hybrid coaching style won the Chargers the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championships last year.<\/p>\n Parkinson has a true passion for helping young athletes grow, and the fact that he won the championships with a relatively small pool of athletes compared to larger cities speaks volumes to his coaching ability. He says the players are great to work with.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re passionate about our sports, but we\u2019re also really passionate about Camosun and I think those two are really strong ingredients that help put your institution on the map,\u201d he says. \u201cIt drives more people coming here, it makes you feel proud of the school and all of those things that are positive about sport.\u201d<\/p>\n Chris Dahl, head coach of Chargers women\u2019s volleyball, points out that there are subtle differences between men\u2019s and women\u2019s volleyball.<\/p>\n \u201cMake no mistake, when you look at the men\u2019s game and you see how physical it can be, and how offensive it can be, we definitely want those aspects to be part of our game as well, and they are: in the women\u2019s game, the rallies are longer. The name of the game is scoring points faster than your opposition without relying on them.\u201d<\/p>\n The women had a stellar opening weekend against Vancouver Island University, defeating them in a 3-0 sweep two days in a row, for a record of 6-0. The men\u2019s team is also on top of their game after a championship year, with a record of 5-1 so far.<\/p>\n \u201cI was really impressed with our opening weekend and the crowd,\u201d says Dahl. \u201cThe community here is great. Our next home games are November 6 and 7, and it would be great to continue to see more faces in the crowd because the athletes thrive off of that.\u201d<\/p>\n Hockey<\/strong><\/p>\n The Victoria Royals got off to a sharp start this year, winning seven of their first 10 games. After spending a week on the road in Spokane and Seattle, they suffered back-to-back losses and seemed to have trouble snapping out of it, but centre Alex Forsberg says it\u2019s vital that they don\u2019t let it get them down and that they stay on top of their game. Forsberg, who played for the Prince George Cougars and the Saskatoon Blades before coming to Victoria last year, is coming off his best year ever with the Royals.<\/p>\n \u201cIn Saskatoon, I was close to home, so it was nice to play there,\u201d he says. \u201cThen I came here, and this is really the first chance I got to win games every night, so I was really excited when I got here.\u201d<\/p>\n Thriving off the excitement and adrenaline of the city, Forsberg had 25 points last year after playing 30 games. \u201cWe practice in the morning, which is what pro guys do,\u201d he says about playing with the Royals. \u201cJust little things like that; everything is a little bit more exceptional. We have more of a pro mentality with Dave [Lowery] coaching us.\u201d<\/p>\n Forsberg also has a brother, Jesse, who played five years in the Western Hockey League (WHL), both with and against Alex.<\/p>\n \u201cJesse got traded to Seattle, and I played against him a few times. He took it easy on me a bit. He had a chance to throw me up a few times, and he didn\u2019t hit me as hard as he could have,\u201d says Forsberg with a laugh. \u201cIt was a lot of fun.\u201d<\/p>\n And that accurately describes the atmosphere when you walk into Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. Fans are dressed head-to-toe in Royals attire with hot dogs and drinks by their side. It\u2019s an example of how sport brings people together: when the Royals score, thousands of people erupt, with some high-fiving total strangers.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really exciting,\u201d says Forsberg.<\/p>\n The Royals defeated the Prince Albert Raiders 3-2 on Friday, October 30. With the win, the team now have a record of 10-5-1. The Royals\u2019 next home game is November 13 against the Seattle Thunderbirds.<\/p>\n Baseball<\/strong><\/p>\n The Victoria HarbourCats may be in the off-season, but that doesn\u2019t mean that general manager Jim Swanson is sitting on a beach in Mexico drinking pina coladas and soaking up the sun.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve been working really hard on our recruiting, and that started before the season ended last year,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019re hoping that we would have return players for this year, and that process continues still. Them coming to play for us next year has to mix with their education schedules. We\u2019re confident that we\u2019ve put together a team so far that will be stronger than what we\u2019ve had. The key part will be to work on team aspects in May and June that will give this market the championship that we think it deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n The HarbourCats were over .500 both on the road and at home last year, with a record of 29-24-1. They suffered nine straight losses early in the year but fought back with a seven-game winning streak in late June that put them back on the map. Swanson says that improving his bullpen is key.<\/p>\n \u201cWe weren\u2019t as deep in our pitching last year, and pitching is what puts you over the top,\u201d he says. \u201cWe needed to have a few more options late in the year. A huge part of what we spend our time on is growing our pitching staff and the back end of our rotation.\u201d<\/p>\n Swanson also credits much of the success to the city of Victoria, which he says is unquestionably a baseball town. Come spring, many Victorians will be excited to get a hot dog and peanuts and relax at the ballpark.<\/p>\n \u201cBaseball\u2019s appeal is so much beyond the game. It\u2019s something that families feel very comfortable with, seniors feel very comfortable with, and it\u2019s got a great pace that allows people to enjoy themselves. Baseball has always been called a pastime, and I think that\u2019s the right word for it, because you don\u2019t have to deeply understand or love the sport to enjoy going to a baseball game. That\u2019s the allure of baseball compared to hockey or lacrosse, where you have to have at least some grasp of the game to enjoy it.\u201d<\/p>\n Swanson, who is a former professional baseball coach, took over for the HarbourCats in the fall of 2013; the team has since experienced huge success. Victoria led the West Coast League (WCL) in home runs, knocking 36 balls out of the park. They were also first in the WCL in attendance, with nearly 2,000 fans a game.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re going to play our first home game on Tuesday, June 7,\u201d he says, \u201cand we\u2019re home on Canada Day, June 30, and Father\u2019s Day, which are highlight days for us.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With the school year in full swing, the Victoria sports scene is hopping once again. It\u2019s readily apparent here on campus: the Camosun Chargers have hit the ground running with a collective total of six wins in men\u2019s and women\u2019s volleyball. The Chargers golf team brought home gold after years of being the runner-up. There […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,154],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-november-4-2015"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11274","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11274"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11274\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11276,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11274\/revisions\/11276"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11275"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11274"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11274"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nexusnewspaper.com\/newsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11274"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}