Another
      low
      cost
      area
      for
     
     
      potential
      improvement
      is
      in
     
     
      venues
      and
      playing
      fields.
     
     
      It
      was
      interesting
      to
      learn
     
     
      that
      the
      field
      hockey
      field
     
     
      was
      in
      such
      atrocious
     
     
      condition
      that
      other
     
     
      schools
      refused
      to
      play
      on
     
     
      it
      for
      fear
      of
      injury.
      Asa
     
     
      veteran
      of
      the
      team
      stated:
     
     
      “For
      3
      years
      we
      asked
     
     
      for
      new
      bleachers,
      they
     
     
      were
      a
      hazard,
      no
      one
     
     
      could
      sit
      on
      them,
      then
     
     
      we
      got
      new
      bleachers
     
     
      and
      our
      field
      was
      in
      such
     
     
      horrible
      condition
      we
     
     
      couldn’t
      play
      there...
     
     
      other
      teams
      wouldn't
     
     
      play
      on
      our
      field
      because
     
     
      the
      snow
      plow
      had
     
     
      driven
      over
      it
      and
      there
     
     
      was
      huge
      tire
      marks
     
     
      down
      the
      middle
      of
      it”
     
     
      What
      a
      nice
      per-
     
     
      ception
      those
      off
      island
     
     
      teams
      must
      have
      of
      UPEI.
     
     
      Frankly,
      it
      is
      embarrassing
     
     
      and
      sends
      a
      message
      to
     
     
      players
      that
      “you
      represent
     
     
      us
      but
      don’t
      expect
      us
      to
     
     
      provide
      you
      with
      the
      most
     
     
      basic
      element,
      a
      proper
     
     
      field.’
      (Oh
      yeah,
      and
      don’t
     
     
      get
      hurt
      because
      you
      have
     
     
      no
      trainer.)
      Remedying
      it
      is
     
     
      a
      matter
      of
      showing
      care.
     
     
      Stop
      plowing
      it,
      start
     
     
      cutting
      the
      grass,
      and
     
     
      maybe
      roll
      it
      once
      in
     
     
      awhile.
      Not
      much
      to
      ask
     
     
      of
      maintenance
      and
      not
     
     
      much
      additional
      cost.
      It
      is
     
     
      about
      respecting
      the
      space
     
     
      that
      we
      see
      as
      our
      athletic
     
     
      domains,
      if
      we
      as
      a
     
     
      school,
      and
      the
      AD
      in
     
     
      general
      do
      not,
      well
      then
     
     
      you
      will
      have
      no
      team
     
     
      afraid
      or
      even
      slightly
     
     
      intimidated
      to
      play
      here,
     
     
      which,
      sadly,
      is
      the
      current
     
     
      state
      of
      affairs.
     
     
      It
      was
      also
      interesting
      to
     
     
      learn
      that
      the
      two
      basket-
     
     
      ball
      teams
      rarely
      get
      to
     
     
      practice
      on
      their
      own
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      home
      court.
      The
      AD
      has
     
     
      determined
      that
      it
      is
      more
     
     
      important
      to
      get
      a
      few
     
     
      more
      dollars
      out
      of
      a
     
     
      facility
      than
      have
      a
      team
     
     
      feel
      comfortable
      on
      their
     
     
      own
      home
      court.
      The
     
     
      home
      team
      now
      must
      get
     
     
      used
      to
      their
      own
      venue
     
     
      at
      the
      same
      time
      as
      the
     
     
      opponents.
      This
      would
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      lost
      revenues
      the
      gym
     
     
      might
      produce
      but
      it
     
     
      returns
      to
      the
      basic
      change
     
     
      in
      philosophy
      that
      is
      cited
     
     
      by
      a
      member
      of
      the
     
     
      basketball
      program,
     
     
      “They
      (the
      AD)
      care
     
     
      more
      about
      the
      percep-
     
     
      tion
      in
      the
      community
     
     
      than
      they
      do
      about
     
     
      winning.
      ”
     
    

    
     
      It
      is
      certainly
      nota
     
     
      bad
      thing
      to
      be
      seen
      as
     
     
      pillars
      of
      the
      community
     
     
      and
      all
      the
      athletes
      gath-
     
     
      ered
      agreed
      that
      thisis
      _
     
     
      UPEI’s
      strong
      point,
      what
     
     
      with
      the
      various
      ventures
     
     
      into
      schools
      for
      social
     
     
      programs,
      but
      this
      must
      be
     
     
      tempered
      (tempered,
      at
     
     
      the
      very
      least)
      by
      a
      desire
     
     
      to
      win.
     
    

    
     
      Another
      request
     
     
      that
      came
      up
      was
      for
      the
     
     
      hockey
      team
      to
      play
      more
     
     
      games
      on
      campus.
      That
     
     
      ugly
      rink
      probably
      has
      the
     
     
      most
      character
      on
      cam-
     
     
      pus.
      Fans
      are
      on
      top
      of
     
     
      the
      game
      and
      the
      boards,
     
     
      literally,
      make
      it
      a
      hazard
     
     
      to
      go
      into
      the
      corners.
     
     
      How
      much
      would
      other
     
     
      schools
      dread
      playing
      in
     
     
      there?
      And
      that
      is
      what
     
     
      you
      want
      -
      fear.
      The
      place
     
     
      itself
      is
      cold
      which
      means
     
     
      as
      a
      spectator,
      either
      get
     
     
      into
      itor
      get
      out
      with
      the
     
     
      flu.
      Temperature
      is
      quite
     
     
      conducive
      to
      cheering.
     
     
      The
      cost?
      Less
      rent
      paid
     
     
      to
      the
      Civic
      Centre
      and
     
     
      some
      saving
      by
      playing
      at
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      home.
      Oh
      yeah,
      the
      school
     
    
   
   
    
     
      cost
      some
      money
      in
      terms
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      probably
      doesn’t
      own
      it
     
     
      anymore.
      We
      have
      neither
     
     
      the
      time,
      space,
      or
      inclina-
     
     
      tion
      to
      begin
      describing
     
     
      how
      smart
      a
      move
      we
     
     
      think
      that
      was.
      (Such
     
     
      astute
      business
      decisions
     
     
      from
      a
      school
      that
      prides
     
     
      itself
      on
      its
      BBA).
      One
     
     
      way
      or
      another,
      it
      costsa
     
     
      lot
      less
      to
      rent
      ice
      at
      UPEI
     
     
      then
      at
      the
      Civic
      Centre.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      4)
      Update
      Uniforms/
     
     
      Equipment:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      school
      takes
      care
      of
     
     
      its
      high
      profile
      athletes
      but
     
     
      those
      that
      are
      not
      in
      the
     
     
      larger
      programs
      are
      in
      an
     
     
      unfortunate
      position.
     
     
      Players
      are
      responsible
      for
     
     
      paying
      for
      their
      own
     
     
      equipment.
      To
      an
      athlete,
     
     
      all
      agreed
      that
      if
      you
     
     
      represent
      the
      school
      then
     
     
      the
      school
      should
      provide
     
     
      the
      basic
      equipment
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      play
      the
      sport.
      The
      worst
     
     
      thing
      to
      discover
      was
      that
     
     
      the
      field
      hockey
      team
     
    

    
     
      were
      outfitted
      in
      men’s
      XL
     
     
      uniforms.
      If
      you
      dress
      your
     
     
      players
      like
      clowns,
     
     
      expect
      other
      teams
      to
      treat
     
     
      them
      like
      clowns.
      Rem-
     
     
      edying
      this
      is
      as
      simple
      as
     
     
      caring
      about
      what
      your
     
     
      athletes
      wear.
      It
      is
      not
     
     
      reasonable
      to
      expect
      to
     
     
      wait
      for
      the
      opening
      day
     
     
      lineup
      to
      order
      uniforms
     
     
      but
      at
      least
      be
      aware
      who
     
     
      they
      are
      for.
      No
      real
     
     
      change
      in
      cost
      here
      except
     
     
      caring.
      It
      is,
      again,
      about
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      respect
      and
      concern
      for
     
     
      the
      social,
      and
      physical
     
     
      welfare
      of
      your
      athletes
     
     
      that
      is,
      apparently,
      not
     
     
      being
      shown.
      Once
      this
     
     
      respect
      is
      felt
      by
      the
     
     
      athletes
      they
      cannot
      help
     
     
      but
      feel
      a
      sense
      of
      pride
      in
     
     
      the
      jersey
      they
      are
      wear-
     
     
      ing.
      A
      member
      of
      the
     
     
      basketball
      team
      described
     
     
      the
      feeling
      of
      putting
      on
     
     
      the
      Panther
      jersey
      for
      the
     
     
      first
      time,
      and
      the
      chills
     
     
      that
      came
      with
      it.
      Those
     
     
      chills
      are
      gone
      now,
      and
     
     
      so,
      it
      would
      seem
      is
      the
     
     
      pride.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Coaching
      at
      UPEI
      is
      done
     
     
      either
      ona
      voluntary
      basis
     
     
      or
      paid
      in
      a
      part
      time
     
     
      manner.
      These
      people
     
     
      provide
      the
      most
      essential
     
     
      commodity
      ofall
      -
      their
     
    
   
   
    
     
      time.
      Usually
      it
      is
      over
      and
     
     
      above
      the
      call
      of
      duty.
      But
     
     
      coaches
      here
      have
      to
     
     
      worry
      more
      about
      than
     
     
      their
      teams
      we
      found
      out.
     
     
      They
      take
      on
      a
      myriad
      of
     
     
      responsibilities
      that
      in-
     
     
      cludes
      things
      like
      organiz-
     
     
      ing
      community
      service
      and
     
     
      preparing
      varied
      informa-
     
     
      tion
      for
      distribution
      instead
     
     
      of
      being
      concerned
      about
     
     
      X’s
      and
      O’s.
      These
     
     
      people’s
      jobs
      are
      not
      easy
     
     
      in
      themselves
      and
      when
     
     
      other
      responsibilities
      are
     
     
      added,
      it
      becomes
      more
     
     
      time
      consuming.
      One
      thing
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      came
      out
      was
      the
     
     
      utilizing
      of
      resources
      that
     
     
      presently
      exist.
      The
      exist-
     
     
      ing
      structure
      in
      the
      AD
      has
     
     
      more
      than
      enough
      room
      to
     
     
      provide
      coaches
      with
      the
     
     
      necessary
      support.
      The
     
     
      coaches
      receive
      respect
     
     
      from
      their
      players
      in
      so
     
     
      much
      as
      the
      players
      know
     
     
      that
      these
      people
      are
     
     
      essentially
      working
      two
      full
     
     
      time
      jobs.
      Asa
      basketball
     
     
      team
      member
      put
      it
      :
     
    

    
     
      “The
      biggest
      problem
      is
     
     
      the
      lack
      of
      full
      time
     
     
      coaches,
      I
      know
      our
     
     
      hockey
      teams
      is
      probably
     
     
      the
      only
      one
      in
      the
     
     
      country
      that
      has
      a
      part-
     
     
      time
      coach.
      In
      basket-
     
     
      ball,
      UPEI
      and
      Memo-
     
     
      rial
      are
      the
      only
      schools
     
     
      without
      a
      full
      time
     
     
      coach.
      How
      can
      you
     
     
      expect
      to
      win,
      to
      com-
     
     
      pete
      when
      the
      coaches
     
     
      have
      full-time
      jobs,
     
     
      outside
      the
      university?
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Because
      they
      [the
     
     
      coaches]
      can’t
      put
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      same
      kind
      of
      time
      into
     
     
      coaching,
      and
      recruiting,
     
     
      they
      will
      eventually
      get
     
     
      burned
      out.”
     
    

    
     
      Coaching
      at
      the
     
     
      Varsity
      level
      is
      about
      much
     
     
      more
      than
      game
      control.
     
     
      [tis
      about
      recruiting,
      being
     
     
      a
      prominent
      member
      of
     
     
      the
      high
      school
      athletic
     
     
      community
      and
      being
     
     
      available
      for
      players
     
     
      outside
      the
      allotted
      prac-
      -
     
     
      tice
      times.
      A
      four
      year
     
     
      starter
      on
      the
      St.
      Francis
     
     
      Xavier
      football
      team,
      and
     
     
      now
      a
      student
      at
      UPEI,
     
     
      was
      astounded
      at
      the
      lack
     
     
      of
      full
      time
      coaches:
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “The
      best
      part,
      at
      X,
     
     
      was
      going
      to
      see
      the
     
     
      coaches
      on
      off
      days,
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Forum
     
     
      continued
      on
      page
      6
     
    
   
   
    
     
      BZenzrmonmn
      i
      en
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ah