As local businesses, schools and social gatherings face cancellations in response to the COVID-10 pandemic, major sports organizations have also been braving turbulent changes.
The four major national sports in North America — basketball, baseball, hockey and football — have all been greatly affected by the virus. The original plan was to have games continue, but not allow fans or unnecessary personnel near games.
In theory, this was a great idea; it would have allowed for play to continue and the multi-billion dollar industry to continue creating some revenue, such as through television ads. However, when the first pro athlete, Rudy Gobert, the center for the Utah Jazz, contracted the virus, this idea went out the window along with any hope of play to continue. After the NBA cancelled games, the rest of the sports world soon followed suit.
As the days progress, more professional athletes are testing positive for COVID-19. This has been attributed to athletes' consistent travels from city to city for games and practices, which makes them more susceptible to contracting the virus and spreading it.
It has been suggested that the best way to mitigate exposure and transmission of the virus is for athletes to restrict travel and self-quarantine.
When I read the reports of the National Basketball Association postponing its season for a minimum of 30 days, subject to change depending on the future state of the virus, and the National College Athletics Association ending all of its national tournaments for the year, I wondered how this may affect Canadian university sports. As updates and articles shared information about major sports leagues, the Ontario University Athletics and U Sports had yet to release statements on how they were going to factor the coronavirus into their decision-making.
University and college cancellations across Ontario began on March 12 and 13 with Western University, McMaster University, Mohawk College and others cancelling in-person classes and student events for the remainder of the semester. The U Sports association then followed suit, cancelling that weekends’ scheduled national championships in volleyball and hockey, but continuing with the curling championships.
U Sports’ championships require competing varsity teams to travel to chosen host locations. The volleyball championship was set to take place in Winnipeg and Calgary over the weekend of March 14 to 16 and the hockey championships to take place in Halifax and Charlottetown over that same weekend.
Both of these tournaments were expecting teams from across the country to attend, from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island. This potentially heightened the risk of spreading the virus. To limit the spread of COVID-19, Canadians have been advised to avoid international non-essential travel; while the travel measures announced on March 16 did not include domestic flights, the situation is continuously changing from day to day. Recently, airlines such as Air Canada began suspending domestic flights.
This begs the question of why the U Sports National Championships for curling were not cancelled. This tournament involved universities from all over the country such as McMaster University, University of Dalhousie and the University of Alberta, and took place the very same weekend as the aforementioned volleyball and hockey tournaments.
At the time of writing this article, U Sports had yet to post any material on their social media to answer those questions or comment on why they made contradictory decisions to cancel volleyball and hockey tournaments, while continuing the curling championships.
After having reached out to U Sports for a statement, John Bower of U Sports stated that the curling championships had been in line with government regulations at the time.
“The total number of participants in the Curling championship was inferior to the 250 established by the Government of Manitoba on Thursday and therefore was allowed by the Province to continue and had begun prior to the cancellation of the hockey and volleyball championships,” said Bower.
It is important to keep in mind that the volleyball championships, which were also planned to take place in Manitoba, and the hockey championships in Prince Edward Island were cancelled.
The following was the response to my questions about their tournament handlings:
As stated by Bower from U Sports.
While these precautions seemed to be adequate at the time of the curling tournament’s start date on March 10, the tournament would go on to see play for another five days. All the players and potential companions travelled in and out of the province over this time.
The representative from U Sports said that Curling Canada was able to guarantee a safe and secure environment for the curling championships to take place. As we have seen the pandemic continue to spread, it seems that it would have been very difficult to guarantee anything. The tournament should have been shut down.
The U Sports national championships was not alone in the building. The event coincided with the Senior Men’s and Women’s Championships, the Canad Inns Canadian Mixed Doubles Championships and the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA)/Curling Canada Championships.
The amount of people at any given time in the arena might have been under the mandated 250 person limit, but this limit became quickly outdated as the Centre for Disease Control lowered the limit to no more than 50 people just one day after the tournament finished on March 16. Considering the curling teams, general fans and family members that were in attendance, it is unlikely that this limit was adhered to during the tournament.
The first red flag was that this tournament was continued while the other national tournaments were cancelled. The second red flag was that there was no postponing or cancelling as the tournament progressed. Just as COVID-19 spread across the country, the red flags spread across this event.
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The big question going into the men’s volleyball semi-final match was whether or not the Queen’s University Gaels would topple the McMaster Marauders for the second year in a row. Having previously bested them in last year's Forsyth Cup, everyone was wondering how this year's semi-final matchup would go.
Last year's loss was very close, with the Marauders almost pulling away with the win. There were plenty of chances for McMaster to come back, but they ultimately fell short and had their six-year win streak taken down.
Last year's loss was very close, with the Marauders almost pulling away with the win. There were plenty of chances for McMaster to come back, but they ultimately fell short and had their six-year win streak taken down.
When the tournament was set with McMaster gaining home-court advantage after blowing out the Nippissing Lakers, everyone’s ears perked up when word spread that they would be taking on the Gaels at home.
This gave McMaster a massive advantage, playing in front of a lively Burridge Gym gave the impression that Mac would undoubtedly have the upper hand. At first, it looked like they did.
McMaster went into the first set blazing hot and fought off a strong Queen’s effort to seal off a close win at 25-23. Queen’s, however, was not going to stay in the losing column for long. After falling in the first set by a small margin, they entered the second with determination.
McMaster went into the first set blazing hot and fought off a strong Queen’s effort to seal off a close win at 25-23. Queen’s, however, was not going to stay in the losing column for long. After falling in the first set by a small margin, they entered the second with determination.
Queen’s would go on to win the next two sets with a blazing offence. They won the second set 25-17 and the third set 25-18. Even in the face of these strong performances and being one set away from securing their spot at the finals, McMaster wasn’t going down without a fight.
McMaster won the next set, but it was a hard-fought battle. Mac gave everything they could to get to a 26-24 win, leaving the match tied in set victories. This led the teams to a dramatic tie-breaker set, where the first team to 15 would advance forward and claim the win.
Queen’s quickly pulled up in front with five straight points. Unfortunately, their early lead was a preview of how the rest of the set was going to go. McMaster fell in a really close match, leading them to play in the bronze medal game against the University of Guelph Gryphons.
This match may have held more significance than the Queen’s rematch. Whoever won the bronze would have been given the last chance at a USports National championship run.
In the bronze medal match, which took place March 7, the Marauders had something to prove—and boy did they do just that. They swept the Gryphons in three straight sets, claiming the bronze medal and a trip to the U Sports national championship. Unfortunately, following recent public health regulations amidst growing coronavirus concerns, the national championship has been cancelled.
In the bronze medal match, which took place March 7, the Marauders had something to prove—and boy did they do just that. They swept the Gryphons in three straight sets, claiming the bronze medal and a trip to the U Sports national championship. Unfortunately, following recent public health regulations amidst growing coronavirus concerns, the national championship has been cancelled.
Official statement on the 2020 U SPORTS Volleyball Championships. pic.twitter.com/Uojzxxqp4E
— U SPORTS (@USPORTSca) March 13, 2020
Had the Marauders run into Queen’s again during nationals, the matchup could have easily developed into one of the most interesting storylines of the tournament.
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McMaster has seen a few famous graduates walk through its halls. From Eugene Levy to Martin Short, who have both moved onto great success on the big and small screens, it’s safe to say Mac has had some notable alumni. One of those individuals is the anchor for The Sports Network: Lindsay Hamilton.
On March 5, McMaster athletics and recreation held a talk where many prominent women in sports came to speak about challenges women are facing in sports leadership today. Among those invited was Hamilton, who I sat down with to interview.
Hamilton was a graduate of the class of 2014 and by the time she graduated was already primed for success in broadcasting. Throughout her time at McMaster, not only was she a student, but she was also a varsity athlete for the lacrosse team, a presenter for a weekly sports show on 93.3 CFMU and a host on the Family channel.
“I've always been someone who is really driven and I worked really hard at university. I think putting in the work then allowed me to have a platform after university to bounce off of,” said Hamilton.
Hamilton certainly had her plate full during her undergrad, but this never stopped her from wanting more. She credits her success to the support of her family, her strong work ethic and determination. Hamilton also touched on how being so involved at school was a big factor in learning how to take advantage of every opportunity that she could.
Reaching for the stars and already having a strong portfolio in television hosting, Hamilton looked to focus on sports broadcasting once she graduated. She got some of her first breaks covering the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup in 2012 and officially joined Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment in 2014. The MLSE owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and many other prominent Toronto sports teams.
Reaching for the stars and already having a strong portfolio in television hosting, Hamilton looked to focus on sports broadcasting once she graduated. She got some of her first breaks covering the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup in 2012 and officially joined Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment in 2014. The MLSE owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and many other prominent Toronto sports teams.
After joining the MLSE, Hamilton’s resume grew and so did her screen presence. She is now on the desk as an anchor at The Sports Network for SportsCentre and representing an ever-growing and diverse presence of women in sports media.
TSN's talent roster is still overwhelmingly male-dominated, but the number of women anchors, hosts and analysts have grown a great deal over the past ten years.
It is no secret that journalism and broadcasting was traditionally a “boys club”, but TSN is making a change and regularly sees two women leading broadcasts during primetime morning recaps, Raptors and Leafs games. This is one example of the trend in normalization of women leading broadcasts in sports, something that seemed to be a pipe dream in the early 2000s.
The presence of women in sports is ever-growing. For example, Doris Burke, a National Basketball Association analyst, is heralded as one of the best broadcasters in the sport of basketball and the NBA is set to see an increasing number of women in positions of power.
Masai Ujiri, the president of basketball operations for the Toronto Raptors, has hired over 14 women to be on staff, ranging from coaching to marketing within the organization, more than any other team in the league. And he credits a good portion of the Raptors’ success to the diversity within his staff.
Not only are teams and broadcast networks hiring more females, but the NBA is rumoured to soon be the first organization to ever have a female head coach within the four majors: football, basketball, hockey and baseball. Becky Hammon has already coached a summer league team, being the first female summer league head coach in the NBA in 2015. Hammon seems to be on the path to take over a regular-season team of her own, with analysts and journalists speculating she could end up as head coach of the Brooklyn Nets.
“As women, we’ve definitely come a long way. But we can’t be complacent. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Try new things, seek a mentor. Know that there is such a great community of women who are willing to support you,” Hamilton remarked at the Women in Sport Leadership panel discussion.
“As women, we’ve definitely come a long way. But we can’t be complacent. Push yourself out of your comfort zone. Try new things, seek a mentor. Know that there is such a great community of women who are willing to support you,” Hamilton remarked at the Women in Sport Leadership panel discussion.
The importance of a mentor was another point which Hamilton emphasized. Building networks and having figures you look up to can benefit anyone. She suggested taking five figures who you admire for different reasons and emulating those traits.
She says the experience she was able to gather at McMaster was a major factor in perfecting her craft. The shows she produced for MacTV, 93.3 CFMU and her experience at local radio stations through her work study class were crucial in her development as a broadcaster. She could not stress enough how students should take advantage of all the opportunities that are provided on campus.
She says the experience she was able to gather at McMaster was a major factor in perfecting her craft. The shows she produced for MacTV, 93.3 CFMU and her experience at local radio stations through her work study class were crucial in her development as a broadcaster. She could not stress enough how students should take advantage of all the opportunities that are provided on campus.
“I think for me, and this is advice I often give to students these days, is that there are so many resources available to you in university to take advantage of. Don't wait until you've graduated to get work experience,” Hamilton remarked.
Hamilton is a prime example of a new wave in sports, where womens’ presence is long overdue. She worked hard and aimed for the stars, and now she is one. Being a McMaster grad myself, this definitely hit home. Speaking with her was like looking into the pool of potential that the university population has. There are so many talented individuals at 1280 Main St. W. and speaking to an extremely well established graduate was not only inspirational for myself, but I hope for you as well.
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The Ontario University Athletics badminton championship took place the weekend of Feb. 28 to March 1, hosted by the University of Toronto. While U of T took home their fifth consecutive title, and Bethany So of the Varsity Blues took home the tournament’s award for women’s Most Valuable Player, the McMaster Marauders yielded a fifth-place finish after a victory against the Ryerson University Rams.
There were a total of eleven universities participating in the event, with McMaster scheduled to play three of them before potentially entering the playoff rounds. The Marauders took two of the three games, beating Guelph and Ontario Tech, but losing to Western.
Talia Ng, one of McMaster’s great athletes, played in the championships. Ng was named an OUA all-star after the tournament’s end. Her strong performances also earned her the title of Pinks Burgers’ female athlete of the week.
Talia Ng, one of McMaster’s great athletes, played in the championships. Ng was named an OUA all-star after the tournament’s end. Her strong performances also earned her the title of Pinks Burgers’ female athlete of the week.
“I feel incredibly honoured and grateful to have earned all these achievements,” said Ng. "All my hard work and sacrifices have paid off and I now know that I can really achieve whatever I put my mind to!”
Ng is no stranger to high-level achievements. In 2019, she was named the female athlete of the year by Badminton Canada. She is a great addition to McMaster’s badminton team, especially considering that she is only in her first year. After the Marauders’ fifth-place OUA finish, their future looks bright with such a young star on the team. Ng hopes to continue improving her time management skills, considering it crucial to both her academic and athletic success.
“In the future, I am hoping to continue what I am doing now: balancing academics and badminton at the same time. During the first semester, I really struggled with balancing the two, considering I am in the Life Sciences program, which is quite difficult and busy. By learning from my mistakes, I have learned how to manage my time and prioritize,” said Ng.
Despite a strong fifth-place finish in the OUA championships, Ng is confident the team is capable of more. She remains hungry for next season.
Despite a strong fifth-place finish in the OUA championships, Ng is confident the team is capable of more. She remains hungry for next season.
“Although I think we could have placed higher, I am still proud of our team’s achievement. All the ties we lost were very close and I know we could have taken those teams down,” said Ng.
She credits the work of her teammates, explaining the difficulty of their training. The team is never afraid of working hard and it clearly shows in their practice schedules.
“Everyone on the team has trained hard throughout the season and has improved a lot. I am also impressed by every one of my teammate’s commitment and dedication to the team; waking up at six am three days a week for practice is not easy. I can’t wait to train with the team again next year and compete at OUAs again!” said Ng.
Looking back at the program’s history, the only McMaster badminton title came from the women's team in the 1977-1978 season. Since 1996, men and women have competed in one category. With such a drought, any sense of promise can bring excitement to these teams. After a second-place finish last year, a fifth-place finish might have seemed underwhelming, but McMaster is currently known for its young talent, which could propel the team to some great results very soon. Building experience for these players is crucial for their development and could lead to a McMaster powerhouse that could achieve what past teams did not.
Despite being known as a relatively strong school for badminton, the Marauders have been unable to bring a badminton championship home year after year, for the past 52 years. Hopefully, a new crop of players will be able to fill in the gaps and make a run in the upcoming seasons. This is definitely a team to keep your eye on in the future.
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Reading week is a time for catching up. Whether studying or on Netflix, hopefully you spent your reading week well—the Marauders sure did. Some of the highlights include several U Sports championships, dominant regular season performances and playoff berths being secured over reading week. Here is what you missed:
Men’s Volleyball
The men’s volleyball team has been on a tear as of late, notching their 13th straight win as they progress to 15-1 on the season. The Western University Mustangs stood no chance on Feb. 21 as they were swept in straight sets. The only time the Mustangs had a glimpse of a win was in the second set, where they lost by only two points. Other than that the Marauders won every other set by at least six points.
Some of the top performers were box score regulars Craig Ireland, Nathan Delguidice and Matt Passalent. Ireland lead the team with 15 kills, an ace and a block to end of the day with the W. The Marauders are currently sitting at a staggering .938 winning percentage on the season so far.
They took on the Windsor Lancers on Feb. 22 and came off with additional win before heading to the Forsyth Cup, the OUA quarter finals. The team has built up an impressive 14 game winning momentum that will hopefully lead to an ace of a performance during the quickly approaching playoffs.
Basketball
The basketball championship run has started. Both the men’s and women’s teams have entered the first round of the playoffs.
The men’s team took over Burridge as the Brock University Badgers desperately tried to hold onto their playoff hopes. However, the Marauders had an immense defensive stand in the second quarter, holding Brock to only nine points, helping McMaster widen a gap that the Badgers could not fill. The Marauders are now on their way to our national capital to take on the Carleton Ravens in the next round of the playoffs.
The women’s team also clinched a quarterfinal appearance as they toppled the University of Guelph Gryphons in the first round of the OUA playoffs. Mac was a favourite coming into the season, as they are coming off a national championship win. With the last regular season win against an incredibly tough Ottawa University Gee-Gee’s team, the Marauders entered the post-season with strong momentum to take over the first round against the Gryphons. The grey and maroon headed to London to take on the University of Western Mustangs in the next round.
Unfortunately both the Marauders and the Mustangs lost in the OUA quarterfinals, putting an unfortunate end to an otherwise impressive showing by both squads.
[pjc_slideshow slide_type="what-you-missed-in-sports"]
U Sports Championships
The men’s and women’s wrestling squads were heading into the U Sports national championships hot after having completed an impressive showing at the OUA championships.
Ben Zahra was the man to watch going into the tournament as he was McMaster’s most competitive force at OUA Championships, winning the gold medal and accolade of the year’s best wrestler. As he entered into the total match, Marauders were on the edge of their seats as the match was tight all the way through.
Unfortunately, the decision was a close loss to Concordia’s Guseyn Ruslanzada with 5-4 as the final judge decision. This close match was not uncommon for Zahra, as he has regularly taken on the nation’s top talents and fought until the bitter end. His Silver medal at nationals is still an immense accomplishment.
There were another three medals won on the weekend, with Connor Quinton and Ameen Agdhamirian also coming away with silvers in their respective weight classes. The last medalist on the day was second-year wrestler Francesco Fortino who grabbed a bronze medal in the 57kg weight class.
Fortino looks to be the bright future of the program as he absolutely dominated his opponent with a 10-0 victory over Harris Valdes of the Alberta Golden Bears. Being only in his second year and delivering a powerful performance at nationals bodes very well for his future in the grey and maroon.
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If you’ve ever read Mac Confessions, you’d know that sometimes students can have a tough time balancing their full-time load, but when you add a couple of hours of practice per day, things can get particularly spicy. Not only do student athletes deal with the typical difficulties of being in university, but they also devote large amounts of time and effort to their teams in order to continue performing at high levels.
However, playing sports at a university level isn’t all work and no play; it has its benefits. Being able to access high-level physical training, connect with teammates and develop a social network early on in university are just some of the perks that come with the lifestyle. Being a part of a university sports team can also develop many life skills, such as understanding commitment, organization, time management and teamwork.
However, playing sports at a university level isn’t all work and no play; it has its benefits. Being able to access high-level physical training, connect with teammates and develop a social network early on in university are just some of the perks that come with the lifestyle. Being a part of a university sports team can also develop many life skills, such as understanding commitment, organization, time management and teamwork.
With that being said, no one can understand the student athlete experience more than, well, the athletes themselves. For that reason, we sat down with Holly Connor, a first year student on the women’s water polo team; Andrew Davies, a second year student on the men’s cross country/track team and Brandon Chong, a fourth year student on the men’s baseball team. They shared how their lives are different from regular students, how they deal with their struggles and what they’ve learned from their experiences.
As a first year student, Holly Connor just went through a major transition from high school to university-level sports.
“At the very beginning of the year when everything was so new, it was difficult, but once you get into the groove of it, it worked out better,” said Connor.
Despite the time management struggles, Connor does not regret her decision to play university-level water polo, as it has its upsides.
“Playing the sport itself helped me in so many different ways. I made so many friends through it, some of my best friends. [Waterpolo] helped me in my health because I was initially very concerned about eating habits and my exercise I’d be able to get while transitioning into university, and it really helped me stay on top of it. It was also really nice to have that outlet to go and relax and not have to think about school all the time,” said Connor.
Athletes like Connor love the opportunity to play their sport and work on their craft. They take on the mentality of getting to go to practice, rather than having to go to practice. Practices and games are a release for athletes like her. Not only do they act as breaks, but they help maintain physical health while in the company of teammates and friends. Chong has had a similar experience as Conner.
“You take your mind off school, you get to hang out with your teammates and play baseball. They always like to have fun, so it gave me a place to take my mind off school. A release for me,” said Chong.
One of the most important parts of a team is of course, its teammates. The bond between the players on the roster is so much deeper than just being on the team together. Relationships that stem from these teams can be extremely helpful for new students coming in.
“A lot of my teammates are in the same program that I’m in, and all took the same classes, so it was really nice to be able to get together and do some work together,” said Connor. “It worked really well having that unit, who I not only spent all my time in the pool, but also spent a lot of time outside, getting to know them.”
“A lot of my teammates are in the same program that I’m in, and all took the same classes, so it was really nice to be able to get together and do some work together,” said Connor. “It worked really well having that unit, who I not only spent all my time in the pool, but also spent a lot of time outside, getting to know them.”
Davies also touched on the academic benefits of having teammates, saying, “There’s definitely some people on that team that are good for advice, who have done it before and are really good role models to follow in school and an athletic sense.”
Being a second year student, Davies has picked the brains of upper year students, which made his transition much easier. Despite not being in the same program as his teammates, Davies still experienced significant benefits from the mentorship provided by his teammates. They helped him transition into university sports, assisting him with the ins and outs of time management.
Time management is critical for student athletes.
“We practice three days a week, then weekends are just double headers each day (during the season), so probably about 24 hours a week maybe. Sometimes you just fall behind because it’s a lot of hours. It’s very hard to balance, but it’s doable,” Chong said.
The support system of coaches and fellow teammates helps ease the struggle of time management.
“I would say to know your schedule and your workload and everything,” said Chong. “If you need help, talk to someone, a teammate, talk to a coach, say that you’re stressed out about something. Let him know, he’ll understand. Just make sure you have a good scheduling system for yourself.”
Chong mentioned that being a part of the team significantly improved his leadership and time management, which are critical life-long skills.
The busiest time of the year for these athletes, of course, is the regular season. Currently, all three athletes are in the midst of their off-season, but that doesn’t mean they have it easy. The off-season grind can be as strenuous as the regular season.
“Practices are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday,” said Connor. “We have to keep up with our diets, and make sure we are eating enough. The off-season is from mid-December to June, and it is the same practice schedule. However, we are less focused on skills that would apply right away, rather long-term techniques. It’s still the same amount of practicing, so it still affects me in similar ways that it did previously, but now I have better abilities to cope with that. In the summer, we have workout programs that we are supposed to do on our own, where we focus on strength and cardio training.”
According to Davis, when it comes to the off-season for cross country and track, things get a little different. Davies has to deal with longer seasons, competing during the majority of the school year, so training intensity stays up there fall and winter terms, meaning he does not get to slow down and take a break from his heavy schedule.
“We have both cross country, and track seasons, we are competing almost the whole school year. We train right from the start of the semester, up until near the last few weeks. We have competitions going throughout the year,” Davies said.
All three athletes feel that although student athlete life can be challenging, the positives outweigh the negatives. Being able to make friends through their team, receive advice from upper years and develop life skills are why they would recommend sports to future students.
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The gym can be intimidating, especially if you are a member of the recently initiated “new year, new me” group. With complicated machines, large humans screaming as they lift superhuman levels of weights, and of course, the physical barrier of getting over the initial gym hump, it is difficult to start working out. If you are a new gym goer or a beginner in the world of exercise, it may be comforting to know that there are people who want to help you achieve your goals in mental and physical health.
There are tons of resources at McMaster, along with other community recreation centres, that can help you stay on top of those fitness and health goals. If you have ever signed up for a gym membership, you may have gotten lost in the plethora of open activities, exercise classes, bootcamps and workout plans that were available. We’re here to break down the benefits of each so you can find what would be best for you.
Drop-in sports
Let's talk about ways to exercise that don’t even involve the gym in a traditional sense. Your local gym has much more to offer than cardio decks and weights. Take McMaster’s David Braley Athletic Centre as an example, which holds so many more exercise opportunities than just weights and treadmills.
You can find drop-in sports opportunities at DBAC and other local recreation centres. Drop-in sports require no commitment, offer free equipment and allow you to play with others who may have similar interests. Drop-in sports don’t feel like exercise, at least not in the same way that lifting weights would. And yet, they are a perfect way to get moving. This could be a great option if you feel like spending time at the gym is a drag, a game of pick-up will pass by quicker than you think. If you enjoy being in groups and don’t enjoy exercising alone, the social aspect of drop-in sports would also be a plus for you.
“Drop-in sports provide a much-needed enjoyment when it comes to exercise. Games allow us to work harder and longer without the need for mental resiliency towards exercise“, Ben Bahrami, the Coordinator of McMaster Athletics strength and conditioning, remarked.
DBAC offers a range of drop-in classes, from basketball to badminton. Even though starting a new sport can be intimidating, everyone starts somewhere. As they say, practice makes perfect.
The McMaster Recreation app, available on the App Store and Google play, has all of the openings for drop-in basketball, volleyball, badminton and more.
Do something different
As shown on the McMaster Recreation app, there are other ways to engage muscles that you may not use in your everyday life and train your physical health. This includes recreational swimming at the pool in DBAC. The weekly schedule includes specific times for women only and men only, along with different times for shallow end and deep end swimming.
Water running is also offered in the pool schedule. Not only is this a great exercise to build runner-like endurance and strength, but it can also help the healing process of rehabilitation for certain fractures or damaged muscles. This is a workout that can maintain your fitness while avoiding stress on your joints that often comes from heavy weightlifting or running. DBAC has allotted times for deep end water running in their pool on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM. There are certain injuries and cases where water running may not be well-suited for you, which is why we recommend calling DBAC in advance before you try this.
DBAC’s climbing wall within The Pulse has open hours between 4 PM and 10 PM on most days of the week. With a climbing wall, you have many opportunities to go at your own pace and challenge yourself when you feel ready. You could easily do this alone or with a group, and it could also be a chance to get used to the gym environment if you want to be more comfortable with being in The Pulse. With climbing, every move will likely feel slightly different. You will engage multiple muscles and parts of your body at once, without the repetitive nature of lifting or swimming. Because McMaster’s climbing wall is right in The Pulse, you could also incorporate climbing into your workout to add some diversity to strength or cardio training.
Get outside
We are lucky to have a campus that has a variety of hiking trails in its backyard — why not use them? Using the outdoor environment as your gym allows you to breathe freely and escape the stuffy gym air.
“Hiking provides a great aerobic stimulus on uneven ground, which helps promote hip health and fight against back pain, while there are documented mental health benefits of spending time outside getting fresh air and vitamin D,” said Bahrami.
Using the environment as your gym, as Bahrami said, is not only great for the body but it is also powerful for the mind.
Go to the gym
One of the more obvious forms of exercise is in the traditional gym. A traditional gym gives you the ability to create and follow your own workout plans and take advantage of a variety of different machines. With the help of a personal trainer, you can learn new exercises and proper form to prevent injury and maximize performance.
Since there are so many types of exercises you can do with free weights alone, a gym membership can be the best way to meet your personalized goals. It is also easier than it seems. The staff at gyms, especially personal trainers, are more than happy to help you do a workout plan or correct your form. At McMaster specifically, the personal trainers are mostly students. It may be easier to ask them for help and because of their shared experiences and similarities. If you are starting out, it may be helpful to know that stationary machines, such as rowing machines, are associated with lower risks because they provide more support compared to doing something like a deadlift.
Whether you are brand new to working out at the gym or a consistent member, Bahrami recommends you do a combination of cardiovascular and strength training. Implementing a combination of drop-in sports, climbing, swimming and gym workouts into your week is one way to accomplish this.
“A combination is always best. A healthy cardiovascular stimulus can do tremendous things for the body. Weights also allow us to maintain postural health along with bone density.”
You wouldn’t go into a final exam without studying or reviewing course material and the same principle can be applied to weightlifting. Before pursuing complicated workout plans or pushing yourself with heavy weights, it is important to build a strong muscular foundation to support you. As many say, you cannot build a house without a foundation.
Bahrami recommends that you start off with exercises that reverse the negative effects of poor sitting posture in your everyday life to strengthen key muscles which aren’t typically used on a day to day basis.
Some beginner exercises that Bahrami recommends include glute bridges, split squats, deadbugs and side planks. These exercises focus on building up core strength and key muscle groups like the back, chest and legs.
Many in the weightlifting community say that the best way for a beginner to start is by mastering the three main compound lifts: bench press, squat and deadlift. However, Bahrami remarked that these exercises can be dangerous if not performed properly. With that being said, beginners can still attempt them — but they should build up to them and seek guidance from a fitness professional in order to reduce the risk of injury.
There are clearly many ways to stay healthy, exercise and live an active lifestyle. Whether you are looking to continue those new year resolutions or just get going on one, you have many options available to you at McMaster. As Bahrami noted, there are exercises for everyone, and there is no superior way to be working out.
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Banner season is in full effect with the second weekend in a row of Ontario University Athletics championships. While wrestling had their chance last week, this week was the McMaster Swimming program’s turn to bring home some medals. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues having dominated the year prior, leaving the Championships with multiple banners. This year, the question remained, have they still got it? The marauders looked to challenge the reigning title holders and compete for the number one position. Coming off a strong divisional sweep of the OUA Debray division in the divisional championships, the maroon and grey had good reason to be positive and were hungry to win the OUA championship.
In late November during the Debray division championship, the marauders had a tremendous showing, gaining 49 individual medals and ten spots on top of the podium. This led them to win both the men’s and women’s banners for the OUA Debray division and stack the rafters. Having such strong showings in the last major OUA tournament gave the swim team a lot of confidence going into the OUA championship.
By the end of day one on Feb. 6, it seemed like the Varsity blues were going to defend their champion status with both their men’s and women’s teams on top of the standings. Even with UofT’s day one dominance, McMaster was no slouch. Not only did they come away with medal performances on day one, but our women’s team placed second and the men’s placed third in overall standings.
After a strong showing on day one, day two was marked by a women’s takeover with the marauders earning hardware in a total of five events. They received four bronze medals and a silver to cap off day two action. Unfortunately, this hot streak was not enough to hold onto second place. They fell to third as the University of Toronto stayed red hot and increased their lead by 238 points. We then saw the Western Mustangs propel over McMaster to second place. This left McMaster and Western in an arms race for second overall at the tournament as there is no chance at catching the defending champions on day two, Feb. 7.
Mac has a fighting chance at beating Western because the men's team was only three points behind and the women's team 24 points. However the marauders did pull away with quite a few grabs at the podium on day one with a total of three medals. Cameron Johnsen received a silver for his efforts in the 100m breaststroke, Mike Dereviankin, James Potma, Louis Sharland and Kevin Bagnell received a bronze for 200m freestyle relay and Ian Mackinnon placed with a bronze in the 200m freestyle.
The men’s team collected two total medals on day two, a bronze and a silver which ultimately lead them to remain in third overall. They were three points behind the second place Waterloo Warriors.
What was said for the women’s division is also true for the men’s, as the University of Toronto is a tidal wave in the pool. They are blowing out the competition in men’s as well, as they held their lead of 314.5 points in first place. The powerhouse that is the Varsity Blues leaves teams fighting for a shot at second and third place as first is out of the question.
At the end of the tournament McMaster was unable to bring a banner home. The University of Toronto swept both banners for the seventh time in a row leaving McMaster without the title. However, McMaster came back to Hamilton with several individual awards with Grey Fairley earning the award of coach of the year for leading the team through a strong season and just falling shy of the podium at provincials. Another notable award was Mitchell Muizelaar being acknowledged for his strong efforts all year with an OUA award of distinction.
It was another strong year for McMaster swimming but unfortunately your marauders fell short of the banner for another year.
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With the recent wave of influencers and viral fitness personalities, the world is slowly being taken over by fitness communities. With the gym-going population growing, those looking for alternatives to traditional workouts are always keeping their eyes peeled. From shake weights as seen on TV to Crossfit expanding through worldwide competitions, fitness crazes are coming and going, with some being more permanent than others. While plyometrics, calisthenics and other bodyweight exercises are not new in any way, one of the quickly growing ways to workout is through pole fitness, an acrobatic full body workout.
Allure Fitness Inc. opened in 2009 with the mission of creating a safe space purely for women to exercise freely at any fitness level. Specifically, their pole studio offers a challenge that is unavailable in community gyms or classes.
Mural inside the Allure Fitness space. Photo by Cindy Cui / Photo Editor
“Being a woman is challenging, because there are so many conflicting expectations put on us . . . This is a space for the exact opposite of that. We want women to do what feels best for them, and to walk out of our studio with their heads held high and feeling better than when they walked in,” said Michelle Kriedemann, owner of Allure Fitness Inc.
Kriedemann focused on ensuring that her studio served as a safe space that was focused on health and uplifting clientele. Part of Allure’s appeal is its focus on inclusivity — taking extra effort to make sure no matter what your current life situation is, you feel like you belong.
“Allure is a space that welcomes women of all shapes, sizes, ages and fitness levels and a mission of taking the work out of your workout. We have friendly staff and instructors and small sized classes so we can provide you with personal attention and ensure that you are getting the most out of your exercises,” said Kriedemann.
The Allure Fitness space advertising courses and athletic clothing. Photo by Cindy Cui / Photo Editor
Pole dancing is a great alternative from traditional workouts and the payoff is a very rewarding form of exercise. The activity utilizes every muscle in your body, allowing you to control your movement and challenge your coordination and flexibility. The ability to use body weight and acrobatics provides a full body workout since you are mostly using muscle groups that you would have to individually focus on at a conventional gym.
Although this alternative style of exercise has many pros, the stigma surrounding pole fitness leads many people to unfairly link the activity to stripping and erotic dancing. Kriedemann hopes that this does not deter people from enrolling in classes. Once people get involved, the barriers around pole dancing often break down.
“The simplest thing that I can say about it is that the negative connotation and stigma that surrounds all things pole comes from fear and a lack of knowledge,” said Kriedemann.
Allure Fitness has expanded and evolved into a well rounded fitness studio in Hamilton. Part of Allure’s rise in popularity is due to the variety of different classes they offer, which are not confined to pole-focused fitness. For example, they offer seven levels of “Aerial Hoop”, where each class includes a full body workout and a chance to work on hoop skills. They also offer various classes that target specific muscle groups, such as “Extreme Abs”, for those who want to pursue classes similar to what they may see at gyms, but in a safe and women’s only space.
Participants at an Allure Fitness class doing exercises. Photo by Cindy Cui / Photo Editor
“Pole is a big part of Allure, it is about 30 percent of what we offer. As I mentioned, we specialize in all of the fun kinds of fitness we can get our hands on at Allure because if you’re enjoying your workouts, you’re going to be inspired to stay on track,” Kriedemann mentioned.
Allure is extremely beginner friendly. Drop-in classes are a great and low commitment way to get started on- work around a flexible schedule. Some of Allure’s highlighted drop-in classes are TNT Ballet & Pilates, Twerk Out, Circus Tease and Glow Yoga. Once you find what speaks to you, you can sign up for their six week commitment courses. Prices range anywhere $20 to $399 depending on the type of classes you take and the length of the program; however, students receive a 10 percent discount with a valid student ID.
One of the common issues with commercial gyms can be the overwhelming environment, from seeing multiple unfamiliar contraptions to the intimidation that comes with large group classes. Smaller studios like Allure Fitness Inc., help to eliminate these difficulties and allow for more one-on-one time with instructors.
Athletic clothing hanging in the Allure Fitness space. Photo by Cindy Cui / Photo Editor.
What do you need to bring for the classes? Comfortable workout clothing, a bottle of water to keep you hydrated and a yoga mat — if you don’t have one, you can rent it from the studio for $2. If you are taking the zumba classes, it’s recommended that you wear clean indoor running shoes; as well as kneepads for twerk out and poleflow. If you’re taking their aerial and suspension classes, leggings or long pants are recommended for comfort.
Allure Fitness Inc., hasn’t lost momentum since it opened 11 years ago, and doesn’t look like it will stop anytime soon. With the wide variety of alternative workout classes catered specifically for women, Allure can provide the alternative for those who hate to go to that big public gym down the street, or for those who are looking to switch up how they work out.
This article is part of our Sex and the Steel City, our annual sex-positive issue. Click here to read more content from the special issue.
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McMasters men’s and women’s wrestling teams went to the Ontario University Athletics Wrestling Championships to compete in Guelph on Feb. 1 and 2. The tournament consisted of ten of the top wrestling programs across Ontario, the Algoma University Thunderbirds, Brock University Badgers, the University of Guelph Gryphons, the Lakehead University Timberwolves, the Queen’s University Gaels, the Ryerson University Rams, the University of Toronto Varsity Blues, the Western University Mustangs, the York University Lions and your own Marauders. With medals on the line, Mcmaster stepped up to the occasion and armlocked the competition, coming home with a respectable haul of hardware.
Even though the championship has been historically dominated by Brock University, the Marauders medaled in eight individual weight categories. The men’s team finished with a total of 66 points, earning them second overall in the tournament. Points are scored by pulling off maneuvers that all have a different weight in the point system. The maroon and grey totalled four bronze, two silvers and two gold medals.
Zahra after he captured gold against Ty Bridgewater of the Brock Badgers. Photo C/O Ligaya Stinellis
For the past five years, Brock University has held the OUA Wrestling Championships banners for best overall performance in men’s and women’s wrestling. This year alone they received ten of the 19 gold medals up for grabs, but with nine left on the table they allowed McMaster to get a few of their own.
Ben Zahra, in the 76 kg weight class, and Ameen Aghamirian, in the 82 kg weight class, were the Marauders draped in gold on Sunday. Zhara’s dominant performance led to him being declared the OUA Male Athlete of the Week on Feb. 3.
Ben Zahra wins gold medal at OUA Wrestling Championships. Photo C/O Ligaya Stinellis.
Previously, Zahra had earned silver for three consecutive years at the tournament, but was never able to break the top of the podium.This year, however, he finally cracked the code and took home gold.
“Placing second for the past three years at OUAs really fuelled me throughout this season. When I was able to come out on top at OUAs this past weekend it really gave me confidence in my training,” said Zahra.
He won three tech falls, outscoring the opponent, in the pool rounds to start the day as he took down Queen’s, Toronto’s, and Algoma’s performers in the 76 kg weight class.
Having performed in the OUA regular season with such dominance, he earned a shot at the title match against the previously undefeated in the OUA regular season Ty Bridgwater of the Brock Badgers dominant wrestling team. The match was a close one as Zahra narrowly won by a margin of eight to five in his favour. On top of this performance, he was honoured with the title of the OUA’s Outstanding Male Wrestler of the year.
Zahra’s unbeaten day and breakthrough performance was a terrific way to end his fourth year in the OUA with the Marauders squad, before potentially heading to Canadian Junior/Senior Championships.
While Zahra delivered one of the more impressive performances, let’s not forget about the other medalists in the men’s category. Francesco Fortino was the bronze winner in the 57 kg weight class. Trystan Kato also took home a bronze medal in the 72 kg weight class. The silver winners were Connor Quinton in the 68 kg weight class and Bradley MaGarrey in the 90 kg weight class.
Simi Jayeoba earns bronze metal. Photo C/O Ligaya Stinellis
Two of the women’s team contenders who earned a bronze medal are Simi Jayeoba within the 63 kg weight class and Joelle Vanderslagt in the 67 kg weight class. It is important to recognize that the women’s team is outnumbered 20 to five by the men’s team, making their two medal mark impressive.
The women’s team ended up with 40 per cent of participants placing with medals and the men’s team finished with 30 per cent of their participants placing with medals. With almost half of the women’s team and just under a third of the men’s team placing on the podium, it is clear that the program has a good shot to continue their success at nationals on Feb. 20-22.
Zahra said, “going into the U Sports Championships I am looking forward to just competing and really leaving it all out there on the mat no matter the result. I’m also looking forward to watching all my teammates compete and show their skills on the national level.”
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