Following the 2020 report, the Black Student Athlete Council provides avenues to foster conversation and encourage McMaster to improve supports for Black athletes
In 2020, a report titled “A Systemic Review of the Black Student-Athlete Experience and the McMaster Athletics Climate” was released, highlighting the issues that Black student athletes, coaches and staff had experienced within the McMaster University Athletics and Recreation department. The report also made recommendations to the department to address these issues, based on numerous interviews with athletes, coaches and staff involved in McMaster Athletics and Recreation.
In October 2020, McMaster released a follow up report titled “Taking Action on the Recommendations In A Systemic Review of the Black Student-Athlete Experience and the McMaster Athletics Climate.” This second report highlighted the main priorities for the university's action plan to address the issues within the department. These priorities included increasing representation within the department, creating a culture of accountability, developing targeted supports, scholarships and advocacy roles as well as mechanisms for training and education.
One of the outlined mechanisms for creating a culture of accountability was the creation of a Black Student Athlete Council. The BSAC is a student-run organization that aims to support student athletes who identify as Black, Indigenous and persons of colour.
"Our main goal is to foster community within the McMaster community and BIPOC athletes. Secondly, and very close to our main goal, is to be the liaison between athletes and the athletics department,” said Osa Olaye, one of BSAC's co-presidents.
Our main goal is to foster community within the McMaster community and BIPOC athletes. Secondly, and very close to our main goal, is to be the liaison between athletes and the athletics department.
Osa Olaye, fourth-year rugby player and co-president of the Black Student-Athlete Council
The council intended to foster discussion between athletes and McMaster, allowing for the needs of BIPOC athletes to be communicated directly to the administration.
As part of this, climate surveys and progress review focus groups have been set up by the athletics department to provide open and updated communication between them and student athletes.
These events and surveys include racialized and non-racialized groups and help any groups that face collective barriers.
“The climate survey and progress review is not just race-focused. It's for any equity deserving group. It asks what are we [the department] doing wrong and what ideas do you [individuals in the focus group] have,” said Olaye.
These avenues for communication seem to allow the university more access to student’s thoughts and needs. They open a discourse for changes to occur before things become too extreme.
“I think that the climate surveys and quality control checks are so important to know where we stand, because at the end of the day, the institution won’t know where we stand until someone tells them there's a problem. Then we can hold them accountable after they know there is a problem,” said Olaye.
I think that the climate surveys and quality control checks are so important to know where we stand, because at the end of the day, the institution won’t know where we stand until someone tells them there's a problem. Then we can hold them accountable after they know there is a problem.
Osa Olaye, fourth-year rugby player and co-president of the Black Student-Athlete Council
As the BSAC continues to support opportunities for conversations with the department of athletics and recreation, more avenues for further change will hopefully follow suit.
Take a look at how winter sports teams handle exams and the holiday break amidst a long competitive season
For most students, the weeks leading up to winter break can create a slew of changes to their routines and schedules. Final exams and assignments, the dramatic change in weather or even evenings getting darker earlier in the day can all cause a frenzy.
Almost all students can relate to a sense of change and stress during the weeks leading up to winter break. Though student athletes whose seasons take place during this time may have a different experience to others during exam season, as they often have to meet practice and competition expectations along with keeping up with school.
There are about seven winter sports at McMaster University, including basketball, curling and volleyball. Oftentimes, these sports begin their preseason in September, with competition running up until early April.
“We’ll start in September but we don’t have official league games until the end of October,” said fifth-year women’s basketball player Jenna Button.
The length of this season is much different than sports during the fall term, usually beginning in August with the preseason and concluding around early November. Winter sports also run for a much longer duration, contributing to the added exam and winter break stresses.
“It's obviously challenging to have a season that runs for so long and has so many games. Your body kind of gets tired by the end of it. But there are obviously upsides to it, so having that break during the exam schedule is nice to kind of reset and helps to be focused on academics,” said Button.
It's obviously challenging to have a season that runs for so long and has so many games. Your body kind of gets tired by the end of it. But there are obviously upsides to it, so having that break during the exam schedule is nice to kind of reset and helps to be focused on academics.
Jenna Button, women's basketball player
While the exam season can be daunting and difficult for some athletes, others use the break to adjust their game. Some platers also use their sport as a way to relax and destress during a busy academic season.
“Basketball is a really nice way for me to get away from school and [its stress] and be able to not think about that for a while. But it definitely can be overwhelming especially for first years, who may be in challenging programs,” said Button.
Along with time off for winter break, it seems as though it's advantageous for winter sports to use the break to participate in exhibition games and practices to keep in form. For instance, the women’s basketball team traveled to California during the month of Decemeber to participate in a winter training camp along with the nationally top-ranking University of Saskatchewan.
“We were [in California] for five days and we practiced and scrimmaged with [the University of Saskatchewan]... Previously we’ve gone to Halifax to scrimmage against Dalhousie. It’s like having a vacation, but also having that basketball side to play another game during that break,” said Button.
Having these sorts of activities seem to help in the transition back to competitive games in early January. For the women's basketball team, the smooth transition came in the form of a big win against York University in their first game back from the break.
“This past December we were able to get scrimmages in, so it was only a week before we played York. I don’t think we felt it was a big jump being back. I think if we had that month off with no games that first game back would be challenging,” said Button.
This past December we were able to get scrimmages in, so it was only a week before we played York. I don’t think we felt it was a big jump being back. I think if we had that month off with no games that first game back would be challenging.
Jenna Button, women's basketball player
The balance of academic responsibility and athletic commitment for winter sports athletes presents some unique challenges. As these student athletes navigate this demanding period, it seems as though exhibition games and the much-needed mental break away from their sport help to prepare them to return to competition focused and rejuvenated.
After a winter's time off, the Marauders basketball teams have opened the season in great form
Kicking off their season on Nov. 1., both the McMaster University men and women’s basketball teams began their Ontario University Athletics seasons on the right foot against Laurier University. The women’s basketball team was able to pick up a win against the Golden Hawks with a score of 80-75 while the men’s team finished 75-72.
Both teams proceeded to post mixed results with their record throughout the months of November and December. The women picked up a record of five wins and five losses and the men turned in five wins and four losses.
Having very similar records going into the break, both teams likely looked to improve in the second half of the season. With the month of December away from OUA games, the rosters sought to come back stronger after their rest and time away from competitive play.
Having very similar records going into the break, both teams likely looked to improve in the second half of the season.
The teams resumed their season on Jan. 6., facing York University at home in Hamilton. It would seem as though the break did the Marauders well, with both teams chalking up a victory against the opposing Lions.
It would seem as though the break did the Marauders well, with both teams chalking up a victory against the opposing Lions.
The women’s team was able to finish the game off with a score of 82-74. Leading the game in points, fifth-year Jenna Button put together a stellar night, helping the Marauders win while putting up 30 points. Third-year guard Delaney Bourget also chipped in with her relentless work on the defensive end, grabbing down six rebounds to finish the game.
The men’s team beat York with a score of 93-77. Mike Demangus capped off a great team performance, finishing the game with 27 points and keeping in top form as he has been this season. Third-year Elijah Bethune cleaned up defensively with 15 rebounds against the Lions.
As each team heads into the second half of the season, they will look to keep in the form they’ve hit to start the year.
Playing at the Burridge Gymnasium, the Marauders grabbed their second OUA win against the University of Toronto after a challenging preseason
The McMaster University men's basketball team started their preseason back in September with three games against teams outside of the Ontario University Athletics league. The Marauders played against the Mohawk College, Memorial University of Newfoundland and Concordia University.
The results from these games showed some inconsistencies in the team, as they finished with a record of one win and two losses. A notable defeat during the team's preseason was against the Concordia Stingers, as in years past the Marauders have consistently been able to beat the Stingers.
The results that came from these games showed some inconsistencies in the team, as they finished with a record of one win and two losses.
The team's up and down form did not stop after these games as the team continued their preseason at the University of Manitoba Bison's tournament where the Marauders suffered three losses and picked up only one win.
Before the OUA season opened, the Marauders suffered another unsuccessful game against Mercyhurst University but they did manage to pick up a win against the visiting University of Calgary.
The Marauders began their OUA campaign against Laurier University, where they played the Golden Hawks on Nov. 1. and picked up a win with a score of 75-72.
In their first OUA home game, the Marauders hosted the University of Toronto and they began a winning streak, beating the Varsity Blues with a score of 78-80.
A few of the Marauder players especially shined in their first game of the season at Burridge. Fifth-year Daniel Graham and fourth-year Moody Qasim tied as scoring leaders, with both players putting down career highs of 16 points. Defensively, fourth-year Nathan Charles cleaned up with three rebounds.
Fifth-year Daniel Graham and fourth-year Moody Qasim tied as scoring leaders, with both players putting down career highs of 16 points.
This is a promising start of for the Maurauders, following their unsteady preseason, and hopefully they are able to keep up their current form as the season continues.
After a year of rebuilding their team, Marauders women's ultimate frisbee ended their successful season with a national title
The McMaster University women's ultimate frisbee team has just concluded another great season for themselves. For the third season in a row, the team was able to capture the national title, crowning them the number one team in this year's Canadian university tournament.
The Marauders went into this season full of confidence, as they won themselves the national title in the year prior. However, the team had experienced a high level of turnover for the roster with several key players graduating, including captains Jessica Gao and Safeena Shanjani, both of whom had helped lead the team to last year's national title.
The team's offseason rebuild seemed to be productive, with the Marauders welcoming seven rookie players, including new captains, Katie McMullen and Allison Couwenberg.
The team's offseason rebuild seemed to be productive, with the Marauders welcoming seven rookie players.
McMaster was able to secure their bid to the national championship tournament in this year's Eastern tournament on Oct. 2. The team was able to clinch a third-place finish at the tournament, as they beat University of Guelph, Carleton University, University of Waterloo and McGill University.
This year's national championship began on Oct. 14 in Brampton. The Marauders started their national campaign facing off against McGill University. They clinched a close win with a score of ten to eight.
The final game of the tournament was played on Oct. 15, with the Marauders taking the national championship home, per fourth year player Mackinley Szumlanski, the team won 9-8 against Laval University. The Marauders were also able to bring home a major individual accolade with Katie McMullen being named the tournament's most valuable player, ending a great year and captaincy.
The final game of the tournament was played on Oct. 15, with the Marauders taking the national championship home, per fourth year player Mackinley Szumlanski, the team won 9-8 against Laval University.
With a strong roster and three years of national experience, the team will likely believe in themselves to grab a fourth title.
After winning the OUA title last year, the men's volleyball team kicks off the season with a close win at home
Last year, the McMaster University men’s volleyball team finished the regular season with a near perfect 18-2 record. The Marauders went on to win the 2023 Ontario University Athletics provincial championship and place third at the U Sports national championship.
Amidst the success, the men’s volleyball team gained itself a considerable fanbase, documentary series and some big expectations for this year.
On Sept. 4, the Marauders played their first regular season game at home against the University of Toronto with a close win in the fifth set.
The game opened with a 19-25 first set loss against the Varsity Blues. McMaster fought back to win the second set 25-21 and the third set 25-19 with notable efforts from Maxime Gratton, Robbie Fujisawa, and Tyler Pavelic.
The Marauders lost some momentum and began to stumble in the fourth set, losing 15-25. However, McMaster quickly cleaned up their offense to win the fifth set 15-12 following an electrifying final point from Brendan Mills.
However, McMaster quickly cleaned up their offense to win the fifth set 15-12 following an electrifying final point from Brendan Mills.
Despite the graduation of several veterans players from the roster, including Wojciech Kraj, Mateusz Wlodarski and Sam Cooper, the win showcased some of McMaster’s promising new talent.
Despite the graduation of several veterans players from the roster, including Wojciech Kraj, Mateusz Wlodarski and Sam Cooper, the win showcased some of McMaster’s promising new talent.
Brady Paterson, a first-year outside hitter, was introduced into the starting lineup and finished the game with six kills. Another rookie, Jared Kuiken, also made an appearance in the home opener. Third-year player Haben Yohannes earned more minutes and finished with six kills and three blocks.
This was the first regular season game coached by Hamilton local Brad Douwes, who served as the former assistant coach for the Marauders in the 2021-2022 season. This May, Douwes was named head coach following the retirement of three-time National Coach of the Year, Dave Preston.
Despite all these changes, the first game back shows that there is lots more to look forward to for the men’s volleyball team. The Marauders face off against the University of Waterloo Warriors next on Nov. 10, before heading on the road for a game on Nov. 11 against the York University Lions and games on Nov. 17 and 18 against the University of Windsor Lancers.
A podium finish for the women’s team and fifth place for the men’s team rounds off the Marauders’ performance at the Ontario University Athletics competition
On Oct. 29 the McMaster University men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in the annual Ontario University Athletics championships. This year, the race was hosted by the University of Waterloo at the Columbia Ice Fields.
Both teams ran an eight kilometer race in Waterloo, facing off against 16 other universities within Ontario. The women’s team finished with a bronze medal while the men’s team was able to secure a fifth place spot in the competition.
Running for the women’s team, senior Rosalyn Barrett impressed as she won an individual silver medal in the eight kilometre race following a fantastic second place finish. The team was also aided by Hannah Goodjohn and Victoria Lamb, who helped the Marauders to their bronze medal by finishing in tenth and eleventh place respectively.
For the men’s team, this year marked the first OUA competition for many athletes on the roster, which has experienced high turnover from the previous season. This includes runners such as fourth-year Connor Lashley, who recorded a twelfth place finish, and rookie Kamran Brar who landed the next closest finish for the Marauders at twenty-fourth overall.
The Marauders’ third place finish sees a slight decline from last year’s OUA result of a silver medal.
Next, both teams will head to London, Ont. and Western University, where the U Sports national competition is taking place on Nov. 12.
Men's soccer and both men and women's cross country land in top ten of recent U Sports power rankings
On Sept. 26, U Sports released their weekly power rankings for Canadian university teams across several sports. The men and women’s cross country team ranked fifth and ninth in their respective standings, while men’s soccer slid into eighth in the national circuit.
Just before the release of the rankings, both cross country teams put on a solid performance at the Vigars and Salter Western Invitational on Sept. 23.
On the women’s team, veterans Hannah Goodjohn and Rosalyn Barrett both placed in the top 10 at the meet, finishing with times of 30:14 and 30:25. Their efforts helped push the team to fourth place overall, just missing the podium by one point. The St. Francis Xavier University X-Women finished with 116 points.
Their efforts helped push the team to fourth place overall, just missing the podium by one point. The St. Francis Xavier University X-Women finished with 116 points.
For the men’s team, rookie Kamran Brar completed the race as the top runner , nabbing the thirty-fourth place out of 147 qualifying runners with the Marauder’s best time of 26:38. Brar led the team to an eighth place finish, along with top-50 finishes from Connor Lashley, Lukas Vadeika, Noah Mulkewich and William Weist.
Prior to the release of the U Sports rankings, the men’s soccer team snagged a tough 1-0 victory over the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks on Sept. 22. Sachin Sargeant, a returning member from last year’s Ontario University Athletics championship team, scored a late-game goal in the second half of the match that propelled the team to their fourth win of the regular season.
Following the game, the Marauders played their second match against the Golden Hawks on Sept. 24, winning another tightly contested game 1-0 with a penalty shot by sophomore Damiano Refosco. The win pushed the team to a four-game win streak and an overall record of five wins and two losses for the season.
The win pushed the team to a four-game win streak and an overall record of five wins and two losses for the season.
With these early successesacross both sports, the Marauders have put themselves in a good position for the rest of the season.
As we begin the new school year, women's volleyball, men's soccer, wrestling, cross country and men's volleyball are the teams to keep a close eye on
The 2022-2023 year of sports at McMaster University was one to remember. With championship wins, great individual performances and numerous events packed with fans, there is plenty to be proud of. As we look ahead to the upcoming year, here are teams you should be sure to keep your eye on.
Women’s Volleyball
The 2022-2023 season for McMaster’s women volleyball team ended prematurely with close loss to York University in the Ontario University Athletics quarterfinals.
Next season, the team will look to turn things around. A number of returning OUA all-star veterans will look to lead the team to greater heights. Notable players include Sullie Sundara, who hopes to continue a run of great form after a second commanding season, and Hayley Brooks, the team’s defensive minded libero.
With newly appointed head coach Nathan Janzen leading the squad, this Marauders team will be one to look out for. Janzen leads the Canadian youth national volleyball team and has previously served as an assistant for the Marauders women’s volleyball team. He will likely have his sights set on capturing a national title, especially with the Marauders hosting this year's U Sports national tournament.
Men’s Soccer
Last season saw the men’s soccer team capture a historic OUA title. After this previous success for the team, they will be looking to continue their impressive form this coming year.
Next year’s roster will miss Miles Green, who led the team in total goals scored, and Ahmad Mansour, the team’s dominant centre-back. However, quality remains in the squad, with key returning players such as Gianluca Spadafora, the team’s captain and OUA second-team all-star, and Ethan Cagalj, an OUA second-team all-star goalkeeper.
Another change to the team’s head coach will be another challenge for the Marauders this season though. Interim head coach Tristan Joyce will be looking to prove himself in the coming season. Joyce is a former Marauder men’s soccer player who graduated from the program in 2021.
Wrestling
Both the men and women’s wrestling teams continually impress and the Marauders consistently found themselves on top of the podium in the 2022-2023 season.
Serena Di Benedetto on the women’s team had a phenomenal first season where she went undefeated, medaled gold in the OUA finals and finished in second at U Sports Nationals. As she goes into her second year, she will be one to watch closely.
On the men’s side, first-year Karanveer Mahil also showed well in his rookie season. Mahil topped the podium numerous times throughout the year and medalled silver in the OUA finals. At U Sports Nationals, Mahil earned himself gold to cap off an impressive first season.
After an impressive regular season for the team, four Marauder wrestlers and head coach Ahmed Shamiya went on to represent Canada at the Pan Am Games. At the event, Mahil and Di Benedetto both earned medals and they will certainly be looking to continue to their successes this coming winter.
Cross Country
This team had plenty to be proud of in the 2022-2023 season. On the men’s side, Max Turek, Andrew Davies and Alex Drover helped in creating a historic year for their team. Turek won gold at both the OUA finals and the U Sports Nationals, with Davies and Drover finishing just behind him in both competitions.
The women’s team came up with impressive results throughout the year as well. Second-year Rosalyn Barrett placed third in OUA Championships and thirtieth at U Sports nationals. Hannah Goodjohn, a fourth-year, placed eleventh in the OUAs after a consistent season for the Marauders.
Head coach Paula Schnurr also earned her own accolade throughout the season by winning OUA coach of the year. As she heads into the new season, she will look to fill the holes left by her graduated runners, including Turek and Davies.
Men's Volleyball
After a dominant past season which saw the team capture the provincial banner, the men’s volleyball team is consistently one of McMaster’s top teams.
Sam Cooper dominated with 47 kills over the last season. His departure to the Polish professional league will leave a hole in the team, one hopefully that a younger player may fill.
Maxime Gratton also dominated the year with 109 kills. He will be looking to improve upon his past season and combine with veteran Peter Rugosi after two years of experience.
Last year’s heartbreaking loss in the U Sports semifinals will have the team hungry for more, with new head coach Brad Douwes looking to fill the gaps and step into the massive shoes left by former head coach Dave Preston.
McMaster’s HPA welcomes Heather Harrigan as the second recruit through new internship program supporting gender equality in strength and conditioning
For the second year in a row, McMaster University’s High Performance Area has offered a female summer coaching internship. This paid summer internship looks to give female-identifying university graduates an opportunity to receive all-around training and education in the strength and conditioning field. The internship program is open to all female-identifying individuals who have completed a university or college degree in kinesiology or fitness and have one to two years experience in training and condition athletes.
This year Waterloo University Master of Kinesiology graduate Heather Harrigan was selected to participate in the internship program. The HPA’s Manager, Ben Baharmi, chose Harrigan in hopes of giving her the opportunity to learn from the team’s coaching staff and to provide female representation in the university training centre.
"You want to be able to represent the population that you’re servicing. When it’s a lot of [people of] the same gender, race, sexuality [and that] kind of thing, some people may not feel fully comfortable in that space as they could,” said Harrigan.
You want to be able to represent the population that you’re servicing. When it’s a lot of [people of] the same gender, race, sexuality [and that] kind of thing, some people may not feel fully comfortable in that space as they could.
Heather Harrigan, Intern, McMaster University High Performance Area
In many athletic departments, the coaching staff is predominately male. A study that looked at Division 1 athletics in the United States, found that 86.1 per cent of strength coaches identified as male. Even within McMaster’s HPA, the majority of the space’s strength coaches identify as male.
Baharmi identified the lack of female coaches in the strength and conditioning field, which led to the implementation of the summer internship.
The internship looks to address this issue, allowing McMaster athletes to see more meaningful representation among the coaching staff. It also allows for students to see a route to success off the field, but still in athletics.
"There's obviously female involvement through the [current] strength and conditioning program, but I think having an extra [female] role model throughout the summer time is amazing not only for the program but for the athletes as well,” said fourth-year Kinesiology student Bryanna Caldwell.
There’s obviously female involvement through the [current] strength and conditioning program, but I think having an extra [female] role model throughout the summer time is amazing not only for the program but for the athletes as well.
Bryanna Caldwell, fourth-year Kinesiology student, McMaster University
In addition to providing more meaningful representation to McMaster athletes, the internship looks to provide opportunities for the recipient to grow as a coach and gain invaluable experience through running sessions for athletes
"Something Ben [Baharami] said to me that I’ve heard other coaches say to me is that you start out and you think you know everything. Then you run a session and you think you know absolutely nothing. Then you start to get better and then you think you know nothing again. It’s really balancing that curve that there’s always more to learn but you do know your stuff,” said Harrigan.
Harrigan's experience in the HPA so far has also given her more optimism surrounding the strength and conditioning field and that change is possible in terms of gender equality. Her summer experience so far has also given her more confidence in her own abilities.
"I definitely feel like I was more pessimistic towards the field before starting here and being in an environment with a lot of male coaches. But [HPA coaches] are so inviting and so welcoming that they’ve completely changed my viewpoint on [gender equality within strength coaching] and to be more optimistic to not be so judgmental about myself,” said Harrigan.
Harrigan's arrival to the HPA seems to have been beneficial to herself, the coaching team, and the athletes who use the HPA. Through programs such as the HPA’s female summer coaching internship, McMaster is taking important steps towards a more gender diverse staff in its sports facilities.
