A look at the first five years of the UBC Okanagan Athletics Scholarship Breakfast
The Valley First/UBC Okanagan Athletics
Keeping Our Student Athletes in Canada
Cliché as it is, time does seem to fly. Last April we held our fifth annual UBC Okanagan Scholarship Breakfast. Looking back to the first breakfast, with then UBC President Martha Piper as the guest speaker, our department has come a long way. UBC Okanagan has established itself, not only as an autonomous campus in the UBC system, but as a destination university consisting of more than 7000 students from the Okanagan, other parts of British Columbia, Canada and 66 other countries. The campus has grown incredibly over that time, opening the Fipke Building, the University Centre, Arts and Science II, Nonis Field, and soon the Southern Medical School and the Engineering Management Building. Construction of a fitness/wellness centre will commence in 2011. These facilities represent the doubling of space on campus.
Athletically and academically, our students and coaches have had unprecedented success on the field (see below), and the department has experienced some historical milestones off the field as well, including the creation and unveiling of our HEAT name and logo, and gaining membership into the Canada West Universities Athletic Association, and the western conference of Canadian Interuniversity Sport. Competition will begin in that association against the likes of UBC Vancouver, the University of Victoria, the University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary in both men's and women's basketball and volleyball in the fall of 2011.
In addition to their academic and athletic achievements, our student athletes have been very active in the community, participating in a variety of outreach programs including the Kelowna Food Bank's Stuff the Bus Campaign, Wendy's Dreamlift Day, and the Parkinson's' Society of BC Super Walk. Student athletes also volunteer at seniors' homes, elementary schools, youth sports clinics and other community events.
Our scholarship breakfast has also enjoyed tremendous success. To date, the event has sold out every year and raised over $150,000, which was matched by UBC. Despite the recent global economic downturn, these efforts have created an endowment of over $250,000 funding a number of student athlete awards each year. This has all been made possible by the remarkable support the Breakfast has received from the community.
We are already planning the 2011 Breakfast and hope you will circle Friday, April 8, 2011 on your calendar as the day you once again join us for breakfast in support of our student athletes.
On behalf of everyone involved with UBC Okanagan Athletics, thank you very much for your past support. We hope to see you in the stands cheering on the HEAT.
If you have any questions about anything related to Athletics or Recreation, please feel free to contact me directly. (Please note
Achievements - 2005/06 - 2009/10
| Nationally |
Provincially |
|---|---|
| 11 Nationals attended |
19 Provincial Championships attended |
| Two National Championship |
Seven Provincial Championships |
| Six National Medals |
16 Provincial Medals |
| Two National Championship Tournament MVPs |
Five Provincial Championship Tournament MVPs |
| 16 National Championship Tournament All-Stars | 27 Provincial Championship Tournament All-Stars |
| Eight All-Canadians | 45 Provincial All-Stars |
| 16 Academic All-Canadians |
29 Provincial Academic Excellence Award Recipients |
| 59 National Scholar Athletes | 46 Provincial Athletes of the Week |
| Two National Coaches of the Year Across All Sports |
Three Provincial Athletes of the Year Across All Sports |
| Two National Coaches of the Year | Four Provincial Players of the Year |
| One National Player of the Year Across All Sports |
Six Provincial Rookies of the Year |
| One National Fairplay Award |
Six All-Rookie Team Members |
| Four National Player of the Year Nominees |
Four Provincial Coaches of the Year |
| Two National Athletes of the Month |
|
| Four National Athletes of the Week |
Scholarship Breakfast Background
Supporting UBC Okanagan Athletics through the Valley First UBC Okanagan Athletics Scholarship Breakfast is the most effective method of donating to athletics because the university provides a matching gift for every ticket/table purchased.
Funds raised through this event go directly into the Athletics Scholarship Endowment. Building athletics endowments ensures that our student athletes have the opportunity to realize their athletic and academic goals in Canada for decades to come.
More Info:
Tel: 250.807.8600
Email: athletics.scholarships@ubc.ca
Student Testimonials
What has receiving student athlete financial assistance allowed me to do?
The financial assistance was a great help for me in my first year of university, it helped me with costs that would usually be taken care of by work; which I was unable to do during the season as the schedule of a student athlete does not allow time for.
~ Shane Mudaliar - Men's Soccer
Athletic financial assistance is a wonderful thing to look forward to. It takes off some of the burden when times are tough. It's hard being a student athlete, because you put in the hours on the court and in school, which leaves no time for work. So when the assistance comes the little things get taken care of and it allows me to focus better in school and on training.
~ Melissa Irish – Women’s Basketball
Financial assistance has made my university career much less stressful than it potentially could have been. It has allowed me to focus entirely on academics and athletics rather than balancing school, training, and working a part-time job.
~ Caitlin Nyhus – Women’s Volleyball
The student athlete financial assistance has allowed me to focus on academics and athletic training without worrying about making ends meet financially during the school year. With the extra time gained from not needed a job I was able to take on a full course load as well as the time to experience university life as a student athlete and enjoy the benefits of learning and competition at a high level.
~ Alex Basso - Women's Volleyball
Receiving athlete financial assistance has allowed me to focus solely on my athletic season without having to worry about balancing school, soccer and a job.
~ Liz Babcock - Women's Soccer
Last reviewed 
5/12/2011 12:41:22 PM
