Algoma excited about university sports

The countdown has been underway since May of 2012 when Algoma University announced its varsity teams would move up to compete at the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) level.

Excitement has been growing and now it's down to the short strokes for the men's basketball team with less than two months before training camp begins.

"We're talking about it (joining the OUA) everyday," says head coach Thomas Cory.

"We have probably five guys that have stayed up (at Algoma) for the summer that are training everyday, so everyday we're preparing for it. We're excited, but we know the work that needs to be done now to be successful."

The Thunderbirds joined the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) in 2001. But things will be on a different level when the school competes in the OUA beginning in the 2013-14 school year.

The OUA is the top level of competition in the province and the nation, where students suit up against the biggest universities in Ontario. It is the top level of amateur sport in Canada.

Cory knows competing in the OUA will be a challenge. Algoma will be in the same division as schools that have some of the best coaches in the country, he says.

"Six of the eight guys (coaches) are working with our national program. So it's not going to be easy. Every night they'll have to leave everything on the floor just to have a chance."

AU had six varsity teams ? men's and women's basketball, curling and indoor soccer ? that were part of the OCAA. It will add six more teams (cross-country running, Nordic skiing and wrestling) when it becomes a member of the OUA.

New coaches have been hired and preparations have continued since last summer.

Cory spends a considerable amount of time scouting and recruiting players. In the past, some players have been cool to the idea of hitting the hardwood in the OCAA simply because they were looking to play at the university level.

That hasn't been the case since Algoma has been accepted into the OUA.

"It opens the door to a lot of players that before we couldn't get because we were playing in the college league. Guys wanted to play in the best league in the country, so they didn't look at us so much as an option," he said.

However, competition is already stiff among universities in the province that are vying to recruit potential players.

"Now, at the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) level and the OUA level, all these coaches are working just as hard (as us) ? So now the recruiting becomes harder," Cory said.

But the hard work has already paid off because Cory has managed to influence at least seven players that are very interested in playing for him this coming season.

"I would say six of the seven we probably wouldn't have had a chance with if we weren't in OUA next year."

Coaches and players are not the only ones at Algoma U that are excited about the changes on the horizon. There is also a buzz among professors who feel the local university ? which gained independence five years ago from Sudbury's Laurentian University ? is already on the same level as the biggest post-secondary institutions in the province.

"They feel they're on the same page already as those schools. I think it's going to build a lot of pride in our school," he said.

"I think it's great for our community to have this level in our city, for players, for students, they get to see other schools come in, they get to see Algoma on a high level."

Source: http://www.saultstar.com/2013/07/05/algoma-excited-about-university-sports

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