© Sports the other press e fAdamGordon e May 2003 dcsportseditor@yahoo.com Fast Man Arrives at Flash Gordon Sports Editor With the changing seasons of Vancouver, the OP rings in a new administra- tion with the new summer issues of the paper. It ended up being a coup of sorts. The new editors all decided to storm the barracks with flaming torches and everything but when we got to the OP office, no one was home so we moved in. Some change of office it was. None quite so important as the brand spanking new Sports Editor—me. Flash Gordon is what I go by. Flash has arrived—parades will follow. To familiarize myself to you and you to me, I believe it is appropriate to con- struct this little introduction to not only aggrandize myself, but also, to take up space. Writing an article here or there isn’t quite the same as filling up three and a half pages on my own. I can’t depend on the readership to provide me with articles and since there is no one formally in my employ, if anyone has an opinion to voice or was at a game that I couldn't attend, please submit your work to the OP. We always appreciate and encourage students to participate in the paper. Jordan Cripps was my predecessor. I wish him the best of luck with whatever he ends up doing. I plan to uphold whatever standards Jordan set for the job, but that doesn’t necessarily mean I will do it. My own set of standards might be more appropriate. I will fudge my way through these next few months trying to get a feel for the job as well “improving” it in anyway I can. Ever since I was a young Flash in my hometown of Ottawa, I have been inter- ested in college and university athletics. I grew up watching the Carleton Ravens, Ottawa GeeGees, and the Waterloo Warriors basketball teams. College athletics can be an exciting aspect of student life whether you are playing or the OP watching. It’s an opportunity your school provides for you to join in and be a part of that mysterious cliche known as school spirit. Canadian athletes do not share the celebrity status attributed to American college athletes but still it’s worth it to be a part of a team and school. Humour should be prevalent in my articles because I might not write them otherwise. I take the stance that statistics are boring and generally prove very little in sports. Statistically, a first place team should beat an eighth place team nine out of ten times, but we simply know that’s not always the case. Boring, boring, boring. I will try to maintain current boring league standings for all the college sports. There will be regular updates on the Canucks as well as any scandals that might develop within the halls and gyms of Douglas College. Sports writing is defi- nitely new to me and I’m a far cry from the tradi- tional sports writer but that’s the way it goes. | am the OP Sports Editor and for now, what I say goes at least until I am deemed mentally unfit to carry out the duties of the position. It is entirely possible that delusions of grandeur will develop at which point we are all doomed here at the OP. In conjunction with the CSRW website administrator, Brian McLennon, we are planning to introduce a new feature to the school that is used by many colleges and universities. It’s an attempt to give some praise and recognition to athletes who have demon- strated a certain level of excellence on or off the field. We haven't created the format yet for which players will be selected but it will be an ongoing idea that we hope to introduce in the fall term. I look forward writing more and maybe picking on a few of you over the next year. Flash is here! New Volleyball Coach Hired for Men’s Team CSRW Mike Sapic has been blessed with excellent coaches: Dale Ohman (UBC) for four years in high school and club, Charles Parkinson at VCC Langara and Bob Harrison for four years at UVIC. He has always been an intense com- petitor with a keen interest in all sports, but credits his coaches for helping him hone his skills as a setter, and in finding ways to not only compete, but to win. For the past 25 years he has spent countless hours on the sand, the grass and the hardwood, not only as a player but also as a coach—a real testament to his love for the game, and the enduring patience of his wife! Mike's playing career includes championships at every level: *High School Champions Mcnair Marlins 1979 *College Champions VCC Falcons 1980 (4th at Nationals) *University (Top 3 in Canada) University of Victoria Vikings 1981-85 *Professional Oriveden Ponnistus-Finland 1986 *Club Various Men’s Club Championships His intensity, love of competition and desire to learn has allowed him to expe- rience similar success as a coach. He has coached at the elementary, high meee Page 24 e http://otherpress.douglas.be.ca school, club, provincial team, college, university and professional levels, and coached both women and men.t Some of his accomplishments include the following: *1986 Men’s Canadian Bronze Medallists VCC Falcons *1986-90 BC Provincial Boyis Team U-18 and U-16 coach *1987-88 UBC Women’s Assistant Coach *1989 Girls High School Bronze Medallists Earl Marriott Secondary Level HI Certified Technical and Theory For the past 12 years Mike has raised his family and coached at the high school and club level in Surrey. He currently teaches Senior English at Semiahmoo Secondary School. He looks forward to the challenge of coaching at the col- lege level again and to passing on what he has learned to new generations of athletes to help them become the best they can be! Editoris note: I will try to get a handle on Mike Sapic to find out more about what the new sheriff in town has in mind for the men’s team.