May 2003

Lunn Strikes Back

—The Off-season campaign

Flash Gordon
Sports Editor

Douglas College is unusually quiet in the summer
months. No ong wants to be in school, not even the
teachers. Why else would there be three-day week-
ends all summer long? Some begrudgingly commit
to the few hours class robs us of our time in the sun
but who wants to have to suffer through an eight-
hour day of work when you can deal with two or
four hours of class, then enjoy the sun. Who is
thinking now?

Ed Lunn is thinking, for one. He hasn't stopped
plotting and planning since his season with the
women’s basketball coming to an end in the winter.
Some might think the schemes entail the demise of
his arch-nemesis Sports Editor Flash Gordon, but
“au contraire mon frere.” He still has basketball on
the brain and there is a twinkle in his eye when he
talks about the sport he gets paid to coach.

Coach Ed Lunn inherited a troubled women’s
program two years ago, and he knew it when he
signed on the dotted line claiming the team as his
own. With the credentials Lunn has, it must have
been an inspiring challenge. Either that or our ath-
letic director begged and pleaded with him to take
the job. Ed comes from a University of Victoria
National Championship team (so far the highlight
of his career), as well as experience with Olympic
experience from the Sydney games (even though he
was coaching with the Kiwis). To have a successful
career, one has to accept all trials put before you.
Lunn has persisted despite negative blows—unfore-
seen obstacles, including bad press from yours truly
about the hardships of last season. Unfretted, he
focused on accomplishing one goal at a time.
Coach is realistic about what he can achieve but
honestly believes he can have a provincial tourna-
ment- bound team next season.

While most college teams are in pseudo summer
hibernation, Douglas’ basketball teams have begun
ID camps, the purpose of which is to identify play-
ers with the skills and commitment to play at the
_ college level. Recruitment is an activity that I am
_ amazed the coach has time for. Day in, day out Ed
Lunn can be found somewhere in the college usu-
ally not too far from his office in the Centre for
_ Sport, Recreation and Wellness. During the regular
_ season, it’s not a rare occasion for 12-hour days to

Sports ¢ the other press ©

 

 

 

eto eee rectewe

 

 

si

 

be the norm. So when does a man find time to hunt
down the potential collegiate athletes? Ed relies on
his trusty sidekick and assistant coach to be his
envoy of interest, while other avenues of recruiting
come from parents and coaches looking to advertise
a talented athlete. To his credit, he admits there are
maybe one or two things he has not done to lure a
player to the dark side. By showing up to game after
game of high schools, players know Ed’s staff are
committed to bringing the best possible players to
the table each year. After speaking with Douglas’
top two prospects, I learned that his devotion is
precisely what attracts players to Ed Lunn.

Watching the man run his camp on the last week-
end in April, I can see his passion for basketball
because he is still having fun. Many of the 20- some
players attending his two day invitation only, cam-
paign are new faces, but some of Ed’s veterans are
in attendance and even competing. Next season
will be like starting over for the team because things
can only get better. No one’s position is safe.
Through one on one meeting with all of the play-
ers, Ed hoped to communicate that his devotion to
the team must be matched with the player’s com-
mitment to getting better. If it takes a thousand
foul shots over the summer then that’s what it will
take, and it’s clear some of the new faces are willing
to put the effort in. One girl flew in from Fort Saint
James. And if you know anything about the geog-
raphy about northern BC, you know more than
me. What I have learned, though, is that any town
beginning with “Fort” anything... has a population
smaller than most PTA meetings. In fact going to
Prince George is considered the big time because
they have a McDonalds.

Everyone must pick it up a notch for next season
veterans and top prospects alike. Two girls that Ed
has put a lot of effort into recruiting are local girls,
one from White Rock and one from West
Vancouver. Melanie Trepanier is a six-foot centre
from Earl Marriott’s AAA provincial championship
team. She is quite athletically talented with the
ability to put the ball on the floor or take a shot
outside of the paint. No doubt she has attracted
more attention than just Douglas’ recruiting team,
but so far she has committed to playing for Ed

http://otherpress.douglas.bc.ca

Lunn. She likes his coaching style and sees Douglas
College as a stepping-stone to a career at UBC.
Perhaps the weakest part of her game is her
strength. The BCCAA has some solid frontcourts
that can bash and bang pretty hard, so that will be
a focus of her off-season training. Ed’s other poten-
tial star is Brigitte O’Brien of Little Flower
Academy of West Wonkaville Vancouver. At
around the five-foot-ten mark, O’Brien handles
the ball as well as any girl on the court and has the
confidence to fight for rebounds. She has grit and
attitude. Is she ready for college ball or is college
ball ready for her?

Many of the girls informally committed to Ed
during his one on one conferences, but the true test
will be if those girls are there in September. His
two-day camp isn’t the end of his program. Training
and summer league will run most of the summer.
Grant Matsuda, the baseball team’s trainer has
offered his skills to help the girls reach their per-
sonal fitness goals whether it is developing speed
and quickness or power and strength. One has to
appreciate the honesty Ed gives to his players and
people in general. A player might not want to hear
about weaknesses in their game but it’s a necessary
evil to improve. The real competitors will take crit-
icisms and drive themselves harder. Former Royals
basketball coach, Richard Norman attended the
Sunday session at the college to offer any advice he
might have from years of experience. His honest
opinion was that with the talent in attendance at
the camp, a provincial calibre team could be assem-
bled. Not a provincial championship team, mind
you, but maybe a fifth or a sixth places team. Let’s
not forget that star I mentioned two months ago. I
came away from the camp with a genuinely positive
impression of the potential.

The critic in me still stands waiting in September
to see what the Douglas Royals have to offer.
Perhaps my next article will delve into the men’s
basketball team and their plans for next season.
Dave Munro doesn’t seem too eager for publicity. I
hear he doesn’t deal well with criticism. What's he
got to hide??? That’s all my nonsense for now.
Questions? Comments? I don’t want to hear it, but
the OP always loves a good scandal.

Page 25