were aS ET SPORTS Greatness Among Us By Brian McLennon, OP Sports Editor In the midst of the hustle and bustle of returning students, 12 men among us ate pushing their way towards creating a legacy and claiming bragging rights for another year. During the first week of January, Douglas College played host to the Canadian National Wheelchair Basketball team’s nation- al training camp. The team was in town for five days to pre- pate for the upcoming 2006 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships that will be held in Amsterdam this coming July. After gold medal performances in the Sydney and Athens Paralympics games, Team Canada is currently the number one ranked team in world—ahead of the Australians and the Americans, and this doesn’t sit well with our cousins south of the border. The grudge between Canada and the US extends far beyond political topics of softwood lumber and the export of cattle. In the world of sports, the Americans ‘don’t take kindly’ to sniffing the arses of their Canadian cousins in any sport other than hockey. As witnessed in the critically acclaimed MTV movie, Murderball, the Americans dislike of losing to Canada is deep seeded. Let’s face it, Canadians (especially now) are more like the likeable skinny little brother of the school yard bully. We’re allowed to get away with snubbing the Americans and telling them “No” when we want to and yet we have the luxury of immunity; nobody in the school yard will dare touch us for fear of repercussion from our big brother south of the border. However, like all sibling rivalries, the rules are usually pretty cut and dry. You never embarrass your older siblings and always concede defeat when competing directly against them. Well, Team Canada has busted these rules wide open. The rivalry began back in 2002 when Team USA defeated Team Canada in the 2002 World Championships’ semi-final in Osaka, Japan. “It took them triple overtime and it was one of the two times they have been defeated in the past six years,” said forward Adam Lancia. “We have to have a really bad game and they need to be hitting a lot of threes in order to win,’ he added. One of the reasons that the Canadian Men’s Wheelchair basketball team has been so successful is because of the depth of their talent. “We play all twelve guys and all of us contribute,” commented David Eng, who is currently completing his graduate degree in Exercise Sciences at the University of Texas-Arlington. Another reason for Canada’s success is because they possess two of the best players in the game in Joey Johnson and Pat Anderson. These two goliaths of the sport display an exceptional level of athletic ability that tends to compli- ment each other’s game. It is plain and simple—Joey is huge! Standing at 6’2” and squeezing the scale at 230 Ibs, his “Shaq” power and strength is athletic and solid with a surprisingly soft touch from as deep as 25’. He can post you up and take you outside. Unlike Joey, Pat’s physical stature is that of the stereo- typical basketball player; with a 6’9” wing span and standing at 64, the athletically built 190 lb phenom has lighting quick reflexes and uncanny wheelchair agility. “He’s defi- nitely something to watch,” said veteran guard Jaime Borisoff. “He’s the best in the game.” In speaking with Pat, his demeanor and personality is one of silent confidence. The well spoken native of Fergus, Ontario, first realized his love for basketball in 1990. As a talented junior, his game escalated quickly, earning him a National membership since 1998. He has never looked back. When asked about his billing by peers and the govern- ing bodies of wheelchair basketball, he casually said, “I guess I realized when I was about 18 or 19 years old.” The tone of the statement was very “matter of fact.” There’s no arrogance with this guy, no cockiness; but he’s the type that will look you directly in your eyes and tell you with a straight face “You can’t play me.” I mean, this guy has more game than a Sony Playstation. You name it...he can do it. He'll squash a trey from deep behind the rainbow or a drive by and lay it up with grace and speed. Like any elite team athlete at the top of his game, he must consciously make the decision of when to pass or take the shot himself. “Of course, there are times when I feel maybe I didn’t assert my game enough.... However, there are also times when you must realize that, as a player, the team’s advantage is not always with me scoring.” he says. “Tt can also depend on what the opponent is giving you. For instance, the Dutch tend to pack in the key forcing you to make outside shots. I can live with that because I know I can make those shots. Then there are other teams mclennonb@douglas.bec.ca that will spread their defense allowing either myself, Joey, Adam or David to get on the inside.” When asked if it all becomes too much for him, he ponders the thought carefully, his eyes searching downward as if he was looking inside himself and wondering whether he should show a sign of weakness. Careful and precisely, he answers, “Sometimes it’s challenging.” The words are calculating and concise, just like the shot that has been dropped on many opponents domes over his illustrious career. For the first time in his career, Pat says he’s seen a “leveling” in his game. Even though he never used the ‘P’ word, his statement whispered what no athlete at the top of his game wants to hear...Plateau. “T mean, every year I would see some kind of improvements in some part of my game,” he assesses. His fingers drum anxiously against the off-white laminate of the cafeteria table. Is it simply the espresso shot he just threw back from the Latte bar, or is there something more? “However, lately I feel that I have been coming in doing the same things.” His demeanor changes and there’s an uneasiness. You can see his mind is at work; the little Windows hourglass icon is flipping and flipping in his mind. He is searching. What are the new challenges? What new obstacles can he overcome? “T mean...” he starts. “ It’s just that...” he continues, but never finishes his words. With two Paralympics gold medals and a handful of MVP awards, he says he could walk away from it all and he would feel fulfilled with what he has accomplished. “T’ve won a couple of gold medals and have played professional for awhile. I would have no problem feeling happy with what I have accomplished,” he says. For Pat and Team Canada, the next tournament is February in Osaka, Japan. There, they will match up again with their cousins from south of the border and again, he states reassuringly, “we will be successful.” UPCOMING GAMES Upcoming Games January 11-17, 2006 Fri. Jan. 13 Basketball vs UCFV (New West Campus) Women 6pm, Men 8pm Volleyball @ UCFV (Abbotsford, BC) Women 6pm, Men 7:30pm Wrestling @ Golden Bear Open (Edmonton, AB) Sat. Jan. 14 Basketball vs UCFV (New West Campus) Women 6pm, Men 8pm Volleyball @ UCFV (Abbotsford, BC) Women 6pm, Men 7:30pm Wrestling @ Golden Bear Open (Edmonton, AB)