With hectic schedules, student-athletes often find themselves surrounded by the same people for long hours each week. For this dynamic to be successful, strong relationships must be fostered. Miles Brackenbury is proud to say that they are.
As Captain of the cross- country team and Co-president of the Varsity Leadership Council (VLC), Brackenbury recognizes the unique features setting the sports community apart.
“The night before our championship, our team got together, and we had a meeting. [It] got emotional and that was really powerful to have,” he told The Journal in an interview.
“I think that was a testament to how close we were and when everyone was getting ready to perform at their best, they were just really grateful to have those people around them.”
Milana McNamee, Queen’s interim manager of athlete education, training & leadership development spoke to the social aspect of athletics.
“Working hard and sweating and maybe being a little bit sore or injured from the day before, it’s a bit of a grind,” she said. “[By chasing] the common goal of the group and ultimately the team. You’re creating a bond and you get that sense of trust amongst your teammates.”
McNamee and Brackenbury are both involved with the VLC. Comprised of members from all varsity teams on campus, the council aims to promote a positive image of Queen’s Athletics by fostering a student-athlete community through team building events and support at home games.
McNamee believes the VLC’s student-run initiatives foster and uphold friendships for many athletes. One of their programs is called Gold Rush, which encourages athletes to attend other teams’ home games.
“Getting [athletes] to cheer on their fellow student-athletes, whether it’s a sport they love to watch or a sport that they’ve never played or watched before and that’s really taken off,” McNamee said. “If you’ve been at a home game at Queen’s […] it can get pretty electric and you can see the pockets of student-athletes.”
“I’ve got to give a shout-out to women’s rugby. You’ll see them at a basketball game just being the loudest fans in the building and you really see that school spirit,” Brackenbury said.
Both Brackenbury and McNamee mentioned strong attendance from those who aren’t varsity student-
athletes have at games.
“It’s nice to see everyone oming together, working towards one common goal whether that’s someone working facilities or a student-athlete on the court or a fan in the crowd,” said McNamee.
McNamee emphasized the term student-athlete doesn’t always exclusively mean varsity athletes, but encompasses all students who engage in club sports and intramurals at Queen’s. She mentioned all athletics present opportunities for strong connections.
Brackenbury also noted it’s not solely current students showing their support at games—alumni and community members also attend.
“They’re really proud to see athletes in this city excelling and see high calibre sports,” he said.
Within Queen’s Athletics and Recreational spaces, McNamee mentioned measures teams have taken to make the LGBTQ+ community feel welcome in their spaces as well.
“In the past, our volleyball teams have created an LGBTQ+ pride awareness evening,” She said. “One of the women’s volleyball players actually designed a T-shirt for the student-athletes to wear during warm-up.”
Additional initiatives aimed to build community include a food drive organized by the VLC each year for Martha’s Table.
“There’s always a great turnout of a collection day and a transport day and then all the operations of getting food from student-athletes, organized, to a space, to then go back to Martha’s Table. Having that sense of we did something together that’s good for our community creates a sense of pride and I think a bit of joy,” McNamee said.
Speaking to the strength of relationships formed in athletics, Brackenbury attributed shared goals as contributing to a strong social fabric.
“I think what makes sports relationships so strong and deep and long-lasting is this kind of shared goal as well as shared work ethic and struggle, because it’s not always easy,” Brackenbury said.
“You kind of struggle towards your goals and you overcome a lot and really lean on your teammates. That’s a pretty cool bond that is unique and sets it apart.”
Tags
sports community, Varsity Leadership Council, VLC
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s)-in-Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.