Captains’ columns: Alison Bagg

Alison Bagg
Alison Bagg

For five years I’ve had the privilege of playing for the Queen’s (Golden) Gaels varsity women’s hockey team. In my final year of eligibility I’ve done my best to appreciate every aspect of this experience.

My undergraduate years have been an unforgettable experience thanks to my membership on this team. From September to March my week consisted of two games and five on- and off-ice practices. This was in addition to countless hours in gyms, on buses and on the road. My teammates and I spent every weekend together in hotels and arenas. It’s not a surprise that I count these girls as my closest friends.

I also have my teammates, coaches and trainers to thank for the skills that I acquired and developed along the way. Lessons regarding co-operation, compromise, communication and what can be accomplished when people commit to achieving a common goal are all, in my opinion, inevitable by-products of any impassioned team endeavour.

Under the leadership of Leslie Dal Cin, we’ve seen impressive new facilities come to fruition and varsity teams bring home banners. These accomplishments are a credit to the dedicated athletes and coaches at Queen’s. They’re also indicative of Athletics and Recreation heading in the right direction.

Dal Cin is also working hard on behalf of athletes outside of the arena, field and gym. This important work needs to continue. It has been frustrating and discouraging to see exceptional individuals denied post-graduate opportunities at Queen’s.

Jimmy Allin, a defensive back on the 2009 Vanier Cup-winning football team was congratulated on his accomplishments, but told there wasn’t a position for him in a Queen’s professional program. He is instead studying medicine in Australia. Standout Academic All-Canadian student athletes like Allin and Cassie Sparks (my former captain, now an Ottawa Gee-Gee) are examples of our university’s short-sightedness. Is there really any evidence that an individual with an 87 per cent average will become a better lawyer/physician/graduate student than a student-athlete with an 80 per cent average?

I’m not proposing all student-athletes be granted admittance to the graduate or professional program of their choosing by virtue of their varsity status. I’m merely suggesting that Queen’s reappraise the weight given to grades. It seems reasonable that Queen’s recognize the sacrifices varsity athletes make because of the rigours of a varsity program. The same considerations should be given to students involved in theatre productions or student government, for example. I’ve discovered Queen’s medical school is out of reach for me because of marks, despite being on the dean’s list. I also know Queen’s likes to promote their student athletes as products of their making. Surely, then, Queen’s should appreciate the value and applicability of skills like teamwork, conflict resolution and multi-tasking when setting their post-graduate admission standards. It’s unfortunate that many of the same students Queen’s recruited who, after years of study and school involvement finish with a lower GPA because of their commitment to academics and extracurricular activities, are denied the opportunity to continue at this school.

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.

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