Developing future leaders through sport

From personal fitness to intramural sports to varsity athletes, Concordia Recreation and Athletics offers the university community a plethora of opportunities to stay active and celebrate the success of their fellow students.

As well, Concordians had much to be proud of in 2023-24, from a golden year for women’s hockey to the Stingers alumni who competed at the Summer Olympics.

There were also several impressive individual accomplishments by players and coaching staff alike.

“All of our coaches are developing future leaders, and they are teaching our athletes skills that they’ll also get to use beyond the classroom,” says D’Arcy Ryan, director of Recreation and Athletics.

“Many of them are going to be able to step into leadership roles upon graduation based on the foundations of their academic programs, but also the leadership team-building aspects and all the positives that come with playing sport and the learning that they get from that environment.”

Women’s hockey prevails

“We want our message to be heard loud and clear: Concordia is the place for women’s hockey,” says Ryan. A quick recap of the 2023-24 season demonstrates why.

The Stingers women’s hockey team finished with a 25-0 undefeated regular season record. They followed this with an impressive run in the playoffs that culminated in a gold medal at the national championships — their second in three years.

“We absolutely, 100 per cent have to be shining the light on women’s hockey. It’s such a powerful movement across the country right now,” Ryan adds.

In addition to the banner season for the team, there were several notable individual accomplishments. Associate head coach Caroline Ouellette was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in December 2023, becoming just one of 10 women to have been so honoured.

Stingers captain Emmy Fecteau, meanwhile, was named Hockey Canada’s player of the year in October 2023. And in February 2024, she was tapped as one of the Top Eight student athletes in U SPORTS. This Academic All-Canadian status is granted to athletes who achieve excellence in the classroom, in their sport and in the community.

“Emmy embodies everything we want our student athletes to be,” says head coach Julie Chu.

Fecteau was drafted to the Professional Women’s Hockey League by New York in June.¹ She was selected 31st overall, making her the first and only player from U SPORTS to be picked.

Accolades in wrestling and football

With the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris from July 26 to August 11, Stingers alumni Alex Moore, BComm 23, and Linda Morais, BSc 17, competed for Team Canada in wrestling.

Moore competes at 90 kilograms and was named outstanding male competitor at the U SPORTS wrestling championships twice while competing as a Stinger. He was also Athlete of the Year at Concordia in 2023.

Morais clinched her Olympics spot in May at a qualifying competition in Istanbul, Turkey. She competes at the 68-kilogram weight class and joined her former Concordia teammate in Paris.

In football, Olivier Roy achieved the status of Concordia’s all-time leader in passing yards, 6,724, and touchdowns, 42, for Stingers quarterbacks.

“It’s quite a feat, considering he still has one more season to add to that record and we’ve had some very notable quarterbacks in the past,” Ryan points out. Roy also won football player of the year from the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ).

Investing in the Stingers’ future

A lot also went on behind the scenes to continue to ensure the success of the Concordia Stingers varsity program.

In March 2024, Athletics and Recreation began the process of renovating the Loyola gymnasium. The complex dates back to the 1960s and this is the first time it’s seeing a major upgrade, which is slated to be finished by fall 2024.

“We’ve taken the opportunity to remove the old pull-out bleachers and we’re investing in new mechanized bleachers on one side,” Ryan explains. “We’re also shifting the court over to brand new lighting, a new scoreboard and sound system, opening up the ceiling to make it feel larger, and obviously doing a refresh on the paint job and redoing the design on the wood-floor court.”

The Stingers’ annual Giving Tuesday fundraising drive, which Ryan notes is crucial to being able to provide a great student-athlete experience, successfully raised $220,000 in November 2023. It’s the most this event has raised yet, and they continue to shoot for a steady increase year over year.

On and off the playing field, the Recreation and Athletics team strives to create the best opportunities for Concordians to reach their athletic potential.

¹ During the month directly following the period covered by the 2023-24 Annual Report.