An interview with Athletic Director Wilf Wedmann
Scott Wright, Sports Editor

Wilf Wedmann has been involved with Simon Fraser University's athletic program since its inception. He was a high jumper during his undergraduate years before returning three years ago as athletic director. In his time, the program has seen significant changes. Teams have switched from the NAIA to the CIS, there have been issues with academic standards, and planning for the 2010 winter Olympic bid. The Peak recently caught up with the head of Clan athletics.

This is now your third year as athletic director at SFU. How would you rate your tenure?

I would rate it satisfactory, given the context within which we have been working. The strategic directions are established. The full athletics team is almost in place. Onwards, step by step.

Are there any moments which stand out?

Our Clan Induction Ceremonies each of the past two years. Becoming part of the 2010 Olympic Bid. Our women's basketball team's awesome season last year. Winning the Sears Cup the first year with two less teams and being close last year after a difficult fall. Our women's swim team's national championship title performance. Our consistently very strong women's softball team's national championship performances. Emilie Mondor's exceptional championship titles in cross country and track & field as an entering student-athlete.

The program has teams competing in the CIS and the NAIA. What can we expect to happen as this transition progresses?

I'm hoping our women's basketball team has blazed a trail of getting to know our new CIS competition and its performance conditions during the first year and then championship performances in the following year would be great. In the NAIA, although we only have half the teams competing in it compared to before, I hope we'll still contend for the Sears Cup each year. Winning championships demands an exceptional alignment of forces, but being an overall strong, consistent contender is what we wish to see from our Clan.

Under NAIA rules SFU was able to provide full scholarships to its athletes. CIS rules permit only tuition fees to be covered by the university. What do you do to help the athletes financially now that they have to pay fees themselves?

Under CIS rules, student-athletes are eligible for financial assistance that covers tuition and fees, and they are certainly free to receive any academic scholarship assistance and provincial/national carding assistance. While we will operate under the CIS rules, we are now also beginning an advocacy campaign within CIS to have those rules changed because we believe gifted student-athletes are deserving of financial assistance at the level offered in the NAIA.

While in the NAIA SFU's programs could offer recruits full scholarships as well as the opportunity to play against American competition. These attractions are now gone for many sports. Do you see this altering the complexion of SFU's teams?

Both the NAIA and the CIS have changed significantly over the years, so the simple CIS/NAIA comparison of years past does not apply any more. While some may look only at financial assistance and playing American as key distinguishing points, I believe the quality of our academic and athletic programming is much more important than simply those two points. All educational opportunities are not equal, and so students should examine themselves and their goals to determine which educational institution serves them best. The same applies to their athletic goals. The quality of coaching, the team environment, the support provided, etc., are all factors I believe an intelligent student-athlete should examine. I believe the SFU Clan experience is one that can stand up to that kind of review. For example, our women's softball program is led by a national Olympic Team coach. To train day-in-and-day-out with a world and Olympic wrestling champion like Daniel Igali is a rare opportunity. Each high school graduate will have to carefully examine his or her options and make the right choice for them, and I'm a strong believer that the SFU Clan offers a program that is completely worthy of those who seek to excel in their academic, athletic, and career goals.

Academically the CIS is known for having minimal standards for eligibility. What have you done, or will do to combat this?

We have chosen, after a careful review of the issue, to maintain the Clan academic standards of 37 years. 12 credit hours per term, 24 credit hour progress towards graduation, and 10 terms of athletic eligibility. Where possible, under exceptional circumstances we may grant relief from these requirements. We wish to see our Clan student-athletes graduate and move on to take advantage of what life has to offer them. So while the CIS has lower eligibility standards, we will continue to maintain the standards we maintained over the previous 37 years. One of our coaches put it very well: "It's all about standards and expectations; all the rest is management." SFU has high academic standards to enter and succeed, and our high standards and expectations also apply to our Clan student-athletes."

The NCAA has a rule which stipulates that athletes have only five years after graduation to complete their athletic eligibility. A similar rule had been discussed when the basketball teams first moved to the CIS but was eventually dropped. Now you are attempting to enforce such a rule again. Why?

One of our men's basketball student-athletes said it best during our Clan standards dialogue: "I've done the math. It doesn't make sense. Taking a lower course load means being at university an extra year and losing a year's salary." We agree with the individual's assessment. Our wish is to assist our gifted student-athletes with their academic and athletic goals, and encourage them to graduate and move on into their career and [their] life.

Do you plan on making this rule retroactive? The story I have received is that athletes were given a form to sign saying that they would comply with the five-year rule without being given notice of the form's content. Is this the case? If so, how do you justify the rule being retroactive and brought into action in such a secretive manner?

First, I do not understand your reference to a "secretive manner." Secondly, our student-athletes have always signed an agreement to receive financial assistance, and we have always worked within the 10 semester rule. When we entered the CIS with basketball, it is not my understanding that we changed our SFU operating rules just because we entered the CIS. Last year, we undertook an open dialogue on our SFU Clan Code and then decided to maintain our Clan standards despite the CIS's lower eligibility standards. There was nothing secretive about the process, and there was no change to begin with, and so there is no issue of retroactivity.

How were students notified of the continuance of the 10 semester rule? Did they have to sign anything to indicate that they comply with the rule?

We did not notify anyone of a change in policy because there was no change. We maintained the policy, but we did enter into a dialogue last year with our student-athletes and athletics staff to explore whether we should change our standards. After a four month process we decided not to change our standard, except to add a clause permitting an appeal on exceptional circumstances where the league rules permitted. Our standard student-athlete agreement was revised to improve the articulation of our mutual expectations - but the Clan Code was not changed with the exception of the above noted clause, and we did expand the use of the student-athlete agreement to include all members of the Clan teams, not just those receiving financial assistance. The previous Clan Code applied to all Clan student-athletes even if they did not receive financial assistance or have a signed agreement.

Is this a renewed concern with the football program moving to the CIS? Canadian universities have been known to stock their rosters with older players who have played years of community football following high school graduation. How do you prevent this from happening here?

From our Clan perspective, our Clan Code is not in response to the football program moving into the CIS. The issue was that we were now playing in two different leagues with different eligibility standards, and we wanted to limit the confusion by clearly articulating the standard by which we had operated and by which we wish to continue to operate. Our Clan Code reflects the standards by which we wish to operate, and as a member of Canada West and CIS, we will work to advocate what we believe is in the best interest of university sport.

Last year a motion was made by a group of athletes to reduce the required course load for athletes from 12 credit hours per semester to nine. Where does this presently stand?

Our Clan Code maintains the requirement of 12 credit hours per semester. This educational approach has worked very well for our Clan over the past 37 years and we did not hear any points that changed our perspective. We did however hear the view that we should strive to allow exceptions where they are possible and warranted, and have included the possibility for such exceptions to be made.

The 2010 Olympic bid involves building a speed skating oval on the SFU campus. How would this benefit the university?

The Olympic Speed Skating Oval would provide our Recreational Services & Athletics with much needed physical facilities. Our last RS&A building dates back to 1976 and our university has changed considerably since then. The Oval would allow us to expand our recreational service offerings (e.g. indoor running track, ice skating oval, hockey sheets, fitness centre) and would also enhance our Clan indoor training facilities. This facility would therefore provide us with a much-needed expansion of facilities in terms of both recreation and athletics.

Finally, where do you see the program headed? Have things improved as a result of the switch to the CIS?

From a scheduling perspective and access to national championship competition, the CIS has definitely improved the opportunities for some of our sports. On the other hand, the lower CIS standards on eligibility and financial assistance for student-athletes are somewhat challenging at this time. We will work to ensure we can achieve the best for our Clan student-athletes in whichever league we compete. Our Clan athletic program is committed to maintaining the unique approach to student-athletics which our university adopted at its inception. Our wrestling program, I believe, developed an approach which allows gifted student-wrestlers to strive for excellence at the highest level (e.g. Olympic gold medallist Daniel Igali). It is my hope that we will expand, as our resources permit, that approach for all our programs.

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