Players from the New West Hyacks practise (right) before playing in provincial semi-finals this weekend at B.C. Place Stadium (left). Teens stoked to play on B.C. Lions turf Playing in the biggest games of the season in a large stadium will add to the experience By KATE RICHARDSON igh school football players will be playing on the very same field as the pros they look up to and say the experience is worth the hefty price tag it comes with. Teams will be playing in the prov- ince’s biggest stadium, BC Place for semi-finals this weekend, and the championship game the following weekend. “It’s kind of surreal,” said Jake La- berge, Terry Fox Ravens quarterback and captain. “Some kids never get to do that in their whole career, and to do it at least twice this year, it’s really cool.” Laberge transferred to Terry Fox Secondary School, in Port Coquitlam, because of its strong athletics program. They are leading the league undefeat- ed with 10 wins. This experience is formative for stu- dents and might never happen again for many of them, said Kris Pechet, president of the British Columbia High School Football Association. “It’s a thrill for the boys, being able to play at the same place the White- caps and of course the BC Lions play their games,” Pechet said. There are significant costs to play- ing football. Schools are expected to sell their own tickets and bring their own crowds to offset the $20,000 per day plus taxes it costs to use the stadi- um, as well as travel costs, although teams are expected to fund their own travel. “You want to have a centralized lo- cation for these playoff games because you want to have a centralized crowds for one thing,” Pechet said, explaining why BC Place is the ideal location. The weather also can be dodgy this time of year. “These kids are highly skilled and often on a cold rainy muddy day you don’t get to see their skills at their very best and I think they deserve that they put so much work in,” he said. Martin McDonnell, head coach of the Ravens says the big crowds make a big difference. “It’s exciting to the kids to play in a nice facility like that,” he said. Happy about the team’s success so far, he’s focused on Saturday. RUMANA DSOUZA, KATE RICHARDSON photos = = 66 It’s kind of surreal... it’s really cool JAKE LABERGE TERRY FOX RAVENS CAPTAIN RUMANA DSOUZA photo Sweater and ticket sales were down last year as fans lost faith. Canucks stock drops The team’s recent struggles on the ice have translated into a financial downturn for the organization at large By RUMANA DSOUZA has plunged seven per cent, indi- cating it may no longer be the sought-after brand it once was, accord- ing to a listing released this week by Forbes Magazine. Valued at $745 million, the Vancou- ver Canucks are now the sixth most valuable franchise in the NHL, accord- ing to Forbes’ team evaluations. Despite the Canucks being the big- gest sports team in town, the Canucks’ sellout streak has ended last season, with tickets selling in the secondary market for as little as $20, Forbes said. But the Canucks still generate $107 mil- lion in revenue from their brand. Peter Tingling, associate professor at the Beedie School of Business, SFU, said brands are crucial in generating business value, and the sports business is no exception. Tingling uses profes- sional sport, the NHL in particular, to test business theories. “The brand is important. You have to Te: value of the Vancouver Canucks get fans to be involved and to be loyal. You have to get them to buy the stuff that’s going to drive up your profitabil- ity. But you also have to manage your business,” Tingling said. Forbes’ data pointed to attendance correlating strongly with merchandise sales. The greater the fan base is, the more the franchise’s revenue and its worth, in turn. “The level of commitment fans have to a team is expressed in many ways. It could be expressed in the extreme with tattoos, but really, it’s expressed in terms of going to the game and buying their branded products,” Tingling said. Nick Morrison, a longtime Canucks fan, said he believes the Canucks will continue to be a strong and succesful brand despite the recent dip. “Their branding appeals to young people with money. You need to have money to go see the Canucks play,” he said. “Tt would be fair to say that fans are often exploited...People will always want to watch their games.” Fighter readies fists, knees, elbows By TESSA VIKANDER A lack of ; hawn Wicks spends 14 hours a f ormidable Ss: lifting weights and doing opponents heavy cardio because he wants to in Vancou- pe ready to go whenever he’s offered a ight. ver has a He is a Muay Thai fighter one of the ; few in Vancouver involved in the mar- Muay Thai tial art known for its use of fists, elbows, boxer look- _ knees and shins. ; Wicks’ coach, Jason Fenton, owner of ing ab road Iron City Gym, said that it’s always the for his next same 15 or 16 men fighting, and that he match would rather his students travel else- where, and compete against new oppo- nents. Wicks is motivated by the possi- bility of an imminent fight. “If somebody says ‘hey we’ve got a fight in four weeks in Malaysia or Thai- Shawn Wicks trains hard at Tron City Gym preparing for his next fight scheduled. TESSA VIKANDER photo land,’ I wanna be able to say ‘hell yeah, definitely, let’s do it!” Competitions consist of two people who fight for five three-minute rounds. “A lot of time we get last minute calls,” Fenton said. “So I make sure that all of my guys are in shape all of the time.” From his time as a competitive fight- er, Fenton has been around the world at least six times, fighting in Europe, Asia, the U.S. and Mexico. He’s a coach who’s admired by his students and said he wants to give them the same travel op- portunities that he had. “In Alberta, we will go to fight shows and they will be bringing guys in from Ontario or the States. I'd rather go [there] and [have my student] lose to someone really good, but gain experi- ence,” he said. Wicks moved to Vancou- ver from Newfoundland this summer, and said that his previous coach was adamant that he train with Fenton once he arrived. “Jason’s made contacts all over the world,” said Wicks, who noted that if it weren’t for Fenton’s reputation and notoriety, he wouldn’t have the potential for as many in- ternational fighting opportu- nities. Travel costs are usually paid for by the promoters, said Wicks, “which is great incentive to be in shape all of the time.” It’s a sport that is steeped in tradition, and fighters are taught to respect their teach- ers and opponents. “Win or lose,” said Wicks “its just satisfaction. The ca- maraderie you ultimately feel for someone that you end up fighting is just amazing.”