Top: Rookie Falcon Danielle Ruocco driving to the hoop. Right: Rookie of the year, Ravi Basra, charges down the court at PacWest provincials. LAURA MAY submitted photos Falcon teams defeated at PacWest FALCON scores PacWest provincial tournament put both Falcons teams to the test MEN'S By JORDAN MACDONALD QUARTER-FINAL 1 Camosun Chargers: 85 Langara Falcons: 77 oth the Langara Falcons men’s and women’s basketball teams were eliminated in the first round of the PacWest provincial basketball tournament last week. The tournament ran from March 3 to 5 and was hosted by Capilano Univer- sity. The Vancouver Island University Mariners won both the men’s and wom- en’s final. The fifth-seeded Falcons women’s WOMEN'S QUARTER-FINAL 1 Quest Kermodes: 68 Langara Falcons: 38 Source: PacWest team played the fourth-seeded Quest Kermodes in the first round. The Fal- cons lost 68-38. “We felt like we had a solid game plan, and we didn’t execute any of it,” said women’s coach Mike Evans. “Because our kids played so much, I think that’s going to be helpful, I expect all of the rookies to be 50 per cent bet- ter next year,” said Evans. The third-seeded Falcons men’s team played the sixth-seeded Camosun Chargers. The Falcons had an 11-point lead heading into the second half, but ended up losing 85-77. “We played a great first half, we were in control of the game,” said men’s coach Paul Eberhardt. “In the third quarter they came out and they played really well and our youth really started to show.” “If we had played our best we would have beat them,” said Eberhardt. Ravi Basra, point guard for the men’s team and PacWest rookie of the year, believes that the poor results were due to the team’s youth. “T think it was just a lack of experi- ence,” said Basra. “Most of our team is made up of freshmen, but it was defi- nitely a good learning experience.” Despite this year’s disappointment, Basra is optimistic about his team go- ing forward. “Our future is really bright,” said Basra. “This season was a big step in the right direction, we look to build off this season and become a more experi- enced and hungry team.” Wallyballers go AWOL Wallyball games have been few and far between in South Vancouver By DANIEL DADI-CANTARINO allyball - a sport that involves Wiis a volleyball around a racquetball court — is dying in South Vancouver. There are some 9,000 wallyball play- ers registered in Vancouver, but rarely do they take up the sport. Experts cred- it the slow decline to its organizing body — located in the United States. The body’s location means it retains little oversight over Canadian groups. “There are groups in the U.S. that keeps us posted so that we know what’s going on, but outside of the U.S. it gets a bit harder,” said Rudy Morel, one of the founding members of the American Wallyball Association. There are approximately 2.3 million wallyball players registered with the AWA in Canada. What the sport needs is a sister as- sociation in Canada. “We have information on the facili- ties, but we don’t know if the club is running the show or if it’s a group of players and when they stop, they don’t bother to let us know,” said Morel. Wallyball, invented in 1971, is a fast- paced variant of volleyball played in- doors on racquetball courts, where the ball is allowed to bounce off the walls and ceiling. Kyle Berger, sports coordinator at the Jewish Community Centre of AWA submitted photo Wallybail is popular in the U.S.A. Greater Vancouver on 41st Avenue and Oak Street, used to play on an employ- ee team and would like to play wally- ball again. “If I could do it I would certainly start it up Lagain], it’s a lot of fun, that’s what I mean. It’s a really fun game to play,” said Berger. Tony Syskakis, community recre- ation supervisor for the Marpole- Oakridge Community Centre, does not know why popularity has dwindled. “We have the equipment for it, but it’s not something people request to play,” said Syskakis. For South Vancouver, community centres like Marpole-Oakridge will continue to make wallyball equipment and facilities available. “It’s one of those things that is of- fered, at some point maybe it will pick up, but right now it’s not that common,” said Syskakis. Find your chi in gigong Qigong is an ancient Chinese holistic system that consists of physical postures, breathing techniques and mental focus By CHANTELLE DEACON in a modern world can find the an- swer in an ancient Chinese prac- tice. Qigong (chee-gung), meaning “culti- vating energy” in Chinese, is a medita- tion form that is taught at the Sunset Community Centre. For people looking to meditate, qigong is an alternative to yoga or tai chi and consists of physical postures meant to promote energy and overall health. Rich Sobel, the owner of Reel- ing Silk T’ai Chi Chuan, said that there are a few differences be- tween tai chi and qigong. “Tai chi is a martial art, qigong is not. They both manipulate the same energies but to different ends,” said Sobel. “Most people nowadays use them interchangeably as healthy wellness exercises but there is no fluid progression from posture to pos- ture in qigong as there is in tai chi.” At the Li Rong Wushu and Qigong Academy in South Vancouver, instructor and owner, Li Rong, starts every new stu- dent off with qigong un- til those movements be- come familiar to the student. She will then start teaching the stu- dent tai chi, said student P=: looking to find inner peace Patrick Colvin. “The idea there is that once the stu- dent can do it well, when they can get into the form well, then they can feel what is happening in tai chi,” said Col- vin. feeling.” 66 You have Colvin said in his experience, qigong to get your can help people heal from injuries. ° “Qigong is basically a series of poses body into and forms that are very specific,” said a very Colvin. “You have to get your body into ° pe a very specific posture. When you do Sp ecifi € it just right, it is a really powerful posture. Alexandra Lynn practises When you qigong on a regular basis do it Just and says it has been ex- 4 47 tremely beneficial for her rig At, it is health. a really “T just go outside, usu- ally to Sunset Park, while p owerfi ul I practise qigong,” said feeling Lynn. “I have been doing it for five years and I feel mentally and physi- cally stronger as a person.” PATRICK COLVIN QIGONG STUDENT CHANTELLE DEACON photo Jennifer Heisch practises qi- gong in South Vancouver.