THEVOICE |

THURSDAY, NOV. 7, 2019 |

EDITOR JOSHUA REY

A rALCOMS 3

Sportsnews

Falcons' Katie Skipworth (Left) and Meagan Briggs (Right) defend against Okanagan’s Elizabeth Henne in a game on Nov.1, 2019 at the Langara College gym. STEVEN CHANG PHOTO

Different countries, same game

U.S. basketball different from Canadian: new Faloons players 2

= By STEVEN CHANG

ile the game of

basketball serves as

a universal language

among hoopers,

there are differences in the sport

between Canada and the United

States. Something that the Falcons

have learned over the past three years.

This year’s Langara women’s basketball team has three U.S. recruits that all played in the junior college level for two years before coming to Canada.

Meagan Briggs is from Redding, California, studying Criminology. She came to Langara with former junior college teammate Emma Jones, looking to learn about basket-

ball in a different environment.

“Besides the rules being a little different, I would say there are more team components in Canada, whereas in the States you see a lot of indi- vidual play- ers trying to LL carry the entire team,” Said Briggs, on team culture between the two countries.

Jones, from Camas, Washing- ton and enrolled in Recreational Management. She spoke about tran- sitioning to Canadian basketball.

“Every coach is going to be differ-

“It’s more participation in Canada and putting kids in a team-oriented

environment." — MEAGAN BRIGGS, FALCONS PLAYER

ent with their play calls, but the terminology is similar. Sometimes coach will use a different vocabulary, —> then Meagan and I would look at each other and recognize the plays we’ve learned from the past,” Jones said.

Third year ! General Management student, Katie Skip- worth from Lebanon, Oregon, also had to make adjustments to her game because the rules in PACWEST are slightly different.

“In the States, you get a 30-second shot clock and here it’s 24 seconds,” Skipworth said. “That’s a huge differ-

ence for us, especially for me being a point guard that needs to bring the ball up the court.”

The three U.S. transfers said the competitiveness in American basket- ball culture begins at an early age.

Jones said basketball got compet- itive in the first grade. Briggs’ first team was in the third grade.

Briggs says Canadian youth sports programs are leaning towards partic- ipation and the U.S. focuses more on developing individual athletes.

“It’s more participation in Canada and putting kids in a team-oriented environment. Whereas in the States, we start training kids at a young age just to get better,” Briggs said.

The U.S. Players hope to bring

success to the Falcons this season.

FALCONS 433 GAMES

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Last game:

Okanagan Coyotes 53 , Langara Falcons 50. At Langara College Nov.1, 2019

Next Game:

Langara Falcons at Capiliano Blues, Nov.8,2019 at 6 BM.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Last game:

Okanagan Coyotes 93, Langara Falcons 88. At Langara College Nov. 1, 2019

Next Game:

Langara Falcons at Capilano Blues, Nov.8, 2019 at 8 PM.

Ping pong club

More members are joining and a new table Is needed

= By LINA CHUNG

ith the interest in the sport increasing each year, the Langara ping

pong club has been struggling to keep up with the demans and hopes either the student union buys a second table or the college will add some on

campus.

The club has approximately ww membe *S Reza Shamekhi who all play PING PONG CLUB on the sole PRESIDENT

table owned by the Langara

Students’ Union. The tournaments

have scheduled times to play, though they also allow informal practice day to day. On the day members want to play, they text their interest via their Whatsapp group, Langara friends, and hear back from others who also want to play. Sometimes there’s a wait.

“There's over 12 people

rowing, needs space

even suggested outdoor ping pong tables located around campus.

Shamekhi said in addition to loving the sport, he’s made friends at the table.

“I didn’t know anyone,” said Shame- khi, a first-

year general

“There’s over and you need to wait sciences 12 people and . student. “One you need to | for 30minutestoone | aay, 1 went wait for 30 hour ” into the Lang-

minutes to one hour,” said Alex Utsumi an engineering program student.

Saransh Kumar, a biology student, has seen increased interest from students in the ping pong club espe- cially on Clubs Day in September.

‘That day, “60 people enrolled,” said Kumar.

Reza Shamekhi, president of Langara’s ping pong club, has more than 200 signatures from Langara students who would like LSU or Langara to purchase another ping pong table. He says the gym would be a great place to locate a second

or third ping pong table. Shamekhi

— ALEX UTSUMI, PING PONG CLUB MEMBER

ara Student Union (LSU) building, saw some people playing ping pong and asked if he could play and they said eS.

* Shamekhi will decide what his next steps are to lobby for more ping pong tables on campus.

“I’m improving my leadership actually,” said Shamekhi.

Ping pong originated in Victorian England around the 1880s where it was played as an after-dinner parlour game by the upper-class. It didn't become an official Olympic sport until 1988 at the Seoul Summer Games.

A student plays a game of ping pong at the LSU Building. The ping pong

club has got so many members and one table isn't enough.

LINA CHUNG