Corporate
TOP 10 TUESDAY: Alberta claims top spot in men’s wrestling
Throughout the 2017-18 season, U SPORTS sits down with one key athlete, coach, and staff member of each U SPORTS athletic program in our new interview series “Getting to know…”
Name: Scott Barker
School: UOIT
Position: Athletic Director
Hometown: Oshawa, Ont.
1. How did you get to your current position, and what do you enjoy most about your job?
What I enjoy most about my job is the interaction with the players and coaches, they work tirelessly and have such passion for sport. It is very rewarding when I see their hard work pay off, knowing the part I had in their experience being so successful. I have been fortunate enough to be at UOIT since its inception in 2002, and opportunities have presented themselves as the university has grown. Few people, across Canada, can lay claim to being involved in the early beginnings of something like this. To have been given the opportunity to lead the early years of Ridgeback athletics is something very special to me.
2. Who has had the most influence on your career?
I have been fortunate to work with many exceptional leaders over the years. I worked with exceptional leaders and dedicated staff who all demonstrated characteristics that I have learned from. It takes a special person to want to be a part of a new beginning, so I wouldn’t say it was one person where the influence has come from, but rather the UOIT community.
3. What is your greatest sporting moment or achievement?
Personally, my days in high school as my cohort of friends were all very athletic and we won many championships in a multitude of sports. As a fan, sadly I have never seen my Toronto Maple Leafs win a Stanley Cup. Also, in 2016 when the UOIT women’s soccer won our first OUA championship, that was very special.
4. How would you define a UOIT student-athlete?
They play for their team and not personal recognition, always competitive and give 100 per cent in all aspects of life. Respectful of others and truly appreciates how their time on the team will create memories and friendships that will last a lifetime, while truly enhancing their university experience into something that is incomparable to anything else.
5. What does success look like for the UOIT athletics program?
Success for us is knowing that recruits are deciding to come here, student-athletes excelling in their sport and in classroom, high retention and graduation rates and growing active alumni in the future.
6. What’s the biggest challenge you face in today’s sports world?
The landscape of university sport is ever-changing. There is more pressure on the athletes than ever before. I worry about their capacity to handle the pressures of university compounded with their competition requirements, player safety (physically and mentally) and the financial pressures that come with being a student. I think it is up to administration to ensure that everything we do is to support our student-athletes as far as ensuring expectations are met, and they are successful graduates and alumni when they end their playing careers.
7. Where would you like to see Canadian university sport in the next three to five years?
I would like to see a stronger affiliation with the Canadian sport system where we are keeping top athletes in Canada for university, and having the coaching and facilities for those athletes to train and compete. Hopefully, this would further open the doors for Canadian university to be known as the leader in athletics, recreation and high-performance sport.
8. If you could sit down for dinner with one person in the sports industry (athlete, coach or manager), who would it be? Why? What would you talk about?
Steve Yzerman, because his commitment and work ethic as a player was unmatched in his era and his vision as a leader now being the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning
9. What would you say to a sports fan who’s never watched a U SPORTS game/tournament/competition?
Give it a try and you will be amazed.
10. What do you enjoy doing when you’re away from work?
Spending time with my wife, three boys at the cottage with family and friends.
