d September 2017 PRESIDENTS REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Good News!! ADSA has received $75,875.83 from 2-Day Casino. It will be used in new fiscal year (January 1 st , 2018) ADSA has sponsored Canada Deaf 55+ Games (CD55+G) which was held on August 13-17 in Edmonton. The event went very well and successful. The special guests, Andrew Ference, Alberta Sports Connection Board Chair (retired Oilers player) and Sarah Hoffman, Deputy Premier and the Alberta Minister of Health came for the banquet presentation and awarded the medals to the participants. That’s very special for everyone. Congratulation to CD55+G committee for hard work! We are looking forward to attend Canada Deaf Sports Association (CDSA) Annual General Meeting on September 15-16 in Winnipeg, MB. We will provide the updates next newsletter. Grant President Grant Underschultz with Alberta Sport Connection (ASC) Chair, Andrew Ference at the Canada Deaf 55+ Games Banquet on August 17 th , 2017. President’s Report 1 Deaflympics 2-3 Canadian Deaf Golf Championships 4 Canada Deaf 55+ Games 5 Canada Deaf Games 6 Cundy Cup 7 ADSA History Book Form 8 Honrary Member Criteria and Nomination Form 9-10 Male and Female Athlete of the Year Nomination Form 11 2017-18 Membership Form 12 Calendar of Events 13-14
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September 2017
PRESIDENTS REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS
Good News!! ADSA has received $75,875.83 from 2-Day Casino. It will be used in new fiscal year (January 1st, 2018) ADSA has sponsored Canada Deaf 55+ Games (CD55+G) which was held on August 13-17 in Edmonton. The event went very well and successful. The special guests, Andrew Ference, Alberta Sports Connection Board Chair (retired Oilers player) and Sarah Hoffman, Deputy Premier and the Alberta Minister of Health came for the banquet presentation and awarded the medals to the participants. That’s very special for everyone. Congratulation to CD55+G committee for hard work! We are looking forward to attend Canada Deaf Sports Association (CDSA) Annual General Meeting on September 15-16 in Winnipeg, MB. We will provide the updates next newsletter.
Grant
President Grant Underschultz with Alberta Sport Connection (ASC) Chair, Andrew Ference at the Canada Deaf 55+ Games Banquet on August 17th, 2017.
President’s Report 1
Deaflympics 2-3
Canadian Deaf Golf Championships 4
Canada Deaf 55+ Games 5
Canada Deaf Games 6
Cundy Cup 7
ADSA History Book Form 8
Honrary Member Criteria and Nomination Form
9-10
Male and Female Athlete of the Year Nomination Form
11
2017-18 Membership Form 12
Calendar of Events 13-14
RACHEL EASTWOOD – CANADA DEAF WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
“I will always remember my experience at the Deaflympics, as it was truly unique from anything that I have already experienced. Traveling to Turkey was the longest trip I have ever been on and also traveling alone without family members. One of my absolute favorite memories from the whole trip was arriving in the Olympic Village for the first time, as we arrived at 5 am in the morning Turkey time. As we arrived we were all so jet lagged and tired, the village was completely silent and on the side of the hill overlooking the ocean. The best part was walking down to our dorms in “D” block as the sun was rising, experiencing the Turkish morning heat. We shared our building with various countries like USA, Brazil and Japan.
I was still very new to the world of signing so I was challenged every day with communicating with my teammates plus with the additional challenge of communicating with those from other countries; this became easier as the trip went on. The most exhilarating moment would have to be the opening ceremonies, walking out on to that stage with thousands of people in that enormous arena was incredible. It was a wonderful day as we got to mingle with the other countries and the Turkish volunteers before which really created a friendly and happy atmosphere.
I was so honored to be given the chance to represent Canada in the Deaflympics and was honored to be there with my teammates and other competing athletes. Everyone there shared a similar story and had to united goal of being competitive athletes.”
ERIN RAMSAY– CANADA DEAF WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
“Representing Canada in the 23rd Summer Deaflympics in Samsun, Turkey was an honour and an amazing experience. Though we did not make the playoffs, we gave our all, and I am very proud of our team for improving each game. We finished as a better and stronger team compared to our first game. Because of the incredible experience and the potential we have as a team, I am already longing to return to the next Deaflympics in four years with even bigger goals.
To me, the Deaflympics are not just about winning, but also about the unique experience that comes from bringing together over 3,000 deaf athletes from 97 countries. What a privilege it is to be a part of that! I would like to express my gratitude to ADSA for the continued support over the years. Not only did ADSA support me this year, but four other volleyball players. Thanks to ADSA’s commitment, deaf athletes from Alberta like me have an opportunity to compete at an elite level.”
SERENA KLAPSTEIN– CANADA DEAF WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
“My experience at the 2017 Deaflympics was amazing. I had never been to Turkey before and it is something I will never forget. The people were welcoming, generous, and extremely hospitable. The volunteers were outstanding and I made many Turkish friends. They always went the extra mile for us athletes. I have played volleyball for over nine years, but have never competed at such a high level. The women’s volleyball was phenomenal. Even though our team didn’t place as high as we wanted, we played better than we ever have before. It was awesome to see us improve every game. Our last game against Turkey was the best volleyball we have ever played. We worked well as a team by constantly communicating and trusting each other. Playing volleyball deaf is more difficult because communication is so vital, but our team thrived in Samsun. Hopefully at the next Deaflympics we’ll get a medal. As for the Opening Ceremonies, it was unreal! A spectacular show. I’ll never forget walking onto the stage and seeing the scr eaming crowd of 37,000 people. It was an exhilarating feeling. For the duration of the games, we stayed at an Olympic Village. There were three. Every day I met athletes from all over the world and it was really cool to learn about other countries and their cultures. I’ve never been in an environment like that. Everyone was so friendly and kind. All in all, I am so grateful to get the opportunity to represent Canada at the Deaflympics. I cannot wait to go and compete again in four years.”
Deaflympics Samsun, Turkey
KRISTEN WOOD– CANADA DEAF WOMEN’S VOLLEYBALL
“I was fortunate to attend the Deaf Olympics in Turkey during July 2017 for two weeks. It was my very first Deaf Olympics and it was one of the richest experiences I have ever had. I did not play on the courts because I am a new player on this team, however I learned so much from watching the team an d other countries play. I also met a lot new people from other countries and learned how to use the International Sign Language. I am not going to lie, it was very difficult at the first but after a few days, I eventually got it. I really enjoyed this trip, not only because I was in Turkey but also being around my team mates for the entire two weeks brought us close. I really hope I will be able to participate in the next Deaf Olympics in Summer of 2021. I am already looking forward to it!”
“It was such an honor to represent Canada in the 23rd summer Deaflympics. Walking in the athletes parade in opening ceremonies was by far one of the most amazing experiences in my life so far. The moment I walked onto the stage among my fellow Canadians into the massive stadium with over 30 thousand people I got chills down my spine. Hearing the loud cheers and feeling the vibrations from all the people cheering at us when we walked in made me really proud to be Canadian. Having the opportunity to play volleyball at this level was amazing. I love playing against different countries and playing against different styles of volleyball. The facilities were very nice, and the spectators were very energetic, especially in our Turkey game. It was incredible to be playing in front of a large audience. I really enjoyed meeting people from other countries. Learning about other cultures and interacting with other nations was always fun and was something I always enjoyed doing. I especially loved learning what their sign for Canada was and why. Turkey was a very beautiful country and all the people I met were very nice. These Deaflympic games have been amazing and I am honored that I got to represent Canada in such a big event. It truly was an unforgettable experience with memories I am happy to have made.”
Mark Duncan
“Le Diable was one of the toughest golf courses I have played to date. The course provided some challenges such like tree-hugging narrow fairways, ponds and red-sand bunkers on either side of the holes and the puzzling greens.
Canadian Deaf Golf Championships was an awesome experience for a rookie like me, got to play with some incrediable golfers and picked some tips to improve with my game. The tournament was in small town called Mont Tremblant, 2.5 hours drive north of Montreal. Mont Tremblant was almost the same as Banff. It had pedestrian-only street with shop, restaurants and hotels. It even had luge attraction where you can hop onto a sled and take you through hills and corners. I did not get to experience it but it looked really fun to do the ride. It is on my to-do list for my next visit to Mont Tremblant.
Played in three rounds of golf, my scores for these three rounds were 98-98-96. First two were a lot of up and down battles with the course. I was able to take the handle of the course in my final round but it came with a blooper! On the first hole, on my first shot, the ball went sli ghtly left into the trees. When I came up to the ball, it was laying right beside the tree. As per to the golf rules, can not move the ball and have to play as is. I had my old but relaible sand wedge in my hand and was ready to loft the ball back onto the fairway. After I hit the ball, my after-swing hit the tree and it broke the sand wedge in half! What a way to start my final round and had to play the rest of the round without the old but reliable sand wedge.
I was pretty satisfied with how I played in my first deaf golf championships and had set a personal goal to finish in top 5 in men category at 2019 Canadian Deaf Golf Championships where will be in Richmond, British Columbia.
Would like to say many thanks to Alberta Deaf Sports Association, my family and friends who have supported me in making it possible for me to reach my dream. Thanks again!!”
Gregory Bradford
This summer I had the pleasure of participating in the 13th bi-annual Canadian Deaf
Golf Championships held in Mont-Tremblant, QC. Located two hours north of
Montreal, the team played at Diablo with over 48 golfers including men’s,
women’s, seniors and recreational players. We experienced superb golfing weather
and everyone was excited to play the course. When it came to putting, the green
was fast and there was definitely not a shortage of sand traps, which they called
the course Diablo (Devil). I am happy to claim third place out of 16 players for
senior’s men division. I was qualified for the World Deaf Golf Championships in
Dublin Ireland in July.
Canadian Deaf Golf Championships Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
Ladder Toss
The 1st ever Canada Deaf 55+ Games was held in Edmonton, Alberta on August 13th to 17th.
1st Place – Western Canada (350 points total) 2nd Place – Atlantic Canada (285 points total) 3rd Place – Quebec (272 points total) 4th Place – Ontario (197 points total)
