{"id":52354,"date":"2018-07-18T12:03:06","date_gmt":"2018-07-18T16:03:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/?p=52354"},"modified":"2020-08-13T11:36:52","modified_gmt":"2020-08-13T15:36:52","slug":"brock-students-step-up-for-master-indigenous-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brocku.ca\/brock-news\/2018\/07\/brock-students-step-up-for-master-indigenous-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Brock students step up for Master Indigenous Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nichole Davey knows the difference support from the sidelines can make.<\/span><\/p>\n

A seasoned softball player and decorated past member of Aboriginal Team Ontario, the third-year Sport Management student has focused her commitment on ensuring the needs of athletes are met during competitions.<\/span><\/p>\n

For the past two months, Davey, from Six Nations, Ont., has been interning as the volunteer co-ordinator for the 2018 Masters Indigenous Games. A first of its kind in Ontario, the event showcased Indigenous athletic achievement and celebrated Indigenous cultures, knowledge and ways of being from July 12 to 15 in Toronto.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor some Indigenous athletes, attending a major games event could be the first time they\u2019ve ever left home,\u201d Davey says. \u201cI know what it\u2019s like to travel long distances and be separated from my family, so it is really important to me that athletes are provided with the best support possible.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Sport Management students Nicole Davey, Hope Blackmore and Fitriya Mohamed Hussein at Scotiabank Pond \u2014 the volunteer headquarters for the 2018 Masters Indigenous Games.<\/p><\/div>\n

Davey got a taste of volunteering during the Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games, which she offered up her time for through the Sport Management Major Games Field Course, led by Sport Management Associate Professor Laura Cousens.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI gained course credit and valuable experience that enabled me to build positive relationships with the event organizers and helped me to get my current internship,\u201d she says.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Masters Indigenous Games were founded to meet the growing need for competitive sport for Indigenous adults and are a direct legacy of the successful Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games, for which<\/span> Brock was a partner<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Davey became involved in the Masters Indigenous Games through a third-year Special Studies in Sport Management course. She was part of a team of six students tasked with creating a volunteer portfolio for the event.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were responsible for creating and implementing a plan that recruited, screened, trained and delivered scheduling assignments to Indigenous and non-Indigenous volunteers from around the Toronto area,\u201d explains Davey. \u201cWe liaised with the municipality and reached out to community centres, agencies and various colleges and universities for engagement.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, Brock\u2019s Department of Sport Management partnered with the Games to offer the Major Games Field Course.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThis year, we had 19 Sport Management students volunteer and at least another 10 alumni working with the Masters Indigenous Games in a variety of capacities,\u201d says Cousens. \u201cThis is the fifth time we have partnered with a major games to offer this course and among the alumni I connected with onsite, all of them had participated in a past games through this course.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The training, which began in February, included project management, games hosting skills for a multi-sport event, problem-solving and cultural competency training.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAll of our student volunteers have completed in-class training to prepare them for the leadership roles in the field,\u201d says Cousens.<\/span><\/p>\n

Brock students were involved in all aspects of the games, including:<\/span><\/p>\n