The Varsity Blues’ women’s basketball team is hoping to reach a higher level in standings, coming from the fourth seed in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) East Division last season. The team is focused on running deep into the playoffs and reaching the national championships at Laval.
Under guidance of captains Jill Stratton and Jasmine Lewin, the team looks forward to playing with a promising bench. Each member of the roster has the ability to see a substantial amount of playing time and make a huge impact on the court.
“As a team captain this year being a leader is one of my biggest roles,” said Stratton. “This involves leading by example and being a role model for the younger players. I have to make sure I am always working hard and encouraging others to do the same,” she said.
Being aware of individual differences in learning styles and tendencies of players is a large part of Stratton’s focus.
During the off-season, aside from getting up shots, Stratton spent quite a bit of time in the weight room gaining muscle.
“Historically I have been one of the smaller, skinnier players, so I would… constantly get thrown and pushed around by stronger teams. I spent a lot of time in the weight room and I gained quite a bit of muscle,” said Stratton.
Building on her leaderships skills as a captain, Stratton worked with coaches at skill sessions during the off-season as well.
Leading into training camp, the Varsity Blues lost a few players to injuries, which has been a setback for the team, and many players missed substantial time on the court.
The team recently travelled to Montreal for a tournament, and Stratton explained the difficulties during practice and how the team looks to battle back, with the first regular season game at the University of Waterloo on November 7.
“It has been difficult to practice with a minimal amount of players. Additionally we have a pretty different team this year, so none of us have really played together before,” said Stratton.
“We are still trying to figure things out and improve our team chemistry. Our pre-season did not go as well as we would have liked, but we had some good moments,” she added.
However, the team managed to compete in close games in the Montreal tournament with teams ranked in the Canadian Intercollegiate Sport top 10 who had more substantial preseason training than the Blues.
“Pre-season was kind of a wake up call, so we are now aware of what we have to work on and things we need to fix before the season starts. We know we have a lot of work to do, so everyone is bringing a great work ethic to practice every day,” said Stratton.
The Blues as a team is considered small compared to other teams in the league. This provides difficulties in rebounding and post match ups. However, being a small team has its advantages as well.
“We are quicker and more athletic than other teams, which allows us to get out and run and capitalize on fast breaks,” said Stratton.
“We can spread the floor, and everyone has the ability to shoot the three. We want to be known as a hard working, high-energy team. This year we hope to make a run deep into playoffs and get to the national championships at Laval,” she said.
Varsity teams at U of T are looking forward to regular season games at the new Goldring Centre. The new facility features seating for 2,000 and features a state of the art weight room and other fitness equipment.
“I am really excited that we will be playing at the Goldring Centre this year. I am happy I will get the chance to play in it for my last year. Hopefully it will help bring more people out for games which will provide a great atmosphere to play in,” said Stratton.
You can catch the team’s home opener on November 14 against the University of Windsor. The game will be at Kimel Field House in the new Goldring Centre.
