December 4, 2009 - 3:41am
When Canada’s men’s and women’s hockey teams pursue gold at
the Winter Olympics, Vancouver Island University physical education student
Luke Couture will be as close to the action as you can get without being in the lineup.
Couture, 19, of St. John, New Brunswick is a volunteer on
the ice crew at Canada Place – known outside the Feb. 12-28 Olympic period as
GM Place.
“I’ll be cleaning the ice, assisting the Zamboni driver,
doing repairs to the glass and ice,” said the second-year student.
“You might see me on TV for a few seconds between periods
before the commercials kick in.”
Couture expects to see some great action but said his volunteer
duties will come first.
“I have an 82-page instruction booklet. I’m really impressed
by the level of organization,” Couture said. “There are 10 pages alone on radio
calls and communications.”
He got the chance to
work at the Olympic hockey venue through Trevor Murphy, manager of community
and fan development for the Edmonton Oilers. Couture had worked for Murphy when
he ran Hockey Canada’s Atlantic Regional Centre in Saint John, N.B.
Murphy put Couture in contact with recruiters for volunteers
at the Vancouver Olympics. Couture applied and then kept following the detailed
steps of the application process for six months.
“Then I came home late one night in mid-summer and found out
I’d been accepted for hockey. I was bouncing off the walls. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity. I would have accepted a job picking up garbage just to be part of the
Olympics.”
Couture played goalie at the high school triple-A level in
St. John but it is his skill on the badminton court that helped him earn a President’s
Scholar Athlete Award at VIU. Student athletes from across Canada who have
achieved top academic marks as well as being top athletes in their chosen
sports are eligible for the awards. The scholarship is renewable if the student-athlete
maintains a 7.0 Grade Point Average.
VIU president and vice-chancellor Ralph Nilson sees
Couture’s involvement in the Games as a prime example of the university’s
strong endorsement of student engagement in our communities and VIU’s support
of the Olympics.
“The world spotlight will be on
Canada’s West Coast in February. This period of time is an opportunity to
showcase all that we have to offer – our magnificent natural landscape, our
diverse cultural environment and our warm, welcoming spirit.”
Couture sees his stint at the Winter Games as a chance to
talk to competitors who have turned their Olympic dreams into reality. He is
working toward becoming an Olympian himself.
“I’m training for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. That’s my
dream. That’s what I’m shooting for.”
It’s also a chance to see first-hand the complexity of an
international sports event. Couture sees golden opportunities to make contacts
as he explores career possibilities in sports management and sports psychology.
Couture said his commitment to work at the Olympics will
require him to be away from VIU for two weeks but he will only miss a few
classes because there is a reading week during the Games.
“I’ll just have to be disciplined to make sure I get caught
up,” Couture said.
Bruce Hunter, VIU Director of Athletics, is confident
Couture will take full advantage of the learning opportunity at the Olympics.
Hunter said VIU scholarship athletes like Couture have a
solid record of keeping up their academics while training and competing at the
university. “More than 50 per cent of our athletes have an average of B-plus or
higher. The typical athlete at VIU is an academic high-achiever.”
“It will be a real eye-opener for Luke, to be up close to
the action at the biggest sporting event in Canadian history. He will be able
to take a lot away from the experience.”
***
For more information, contact:
Bruce Hunter, VIU Director of Athletics: 250-740-6402 or
email Bruce.Hunter@viu.ca
Luke Couture: email
luke.couture@live.com
Tags: In the Community
