UNBC soccer coach Sonny Pawar is prepared to meet the challenge.
Last week, the Canada West Universities Athletic Association deferred for one month a decision on UNBC's membership application. The local school had proposed entering Canada West in men's and women's basketball in 2012 and in men's and women's soccer in 2014. But, at the CWUAA's annual general meeting in Saskatoon, the organization altered its membership rules and now requires each new applicant to join in at least two different sports.
UNBC athletics director Jason Kerswill subsequently informed the CWUAA that the school will have its soccer teams ready for competition in 2012. He's now working on revising the application so it includes more information about the plans for soccer.
Both UNBC soccer teams completed their fourth years in the B.C. Colleges Athletic Association in 2010. The male version of the Northern Timberwolves surprised all observers by winning a silver medal at the BCCAA provincial championship tournament. The women's team, however, suffered through a winless season (see other story).
Pawar, who guides the UNBC men, said he's excited about the opportunity to jump to Canada West a couple years earlier than planned.
"We're doing what we can in order to take that next step," he said. "As far as us being able to compete immediately, it's going to be difficult. But, I think they want to see the intent. No one's expecting a UNBC soccer program to go in there and either be competitive or even do all that well in the first couple years, but I think if our application can prove that we have the intent to build and to continue to compete and improve, that's a solid application."
Pawar was a player in Canada West -- part of the larger body of Canadian Interuniversity Sport -- for five years. He suited up for the University of Alberta Golden Bears from 1988 to 1990 and spent his final two seasons at the University of Calgary. He said there's a big gap between the BCCAA and Canada West.
"We're talking about four or five of your top players on each of the [UNBC] teams at the B.C. colleges level being able to possibly make a team at the CIS level," he said. "It's a big jump, and I think it's a closer level of competition in basketball than in soccer just because of the sheer number of athletes that are in play at one time. The depth is much more difficult to achieve on a team in a sport like soccer, whereas in basketball you're dealing with five players. To be solid in 11 positions across the field, it's difficult to do, and that's what you see at the CIS level."
UNBC's potential transition from the BCCAA to Canada West could be eased slightly by the fact the CWUAA is proposing a Tier 1/Tier 2 competitive structure that would start in 2012. That move would have to be approved by the CIS.
Both the CWUAA and the CIS have meetings scheduled for June. At the Canada West gathering, June 6-9 in Victoria, UNBC may finally know the fate of its application.
UNBC originally applied for membership in basketball in 2008. In May of 2009, a vote on that application was deferred for one year. Then, in May of 2010, it was rejected. UNBC was permitted to re-apply and added soccer to its proposal.
