Queen's University Athletics

Dear Booster, Parent, and Friend,
 
            On behalf of the Queen’s University Alumni Association in collaboration with  Queen’s Athletics we want to invite you to the second annual Winning with Alumni Sport Symposium on Saturday, October 13, 2012 at Queen’s as part of the annual Alumni Volunteer Summit.
 
            The objective of this session is to identify ways to strengthen varsity athletic programs at Queen's by improving the links between current student athletes and graduates of these programs a.k.a. Boosters.  Both of us feel strongly that we gained as much value, both personally and professionally, from the time we spent playing varsity sports as from time spent in the classroom.  We believe that access to and participation in varsity sports is a fundamental aspect of what makes for an exceptional university experience. We’re planning very interactive, informative sessions collecting best practices, sharing ideas and establishing concrete plans for future activities.
 
             The current reality and foreseeable future compels us to change; to improve – to reach out.  The cost of high quality programs continues to rise while funding to educational institutions continues to be squeezed.  It’s not enough anymore to believe that a varsity club can fill it’s roster with walk-ons nor rely on the University to fund every need of the team. Coaching and access to quality competition is critically important too.  Helping with career mentoring and summer work placements is a very valuable role for team boosters.  These along many other factors that lead to being able to attract the best talent, build a winning culture and instil pride for all.
 
            The mission of the Alumni Association is to foster these kind of connections.
Successful teams reach out, connect and engage with their Alumni, the parents, and friends of the team. It’s our belief that if we (Alumni, parents, and friends) work to create connections between current teams and their boosters some of the long term benefits will be:

·          Summer job acquisition;
·          Career networking;
·          Game-day attendance/support;
·          Professional development for coaching
·          Improved competitiveness – podium finishes – winning;
·          Compete at the highest level;
·          Foster lifelong friendships;
·          Develop a love for the game;
·          Promote lifelong physical activity
·          Contribute to establishing a culture of excellence in all aspects at Queen's.

 
            However, in the short term, every varsity team and clubs is in need of the following to varying degrees:

·         Nation-wide Student/Athlete recruiting;
·         Cheering from the sidelines
·         Fund raising;
·         Booster club creation and growth