The Three Cs of Success
UFV Cascades athletics staff, coaches, and student-athletes strive for excellence in:
- Competition
- Classroom
- Community
Competition
Varsity athletics began in 1983 in what was then known as Fraser Valley College. Men’s basketball was the first varsity sport followed by the additions of women’s basketball (1985), men’s soccer (1987), women’s soccer (1989), rowing (2001), men’s and women’s volleyball (2002), and golf (2002).
In more than 25 years of varsity athletics, UFV has boasted a track record as one of the most decorated post-secondary athletic programs in the nation. The Cascades have amassed a total of three national championships, 15 provincial championships, and have seen 129 student-athletes named provincial all-stars.
The UFV men’s basketball team captured the school’s first-ever national title in 2000 and went on to take the title again in 2002 and 2004, giving them three national championships in a five-year span. The women’s basketball team won five straight provincial championships, bringing their all-time total to ten.
In the fall of 2006 the basketball teams, along with men’s and women’s soccer, joined the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) league. UFV currently competes in the Canada West conference, along with the likes of UBC, Simon Fraser, UVIC, and Trinity Western.
Classroom
UFV has demonstrated a commitment to academic excellence and makes it a priority for its student-athletes. UFV has had several Academic All-Canadians named, including women’s basketball star Jamie Born (2003), men’s soccer star Jordan Langelaar (2004), women’s volleyball player Delayne Peters (2007), and men’s volleyball player Derek Fletcher (2008).
UFV mandates a weekly study hall for all athletes with a GPA under 3.5. At study hall student-athletes receive the opportunity for one-on-one academic assistance and guidance from an academic coach. UFV also gives out more than $100,000 worth of scholarships to its student-athletes every year.
Community
The Cascades are committed to bettering the UFV community, the Abbotsford, Chilliwack, and Mission communities in which campuses are located, and the communities of individual staff, coaches, and student-athletes. The Cascades aim is to make a positive impact on the communities in which they study, work, play, and compete. Through the “Cascades in the Community” initiative, they fill a variety of needs through community service projects.
Let us know how you think the Cascades in the Community can help your community group by getting involved. Whether it is volunteers, expertise, equipment, gym usage let us know how we can help and get involved. It is our ultimate objective to present our student-athletes with community service experiences that will have a profound effect on them. We hope that through these experiences our student athletes will continue to give back to their communities well after graduation from UFV.
