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Rattlers make strides
Darren Steinke This season, the men’s volleyball team is a “Our kids are going to be the next teachers
dsteinke@medicinehatnews.com contender to advance to nationals, while the and nurses and business leaders in our

men’s basketball team claimed its first post- communities,” said Almer. “We are building
Brendan Lutz remembers a time when life
season berth since 2003. our leaders and not future pro athletes.
with the Medicine Hat College Rattlers was “It is nice that every year we get a little bit “Our kids are going to be the ones that
a lot looser than it is in the present day. more competitive,” said Rattlers athletic society looks to, when we go into an
director Kelly Almer. “More teams are not economic slump.”
sports
The 23-year-old has spent six years with the
Rattlers, which includes five years as a player
just trying to make playoffs, but they are
The Rattlers have also made more of an effort
on the men’s soccer and volleyball teams
almost guaranteed playoffs, that’s always a
to get into the community. The various clubs
and one year as an assistant coach with the
nice thing.”
make a number of visits to schools through
volleyball program. He first suited up for the Away from the court, Almer is more pleased a program the Rattlers call “Together
Rattlers in the 2003-04 season and has seen with the performance of the teams in Educating and Mentoring Students.”
a lot of changes along the way. the classroom. In the 2004-05 campaign,
During those visits, the Rattler players
“The program is definitely heading in
the Rattlers had members of their men’s
will talk to elementary school kids about
the right direction,” said Lutz. “When I
basketball and volleyball teams become
a variety of subjects like staying in school,
first started, we would practise and it was
academically ineligible at mid-season. That
teamwork, team building and bullying.
practice.
is a situation that doesn’t happen in the
present day.
“I am really happy that program has
“Now, there is a lot more pushing with the continued to grow,” said Almer. “I think
coaches, and a lot more expectations with
Following the completion of the fall
now Jeff (Grandy, the Rattlers recreation
the players. As far as the program itself, it is
semester, the 98 members of the athletic
and events supervisor) actually has a waiting
definitely a lot more serious and a lot more
program posted a 2.94 GPA on a 4.00 scale.
list for schools that want to be involved, and
advanced.
Out of that group, 24 players made the
that is fantastic.”
honour roll.
“There is a lot more awareness of our And through the improvement in academics,
program now, which I think attracts a lot
Also, 90 of those athletes posted a minimum
athletics and community service, the Rattlers
of players out of other cities or even other
2.0 GPA to quality for their winter semester
have built a well-rounded program.
provinces.”
scholarship.
On the playing fields, the Rattlers teams of
the current day are all playoff contenders.
During the 2004-05 season, the program
had struggles with its men’s teams, especially We Nourish Your Gift
the basketball and volleyball programs that
lost on a regular basis.
40260533•03/24/09
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Medicine Hat College Rattlers' Desirae Hemsing
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dives for the ball during a game against the Red
areas of concern to you.
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way in a few years and are now consistent playoff
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