Simon Fraser University Athletics

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SFU Red Leafs announced
Sept. 6, 2022
 
Simon Fraser University introduces the SFU Red Leafs as the new name selected for its varsity athletics teams, after an extensive consultation process that began in 2020. Grounded in the university's strong and rich athletic history, athletes and coaches have competed under SFU's iconic leaf for generations and it is recognized as a symbol of unity across its campuses. The Red Leafs reflects the university's identity as Canada's only NCAA team and unifies their diverse community under that banner

VIDEO  | MEDIA RELEASE | MESSAGE FROM ATHLETICS DIRECTOR | CHOOSING A NEW NAME
 

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New name endorsed by President Johnson & Executive Team
July 2022
 
SFU President Joy Johnson and the Executive Team unanimously and enthusiastically endorse a new name for SFU’s varsity athletic teams.

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Working Group receives feedback from 9 Host Nations
June 2022
 
Following guidance received from the Host Nations, and after careful deliberation and thoughtful conversation, the Varsity Team Name Working Group recommended a new name to SFU President Joy Johnson and the Executive team.
 

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Working Group recommends 2 names to 9 Host Nations for guidance
February 2022
 
Simon Fraser University greatly values its relationship with the Host Nations who have played a crucial role in supporting SFU and advancing priorities such as Reconciliation, and addressing difficult and complex issues impacting the SFU community. SFU sought feedback on the two name recommendations from nine Host Nations.  
 

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Working Group recommends 2 names for consideration and consultation
March - December 2021
 
After extensive work and reflective discussion, the Varsity Team Name Working Group recommended two names for consideration and consultation. Consultations were conducted with numerous student groups, including the Simon Fraser Students Society, Indigenous Students Centre, and representatives from the SFU Students of Caribbean and African Ancestry (SOCA) and SFU First Nations, Métis & Inuit Student Association (FNMISA).
 

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What's in a Name? 
February 18, 2021
 
The Varsity Team Name Working Group has been meeting weekly since early January, 2021.  The work to date has included learning, listening and great dialogue. SFU is committed to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive community, where everyone is welcome, safe, accepted and appreciated.  As part of advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) at SFU, the role of the working group is to establish a new name, and in doing so, be part of the collective change on our campus.  This respectful and thoughtful approach enables the working group to apply the principles and values to the criteria established in determining a new name. 
 
The Principles and Values, Criteria Consideration and the Process can be found here.

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Introducing the Varsity Team Name Working Group
December 15, 2020

The selection team, made up of Theresa Hanson, Senior Director, Athletics and Recreation; Working Group co-chairs Ryan Stolys, President of the SAAC and Breanne Watson, Associate Director, Athletics; and Othniel Spence, member at-large, met last week to review the impressive slate of Expression of Interest submissions.  The aim of having diverse and inclusive representation as best as possible was met and we are very pleased to introduce to you the Varsity Team Name Working Group. 

The Working Group, made up of student-athletes, coaches and staff, will be co-chaired by Breanne Watson, Associate Director, Athletics and Ryan Stolys, President of SAAC. The introductory meeting took place in December 2020, with the bulk of the work completed in 2021 and early 2022.  In June 2021, the Working Group was enhanced to include representatives from the First Nations, Métis & Inuit Students Association as well as additional indigenous student-athletes.
 

 

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Student-Athlete Reps Doreen Anane-Bediakoh, Soccer Emily Chilton, Track and Field Mason Glover, Football Jordan Jacobs, Track and Field Emma Kramer, Basketball Owen McBride, Soccer Paul Ursu, Football

Coaching Staff Reps Justin Abdou, Wrestling Clinton Schneider, Soccer Brit Townsend, Track & Field

A&R Staff Reps Kim Cormack, Athletic Therapist Jacob Hall, Manager, Communications  Nick Sirski, Manager, Fitness Centre

First Nations, Métis & Inuit Students Association Lauren Robson Rebekah Trudel

 

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Overview
December 1, 2020

SFU is working to deepen our focus on equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and ensuring our campuses are welcoming places for everyone to gather and learn, and that all who work or study here feel a sense of belonging, inclusion, fairness and respect.

With this in mind, Athletics and Recreation (A&R) will begin the process to choose a new name for our varsity athletic teams. Student-athletes and A&R coaches and staff will lead the process, and SFU will support administratively including resources to engage and manage an external creative agency. This process reflects ongoing learning about our values of EDI and gives voices to our student-athletes and staff to help inform the process.

Process
The process to select a new name will begin by establishing the Varsity Team Name Working Group composed of varsity student-athletes, varsity coaches and Athletics and Recreation staff. The aim is to have diverse representation of sport, career and educational stages and experiences that reflect the diversity of our student-athletes and staff, with a minimum of four student-athletes, four coaches and four staff.  Rather than representing teams or units within A&R, WG members will be asked to work together to consider the needs of all those that represent SFU Athletics and Recreation. The Varsity Team Name Working Group will be co-chaired by Ryan Stolys, President of SFU Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Breanne Watson, Associate Director, Athletics. To assist with this work, we will engage with our student-athletes and Athletics and Recreation staff by inviting Expressions of Interest to serve on the Working Group.  Learn more
 

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A Message from Theresa Hanson, Senior Director, Athletics and Recreation
November 20, 2020

As we prepare to launch this name selection process, I want to acknowledge and thank our student-athletes, specifically our Black student-athletes, for their courageous work in advocating for a name change. I especially want to recognize Othniel Spence, former men's basketball standout, and Ryan Stolys, President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) for their respectful and thoughtful approach to advancing this important conversation.

With a focus on our bright future, the process to choose a new name for our varsity teams will be announced around November 30, 2020. We will share information on this webpage as we progress.

The process will focus on guiding principles, and on our belief that our team name should reflect shared values, inspire unity, and be a source of pride. The process will include broad input, and our student-athletes and coaches, who will represent our university by wearing this name, will play a leading role.

This reflective and inclusive process will take time, but we anticipate announcing a new team name in early 2021 that represents our vibrant, diverse, and compassionate community. Until then, I commit to providing regular updates, and encourage you to check back regularly for new information.

Thank you for your interest as we embark on this exciting journey.
 

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A Message from President Joy Johnson
November 10, 2020

In a Statement of SFU's Athletics Team Name Change, President Joy Johnson affirmed her strong support of the change, thanking those who shared their voices in support of choosing a new name, and in particular acknowledging "…the work of Black student-athletes, students, faculty and staff in advancing this conversation to its rightful conclusion".

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A Message from Rummana Khan Hemani, Vice Provost, Students and International
November 10, 2020

As part of our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as outlined in Joy Johnson's community message of November 10, I am pleased to report that we are moving ahead with a process to choose a new name for our SFU varsity sports teams. Making this change will not only contribute to the resolution of longstanding community concerns, but will also provide tangible proof of our dedication to the ideals Joy has expressed.

Theresa Hanson, our Senior Director of Athletics and Recreation, will oversee a panel dedicated to developing a new team name. Composed of eight to 12 members made up of student-athletes, coaches and staff, this group will include a wide representation of experience that reflects the diversity of our athletics and recreation community. Staff liaisons from University Communications, Athletics Communications, and Student Services will participate and support the process.

Forming this committee, and then advancing with the name discovery process, will take time. However, we can all look forward to the result of a new varsity team name that reinforces our institutional commitments to equity and inclusion, and allows everyone in our diverse SFU community to feel connected and proud of the efforts and achievements of our outstanding student-athletes.

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A New Time For SFU Athletics and Recreation
August 12, 2020

This summer, we announced our decision to retire our varsity team name, the Clan. Throughout the extensive stakeholder engagement process, we heard resoundingly from our community – and particularly from our student-athletes, coaches, and associated staff – that it's time to select a new team name. We're proud of the people, teams, and accomplishments of our varsity athletic program, and look forward to honoring and celebrating our rich athletic history in the months to come.

Until we have a new name, we will compete as Simon Fraser or SFU. Accordingly, we've updated our social media channels including Twitter (@sfu_athletics), Instagram (@sfu_athletics) and Facebook (@simonfraserathletics).

Report Available