April 2, 2015

Written by Mark Keller, director of college advancement
Featured in"On Campus" in the Medicine Hat News

The past week or two has seen a mind-boggling amount of attention paid to the Medicine Hat College Rattlers.

If you’d asked me a month ago, I wouldn’t have predicted that word of the Rattlers would be shared by the National Post, the Washington Post, on late night television, and in blogs, Tweets, and media literally around the world.

But you know, the attention was mostly to a single word rather than to the collective accomplishments of our athletes, coaches, supporters, and fans. Specifically, people have remarked on the fact that the English spelling of one player’s name is a set of four letters not often seen in print.

We’re always happy to see our students in the spotlight, but let’s springboard from that single word and showcase what has really been an awesome year for all of the Rattlers. There is a lot to celebrate.

In the past few months, college athletes participated in three national championships, and played host for one of those competitions. Along the way, the Rattlers won a provincial gold medal, two silver medals, and two bronze medals.

Those are team accomplishments to celebrate.

The Rattlers did well as individual athletes, too. Among this year’s Rattlers, 16 were named to Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) all-conference teams. That same organization presented 25 Rattlers with academic awards.

Moving to the national scale, five Rattlers were honoured as Canadian College Athletic Association (CCAA) academic All-Canadians. Another Rattler was named a CCAA All-Canadian recognizing athletic prowess.

The year was equally impressive for the team members who support and coach. The ACAC named three Coaches of the Year, and one was named CCAA Coach of the Year. Another individual has been named Medicine Hat College’s Employee of the Year.

Of course, there are many individuals whose efforts may not have received formal recognition. At least, the recognition hasn’t come this year.

Step beyond the campus and you’ll find others who play a role in fielding the Rattlers. There are dozens of community organizations and businesses that provide much needed support through sponsorship. The Rattlers Booster Club also takes an active hand in generating funds and support for the teams.

All these people, working together, have made for themselves and Medicine Hat College a year of accomplishment and pride.

As to next year, Go Rattlers Go!