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RDC Bidding To Host 2019 CCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship

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Red Deer College is hoping to participate in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Men’s Volleyball Championship in an extra-special way in 2019, as the College will be submitting a bid to host the national event.

“The CCAA has guidelines about which conference will host the championships each year and, in 2019, an institution from the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference will host the event,” explains Diane St-Denis, RDC Athletic Director. “Since that’s our home conference, we’re eligible to bid, and Red Deer College will also have our new facility in place that will allow us to host this type of major national event, so this is something we are thrilled to pursue.”

The new Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre/Centre des Jeux du Canada Gary W. Harris will open its doors to students in the fall of 2018. In addition to the programs being offered in the building, RDC Athletics will also begin to compete in the new venue at that time. The facility will house stateof-the-art teaching and learning spaces, along with athletic training and competition areas – including a performance gymnasium – that will be a key part of the CCAA bid.

“The King’s Volleyball team has a history of excellence at the national level, winning 12 championships since 1987, but we haven’t had the opportunity to host the event since then because our facilities haven’t met the criteria,” says St-Denis. “Starting in the 2018-19 season, RDC Athletics teams will be able to train and compete in their home venue that’s second-to-none. This will mean so much to all of our student-athletes, and for Kings Volleyball players, hosting the CCAA Championships would be an incredible opportunity to showcase their elite level of competition in their home community.”

Kings Volleyball Head Coach, Aaron Schulha agrees. “There is a real following for volleyball in central Alberta, and the Kings receive great support from the College, the community and our alumni,” he says. “It would be an incredible boost for our Kings players and for our program to be able to host the CCAA Championships in Red Deer.”

Schulha notes that the Kings Volleyball alumni maintain a close connection and these former players would be an excellent resource for the national event. “Many of our alumni have participated in CCAA Championships, and they have incredible experience at this level,” he says. “This is definitely a plus for RDC as we consider what it would mean to host this event.”

RDC is preparing to submit the bid for the CCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship in the coming months. If selected as the host institution, the championship event would take place in March 2019. “Red Deer College is growing and evolving, and we are laying the foundation for our College to be featured on the national stage,” says Joel Ward, Red Deer College President & CEO. “When we look at our role in the upcoming 2019 Canada Winter Games, and as we work to prepare this bid for the CCAA Championship, it’s clear we’ll be able to connect with our learners, our communities and all of Canada in exciting new ways.”

(Photo courtesy of RDC)

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End of an era for Red Deer Minor baseball Braves

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From Red Deer Minor Baseball Board of Directors

Following many discussions within the Red Deer community, the baseball community, our association members, as well as our board of directors we have made the decision to move forward with rebranding our teams, currently known as the Braves. For our association the Braves name symbolized warrior strength, bravery and resilience, all qualities we were proud to align with; and although the initial moniker of our teams was never intended to carry a derogatory or disrespectful connotation, for some, it has. The topic of our rebrand has been polarizing and arguments both for and against have been passionately presented. We have made the decision to move forward in the direction we feel is best for our association.

In alignment with the membership majority vote, the Red Deer Minor Baseball Board of Directors is excited to announce that we will now be known as the Red Deer Rangers.

The Red Deer Rangers will retain our current navy and crimson colors and will not adopt the colors or logo of the MLB, NHL, or any other Rangers franchise. We are looking forward to forging our own identity and embracing our own look.

As you can appreciate this is a complex initiative that will take time. We will remain the Braves for the 2024 season and aim to have our rebrand complete for the 2025 season.

All participants that submitted the Rangers name during our rebranding poll, will be entered into a draw to receive the first Red Deer Rangers jersey.

We hope you will join us in celebrating this positive endeavor as we create a new inclusive legacy for our association that all can be proud of.

RDMBA Board of Directors

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Red Deer Minor Hockey is proud to announce our new General Manager Lane Moore

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From Red Deer Minor Hockey 

The Red Deer Minor Hockey Board of Directors is pleased & honored to announce, after an extensive search, that Lane Moore has accepted the position of General Manager of Red Deer Minor Hockey.  Lane will start his new role early in the new year & is very excited about leading our organization into the future as we aim to provide a positive learning and maturing experience for all of our young athletes & coaches in a minor hockey setting.

Lane comes into the role of General Manager with an extensive resume, in both hockey and administration.  Lane has led the Bentley school as principal for the last 17 years & was an educator prior to that.  On the hockey side, Lane’s passion for coaching & engaging with young athletes, dates back to 2002.  His most recent involvement as a coach with Red Deer Minor Hockey saw Lane lead the U17AAA North Star Chiefs for 2 seasons (21-22, 22-23).  Prior to his work with Red Deer Minor Hockey Lane served as President of Rimbey Minor Hockey for several seasons.

One of Lane’s biggest strengths is his ability to create highly effective teams by building a common mission & vision & then executing on those through visionary leadership.  These attributes shone through during this General Manager search and we are thrilled for Lane to lead this organization now & into the future as we aim to be one of the premier Minor Hockey Associations in the province.

Lane, his wife Kathleen & their three children Easton, Cooper & Lexi call Red Deer home.  His son Cooper is the captain of Red Deer U18AAA Optimist Chiefs & his older son Easton is pursuing his hockey career and post-secondary studies in Massachusetts.  Please join us in congratulating Lane Moore as the new General Manager of the Red Deer Minor Hockey Commission, welcome Lane!

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