BC's premier hoopster

Douglas College Royals senior forward Andrew Sturgeon (right) receives the Premier's Athlete Award from Premier Gordon Campbell during special ceremonies on February 11.

It all started when Andrew Sturgeon felt he wasn't getting enough respect on the floor as a basketball rookie. Heading for the Douglas College weight room, he changed his physique, his attitude and his future.

On February 11, the Douglas College Royals senior took the podium beside Premier Gordon Campbell to receive the Premier's Athlete Award as the province's top male post-secondary basketball star. The awards are presented to outstanding competitors eligible for athletic-assistance educational funding.

"In my rookie season I was a lot smaller and got pushed around so I decided to do something to change that," says Sturgeon, the 6-foot-5 New Westminster resident who has bench-pressed himself up to 225-pounds.

"Ever since I started weight training for basketball and daily practice, I have noticed my level of play has risen. I think that my commitment to the gym has allowed the game to come to me more naturally and that it has gotten easier."

Easier - and more successful. During the past year, Sturgeon has earned a dozen individual and team honors - from BC Collegiate Male Athlete of the Year to All-Canadian to national collegiate athlete of the month. Despite all the personal hardware, Sturgeon's determination to put team accomplishments first is what's most pleasing to Royals' coach Jamie Oei. At times this season, the Royals' senior has not reached the individual stats he achieved in the past but has been more of an in-your-face presence defensively.

"Andrew has emerged as a player who leads by example but can also rile up his teammates. Some guys with ability put their own numbers and accomplishments first, but Andrew is focused on the team winning now," says Oei, who first recruited the Port Alberni native. "He'll do what needs to be done."

Sturgeon agrees it's easier to have more fun in a team sport when the team is doing well.

"In the end the only thing that matters is winning games, so it pays to do things that benefit the team more. To me, being a good player means working hard and improving myself as well as pushing my teammates to be better," he says.

Looking down the road, Sturgeon's long-time goals include advancing to play professional-level hoops in Europe or North America. His immediate objective, besides completing his Douglas Sport Science diploma, is helping the nationally number-one ranked Royals capture their first Canadian championship.

"I'm really excited about the opportunity to do that," says Sturgeon. "It would mean a lot since last year we came so close and lost in the final."

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