When the Carleton Ravens men’s basketball team begins its defence of last season’s Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championship, fans will have a chance to witness some new and exciting talent on display inside the Ravens’ Nest this season.
After yet another summer of strong recruiting, there will be a total of five new players on the roster.
But despite the different faces for head coach Dave Smart this season, the most glaring roster change may not be an addition at all.
For Ravens fans who have been following the team over the past four seasons, the most noticeable change may be the absence of veteran forward Aaron Chapman.
The Bloomfield, Ont. native was forced to step away from the program after he was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes this past February.
While he fought to play through the condition during the latter part of the campaign — returning to the lineup within a week of his diagnosis and playing the remainder of the season — the taxation on both his body and mind was simply too much to handle.
“It was only tough because I was diagnosed in the heart of the season and it became a little overwhelming,” he said. “I was still pretty unfamiliar with the disease at the time so I was mentally worrying all the time on the court about how I felt, what my levels were at, and I had a tough time thinking about anything else.”
Chapman now joins more than three million Canadians who suffer from the disease, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Of that population, the graduate of Nicholson Catholic College falls into the group of 10 per cent who have Type 1 diabetes. This occurs when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin, which is a hormone that controls the amount of glucose in the blood.
For an athlete competing at the highest level of CIS sport, having any worry whatsoever about the capabilities of your body can make it almost impossible to stay atop of your game.
That is where the Carleton Ravens community stepped in and did its part to help Chapman manage the disease while he was on the court.
“I am extremely grateful for the coaching staff and teammates who made it as easy as possible for me to play with it for the time period I did,” Chapman said. “They were incredibly understanding and I think [the players] and Smart even cared about my health more than I did.”
After taking time over the summer to consider his options, the 6’8” forward made the “very difficult” decision to sit out the upcoming season and focus on his health.
That choice was something he didn’t think would arise when he first received the news of his condition.
“You look around and there are a lot of athletes who play with diabetes, including [former] NCAA player of the year Adam Morrison,” Chapman said. “I guess it just came down to the mental aspect of always worrying about it and not having it under control in time for the season to start.”
Chapman was quick to emphasize that his decision would have been much more difficult without the “incredible” backing he received from the Ravens family.
“I received so many e-mails and phone calls from coaches and teammates when I made my decision and they all supported me 100 per cent,” he said. “The Carleton program is a group of class A players and people, and they completely understood the importance of health over all else. I couldn’t have asked for a better support group.”
Despite the disappointment that goes hand-in-hand with stepping away from a sport he loves, Chapman said the entire experience has taught him some very valuable life lessons.
“You realize how important [basketball] was to you and how much you have to enjoy the time you have at a young age being able to compete at such a high level, with such an incredible group of people,” he said. “It makes you realize that you have to take advantage of all the chances you get, like playing for Carleton.”
On the court, the Ravens will be looking to replace Chapman’s presence in the paint, where he recorded the majority of his five rebounds per game last season, putting him tied for second on the team.
However, there will be no need to replace his enthusiasm on the bench, as Chapman plans to attend games throughout the year.
While he is expecting his decision to call it quits to “eat away” at him slightly, Chapman said that will not stop him from supporting the program that still holds a special place in his heart.
