When Kevin Churchill steps on to the court this season, he wears a suit and tie—not a jersey.
After five years on the men’s basketball team, Churchill joined the staff this year as an assistant coach. He said he misses playing.
“We’ll start practice and I’ll wish I was wearing a jersey,” he said. “But a lot of things I loved about playing have carried on as a coach, like working together as a group.”
Last year, Churchill was one of the captains of the team, which he said helped smooth his transition into his coaching role.
“A lot of the time the hardest part of being the coach is developing a strong relationship with your players, but for me, that relationship is already there,” he said. “When I tell them anything during the game, they know it’s coming from a good spot.”
Current Ravens forward Thomas Scrubb played with Churchill for four years. He said Churchill has been great as a coach.
“He was a really good leader and always helping other guys when he was playing, so he’s already had practice in a leadership role,” he said.
Throughout his time on the team, Churchill said he learned valuable lessons that he is trying to pass on to the players.
“One of the major things I’ve taken away from being on the team is the value of hard work. Nothing worth having comes easy,” he said.
Churchill is joined in his role as an assistant coach by Aaron Chapman, another former player on the Ravens basketball team.
The two replaced Manny Furtado, former assistant coach, who started as head coach of the men’s basketball team at Lakehead University this year.
Chapman left the team in 2011 after being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, after four years as a Raven.
“After being diagnosed, I had some trouble, both physically and mentally, with basketball,” said Chapman in an email. “I moved away from Ottawa, and really missed being around the team atmosphere.”
After graduating from Carleton, Chapman received a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Ottawa. He spent last year as a Grade 10 teacher in Nunavut, where he also coached the basketball team.
He said being in Nunavut spurred him to come back and be with the team again.
“I watched last year’s national championship on a 17-inch TV that cut in and out the entire game,” said Chapman. “I realized that I really missed the game and being around the guys.”
Chapman returned to Ottawa, which is when current Ravens head coach Dave Smart asked him to be part of the team.
Unlike Churchill, Chapman was removed from Carleton’s basketball team for three years and said he is still re-familiarizing himself with the program.
“It’s not uncommon for me to go to Kevin if I need a refresher on some of the technical basketball stuff, and he is always willing to help,” Chapman said.
As they take on their new roles on the team, Chapman and Churchill are focusing on passing on the lessons they learned during their time on the team.
Churchill said he is trying to pass on the value of hard work.
“There’s no real shortcuts, so you have to do the hard things to achieve your goals,” he added.
Chapman said he is focusing on coaching more than just technical skills.
“The most valuable lessons that I learned as a player were not technical basketball lessons, but rather lessons like trying hard every day and working hard for your teammates every time you step on the floor,” he said.
As the Ravens continue on their journey to the Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championships in March, Churchill said he is hopeful the lessons they pass on as coaches will help the players get there.
