Student-athlete Owen Schlosser lost his life to cancer in 2009. The tennis tournament honours his memory and enormous impact on others during his life.
The inaugural Owen Schlosser World Team Tennis Tournament pays tribute to student-athlete felled by cancer.
When student-athlete Owen Schosser lost his life to cancer just shy of his 22nd birthday two years ago, the outstanding young tennis player and industrial design student left a gaping hole in many hearts. But last weekend (May 12-14) the University of Alberta outdoor tennis centre played host to the inaugural Owen Schlosser World Team Tennis Tournament in his honour and to pay tribute to a valiant young man - and a superb tennis player.
Though it took place on what may have been one of the windiest weekends in Edmonton's history, it didn't deter over 125 competitors from participating in the event, and raising money for the Owen Schlosser Memorial Scholarship Fund.
The tournament was organized by Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation doctoral student, Camilla Knight, an avid competitive tennis player, and Saville Community Sport Centre's tennis coach, Carson Bell. "As a member of the Golden Bears tennis team, head coach of the Golden Bears summer tennis camps and a part-time coach at the Saville Community Sports Centre, Owen had an enormous influence on the Edmonton tennis community and everyone who was fortunate enough to know him," said Bell. "We felt that when someone has such a positive impact on so many they deserve to be remembered, so we set about organizing and hosting a tennis tournament in Owen's name."
"The event was a massive success," said Knight. "We'd hoped to make $10,000 but we actually ended up with $12,000." Funds will support a scholarship to provide financial assistance to players on the Golden Bears and Pandas tennis teams. "With the help of this scholarship, tennis at the University of Alberta will continue to go from strength to strength and in Owen's memory, the Bears and Pandas hope to become the dominant university tennis team in Canada," said Knight.
The aim of this event was to give players of all ages and standards an opportunity to play tennis in a fun environment. By adopting the world team tennis format, which allows players to compete in a team rather than as an individual and having three playing divisions this is exactly what happened.
Over the three day event, Schlosser's family and friends, faculty members and students from the University, and many people from within the Edmonton tennis community, competed in the invitational, competitive, or recreational events.
Some of Edmonton's most talented players played alongside regularly competing players, beginners and rusty players who hadn't picked up a racquet in years. Said Knight, "Whatever their standard they all had fun."
Looking back on a spectacular event, Knight says this tribute event to Schosser "was a lot of work, but worth every minute of it. It was everything we were hoping for and much more. Everyone was extremely generous with their donations and time which helped to make it such a success.
"This is definitely going to run next year!"
All tennis photos courtesy of Don Voaklander, PhD, School of Public Health.