By: Michael Lenko, Peak Associate
The SFU Hockey team has continued its summer of revamping the organization with the announcement of the hiring of three SFU students. Jordan Allen, McKeowen Watts, and Lauren Fuerderer have all joined the Clan for the 2019–20 BCIHL season. Allen will be filling the role of equipment manager, a position that was left vacant last season. Fuerderer has been hired as the team’s marketing coordinator and Watts will be the first video and analytics coach in Clan history. The Peak sat down with all three of the new hires to find out a little more about their background, role with the program, and expectations for these positions.
Jordan Allen is a fourth year, majoring in criminology. In his role as equipment manager for the team, he will be relied upon for a wide variety of duties including: managing a thorough inventory of all team equipment, the organization and upkeep of team facilities like dressing and storage rooms, and procuring or providing general maintenance to equipment, tools, apparel, and accessories.
With Allen carrying out these important off-ice duties this season, players will be more free to focus on their on-ice performance. The Peak sat down with Allen to discuss his new position.
The Peak: Why did you decide to get involved with SFU Hockey?
Jordan: I’ve always been interested in hockey and I’ve played it my entire life at a fairly high level. I played rep hockey all the way through minor hockey. I thought, why not start a career in it if I like it so much? And getting involved with the school [team] is a good way to do it.
P: You were involved with the 2019 World Junior Championship here in Vancouver last year. How do you think that experience will help you as equipment manager?
J: : It gave me good experience of working with guys around the age [18–20]; knowing how everything works and being that old myself is helpful. It was a lot of good experience with professionals, who are already in the industry. They gave me a lot of great tips and just general learning that made it a great experience.
McKeowen Watts is a third year student at SFU. He is aiming for a major in statistics and a minor in business administration. As the statistics and video coach, Watts will be providing the coaching staff and players with clips of important video and statistical analysis of games. This will help the Clan better prepare for opponents and allow the players and coaching staff to see where they need improvement. The Peak was able to discuss the details of Watts’ new position.
The Peak: What made you decide to get involved with SFU Hockey?
McKeowen: I wanted to be able to be involved with a hockey team in a coaching/statistics role. Having it be with the team of the school I attend makes it even better!
P: How do you think your role with the team will impact players performance and the roster decisions the coaches make?
M: I think that I will be able to provide a different perspective for the coaching staff. I plan on providing scouting for the team to give them the upper-hand on our opponents. I also plan on collecting and tracking team data — giving both micro and macro analysis to the players and coaches to improve on ice performance.
Lauren Fuerderer is a fourth year SFU student, majoring in Marketing and Human Resources. She will be the team’s marketing coordinator for the upcoming season. This role is dedicated to improving student engagement and community involvement to increase attendance at games. She will help run promotional events and fundraisers, while finding other ways to build awareness of the team. The Peak spoke with Fuerderer about her involvement with the team and the promotions she has in mind for this season.
The Peak: What made you decide to get involved with SFU Hockey?
L: I decided to get involved with SFU Hockey because, not only does this role allows me to gain experience in my field, but I can also combine it with my passion for sports. Being a former SFU student-athlete, I am quite familiar with the athletics programs and I was looking to get involved in ways that can both benefit me, career-wise, as well as give back to the SFU athletic community.
P: In an earlier interview with Director of Education and Player Experience, Ryan Sandrin said he wanted to create a more collegiate like atmosphere for the team. What are some of the ideas that you have for doing this during this season?
L: My main focus for this season is to increase student awareness about the team to hopefully encourage their attendance at our games. I feel, in the past, the hockey team has been under-recognized around campus and that, with increased exposure, the team can become a more integral part of the school community. I plan to coordinate several fundraisers as well as events at our home games and create brand partnerships to get a buzz going around the team. I am excited for this upcoming season and can’t wait to play a role in the growth of student engagement with the team.
Allen, Fuerderer, and Watts will not have to wait long to help the Clan on a game day as the team will kick off their regular season schedule on October 11 at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre. The home opener is the first opportunity for the revamped roster and staff to come together for a meaningful game that will go toward building a competitive team.
