Although much of the focus of university athletics is centered around the players, University of Saskatchewan students are also making important contributions from behind the scenes. One such example is physiotherapy graduate student Scott Cyr.

Born and raised in Saskatoon, Cyr graduated from the U of S in 2014 with a degree in kinesiology. During his time as an undergraduate student, Cyr was active within the university sports community.

He worked as an equipment manager for the men’s hockey team, as well as volunteering as a student trainer for five years.

“I knew all along that I wanted to work in sports and knew that I wanted to be in sports in some capacity,” Cyr said. “Growing up as a player, I wasn’t nearly good enough to excel at a professional level and make a living off of it, but knew all along that I wanted something to do with that.”

Sports have always played an important role in Cyr’s life. He started as a stick boy for the Huskies men’s hockey team when he was six years old. He also played hockey as a child, and later began working part time at Olympia Sports alongside his father.

In summer 2015, Cyr was given a unique opportunity to work with the Canadian Women’s National Development team, comprised of the best female hockey players aged 22 and under. He eventually accompanied the team to Germany, where they competed at the Nations Cup.

“We ended up playing the Swedish National Team, the Russian National Team and we played Finland in the final, and ended up winning gold there, which was awesome,” Cyr said. “It’s all the top girls, ages 22 and under, and we’re playing against other nations’ Olympic teams. To see the success of a really young team against other nations’ Olympic teams was pretty cool.”

Over the years, Cyr’s been lucky enough to have a few life changing experiences through his involvement in sports. Although he has a hard time narrowing it down, he points to one moment in particular as his most memorable.

“Something that’s pretty tough to beat is hanging up my first national team jersey. I would compare it to the similar feeling of a player putting it on for the first time. Hanging that up for the first time in a player’s stall was a pretty special moment for me and it was pretty surreal thinking that a lot of hard work has paid off and I’ve reached a pretty high level,” Cyr said.

Cyr is currently enrolled in the physiotherapy program at the U of S. His field of study is rigorous, condensing the work of a four-year degree into only two years. Cyr hopes to continue working within sports once he has completed his degree.

There are many things that Cyr loves about sports but ultimately, it’s the variety of the job that he likes best.

“You don’t work a day in your life if you love what you do, and I certainly love being around there and hanging out. [I] always find a challenge there, and that’s what really keeps me coming back — it’s not the same thing every day,” Cyr said.

For those that are interested in pursuing a career in sports — on or off the ice — Cyr cites the importance of putting yourself out there and getting involved in as many ways as you can.

“You never know until you ask, you never know until you try, and the more people you ask and the more things you do — it’s networking, right? It can lead to more doors opening and eventually more experiences,” Cyr said.

If Cyr’s success is any indication, his advice is valuable to those even outside the world of university athletics.

“Just get involved with as much as you can and just ask to be involved, and once you are, work hard and make sure you do your job and have fun along the way.”

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Photo: J.C. Balicanta Narag