The words say it all. Former Yale basketball star Bradley Braich is shooting for new goals these days, including ending all of the stigmas surrounding mental illness. (Photo by Luke Ouellette property of Bigger Than Basketball 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball

A Sunday Read: Why Bradley Braich counts his blessings and still celebrates the game through ‘Bigger Than Basketball’

ABBOTSFORD — It hasn’t even been 15 months since Bradley Braich delivered one of the most profoundly impactful messages I’ve received in almost 40 years as a reporter.Despite being just 17 years of age at the time, the direct message he sent me via Twitter was so heartfelt, a part of it which read: “Hey […]

After winning its first game on the final day of the regular season, Burnaby's Byrne Creek Bulldogs are playoff bound in their first-ever season of play. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Rugby

Byrne Creek rugby’s historic first win! Said ‘Dawgs head coach Stefanon: “You would have thought we had won just won a B.C. title”

BURNABY — The greenest team in B.C. senior boys rugby has done nothing but grow over its first-ever season. On Thursday at the Burnaby Lake Sports Complex however, the hometown Byrne Creek Bulldogs enjoyed an historic coming of age.

Fleetwood Park's Simran Billen (right) celebrates her first goal Wednesday in the Dragons' 5-1 win over Sullivan Heights at Cloverdale Athletic Park. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca 2019. All Rights Reserved)
South Kamloops' Maddy Gobeil (right) is headed to a university basketball career in U Sports beginning next season with Abbotsford's Fraser Valley Cascades. Help us find at least 999 more graduating B.C. high school Grade 12 student-athletes headed to post-secondary careers in 2019-20. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Vancouver Sports Pictures 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School University

B.C. Recruits List 2019! Please help Varsity Letters break 1,000 Grade 12 names as we chart the Class of 2019’s university sport destinations!

NORTH DELTA — It’s that time of year again.For our province’s select community of high school seniors who are looking to continue their careers as post-secondary student-athletes, it’s a time to tip our collective hat.For the 13th straight year it’s time to begin the task of compiling the names and destinations of as many of […]

Simon Fraser could send as many as five steeplechase athletes to the NCAA Div. 2 national championships later this month. They are (left to right) Julia Howley, Chelsea Ribeiro, Olivia Willett, Aaron Ahl and Pierre Louis-Detourbe. (Photo by Brad McLeod property of SFU Athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
UBC Thunderbirds' sophomore Jamie Hennessey (55) posted the fastest NAIA time this season in the 3,000m steeplechase, despite her Type 1 diabetes. (Photo by UBC athletics copyright 2019. All rights reserved).
Feature University Track and Field

UBC’s Jamie Hennessey: Despite her Type 1 diabetes, Thunderbirds’ courageous sophomore sits among the NAIA’s steeplechase elite

VANCOUVER — If you had asked Jamie Hennessey five years ago if she was capable of having a day like the one she had last month, she would have nodded a decisive “No.”

Argyle's Gerial Larose (right) wraps suits up Wednesday at the North Shore all-star basketball game at Capilano University. (Photo by Wilson Wong 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Boys Basketball High School Girls Basketball

Capilano U hosts North Shore boys, girls all-star games as 2018-19 high school basketball season ends Wednesday

NORTH VANCOUVER — Capilano University’s Centre for Sport and Wellness will host on Wednesday what is surely the final event on the 2018-19 B.C. high school basketball calendar. The occasion?

Shawnigan Lake's Dakota Stevenson (right) gets grabby with Carson Graham's Austin James during Stadium Series Premier League clash Friday at Klahanie Park. (Photo by Blair Shier property of Blair.photo 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Rugby

Varsity Letters B.C. High School Rugby Report Stadium Series Rd. 2 edition: Stags, Saints, Barbs, Sun Devils all part of our 15 match reports

LANGLEY — Welcome back to a full slate of action in the world of B.C. boys high school rugby. Key weekday matches as well as round two of Stadium Series 2019 highlight the docket:

Former Holy Cross star basketball player Jonathan Kongbo gave football a late try, and now goes from the Tennessee Volunteers to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. (Photo by Andrew Ferguson property of Tennessee athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Football University Football

Eight B.C. high school football alums picked in 2019 CFL Draft! Coaches agree player development is on the rise

LANGLEY — B.C. high school football’s best night ever at the CFL draft? No one can be sure, yet what is certain is that the eight players chosen from some of this province’s top programs is the most in over a decade.

On Thursday, Michael O'Connor found out his CFL home will be in Toronto. On Friday, he goes to NFL rookie mini-camp with the Seattle Seahawks. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

Michael O’Connor: UBC’s humble superstar pivot finds a CFL home with Argos, takes to field with NFL’s Seattle Seahawks on Friday

VANCOUVER — Michael O’Connor wasn’t afraid of taking a road less traveled to achieve his dream of becoming a professional quarterback, and now more than ever, you can see the purpose in his steps.