AV俱乐部

Next week marks the beginning of the 2017 Canada Summer Games, and the 50th anniversary of the event鈥檚 inception. Over 4,000 athletes and coaches in 16 sports will descend on Winnipeg, Manitoba, the host for this year鈥檚 event. Forty-seven of them (38 athletes and nine coaches) are current or incoming Tigers who will be representing their home provinces during the two-week event.

, the Tigers current women鈥檚 soccer coach will lead Nova Scotia鈥檚 women鈥檚 soccer team to the pitch along with Tigers assistant coach . The 18-person squad boasts four incoming Tiger recruits including , , and . was named as an alternate to the squad.

Tye, a silver medallist in soccer at the 1993 event in Kamloops, B.C. has been leading the team for a number of years and is looking forward to the event.

鈥淚t is always exciting to represent Team NS and Soccer Nova Scotia at the Canada Games,鈥� she says. 鈥淎s staff and players, we know it is a privilege to wear blue and white and look forward to making Nova Scotia proud."

Fellow soccer recruit will also be making the trek west with her home province of New Brunswick.

The men鈥檚 soccer team has two incoming athletes who will also be heading to the Games in week two. (Halifax, N.S.) and (Whitehorse, Y.K.) will both be representing their respective province/territory with (Tigers women鈥檚 soccer video coach) serving as team manager for Team Nova Scotia.

Athletes from across the university

The Tigers track and field teams have 19 athletes representing four provinces at the Games this year. , , , , , , , , , , , , and will all suit up for Nova Scotia at the Games with Tigers head coach on the coaching staff. and will run for their home province of Prince Edward Island, while and will suit up for New Brunswick. Incoming runner will race for team Alberta.

Beals, Beaton, Lunda and Walker will all be making their second appearances at a Canada Games after competing at the 2013 event in Sherbrooke, Q.C.

鈥淚鈥檓 very happy to be able to attend a second Canada Games,鈥� says Beaton. 鈥淗aving attended the 2013 event just before I started at AV俱乐部 has better prepared me with what to expect. I can鈥檛 wait to showcase what my four years at Dal and training with my coaches have helped me achieve!鈥�

A U SPORTS bronze medallist in the 300m last March, sprinter Mike Van Der Poel is a medal favourite at the games and will be competing in the 200m, 400m and 4x400m events.

鈥淚 am looking forward to the experience and I am extremely proud to represent Nova Scotia,鈥� says Van Der Poel. 鈥淢y preparation started as soon as I finished school for the year. I have been trying to give it my all on every workout and hopefully it will pay off.鈥�

Striving for excellence

Volleyball is another sport the Tigers will be well-represented in at the Games in the next two weeks.

Long-time women鈥檚 volleyball assistant coach will lead Nova Scotia鈥檚 women鈥檚 volleyball team to Winnipeg this summer. This will be Elliott鈥檚 fourth Canada Games, having served as an assistant coach with the men鈥檚 teams in 2005 and 2009 and again with the women鈥檚 squad in 2013.

鈥淚'm looking forward to our group of talented and dedicated Nova Scotian athletes and coaches achieving their best performance at the 2017 games in Winnipeg,鈥� says Elliott. 鈥淚'm equally excited for everyone to experience that electric feeling of participating in a multi-sport games. There is no better feeling then being a part of an opening or closing ceremonies, and to be able to support and cheer for athletes in different sports makes wearing the Blue and White听that much more special.鈥�

Fellow Tigers assistant coach will serve as his assistant, while Sam Sanders (also a Tigers women鈥檚 volleyball assistant coach) and U SPORTS second team all-Canadian have been working with the team in advance of the Games. Tigers newcomers , , and are all part of the roster that will look to improve upon Nova Scotia鈥檚 quarter-final loss in 2013.

On the men鈥檚 side, four incoming Tigers will also be competing in Winnipeg. and will compete for Nova Scotia, while and will play for New Brunswick and Manitoba, respectively.

Three of the four players competing in beach volleyball for Nova Scotia are current Tigers players. and will pair up to compete in the men鈥檚 competition, while veteran and her partner Micaela Sabean will play on the women鈥檚 side.

Swim head coach will lead Nova Scotia鈥檚 teams to the Games in the second week, with recent Tigers grad serving as a team manager. The team is comprised of athletes aged 16 and under so there aren鈥檛 any university-aged swimmers on the roster.

It should be an exciting two weeks of competition. Be sure to cheer for the Tigers and stay up to date with all the action!

Twitter @2017CanadaGames

The Tigers competition schedule

Week One (July 28-August 4)

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Week Two (August 5 - 13)

For more information on the history of the Games: