Jordie Arthur
Dan Kinvig / UFV Athletics

General Dan Kinvig / UFV Athletics

Standout student staffer Arthur receives Cascade Crew Award

Jordie Arthur is the recipient of the second annual Cascade Crew award, which recognizes excellence among student game-day staff.

The Charlie Lake, B.C. product has been part of the Cascades family since 2013, when he joined the stat table for soccer. He continued in that role for five seasons, before moving over to the game-night communications team in November 2018. 

This past season, Arthur's contributions were invaluable – he played a key role in producing post-game video interviews, volleyball press releases, and Instagram story updates, and was entrusted to cover a pair of events solo (women's rugby sevens at UBC, and volleyball provincials at Douglas College) as the Cascades sought to expand their communications reach during the busy playoff season. He also pitched in on a number of additional video projects, including the popular "Cascades Q&A" series. 

Arthur graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor of Kinesiology degree, a minor in Media and Communications, and an Introduction to Journalism certificate, but returned to UFV for one more year to deepen his communications experience with Cascades Athletics and add a couple more certificates (Professional Communications Essentials, Media Literacy) to his resumé.

He's spent so much time interviewing athletes in recent years, we decided to turn the tables on him for a Q&A.
 
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You've been part of the Cascades' game-day staff from virtually the moment you set foot on campus in 2013. How did you get connected with the Cascades, and why was it important to you to get involved on campus? 

"Well, originally when I came down to UFV, I moved a month before school was starting because I was joining up with the men's soccer team's training camp. That was back when Alan Errington was still the head coach. I was there for the first week of training camp, and Al just kind of said, 'Hey, we don't really have room for you this year.' 

"I'd moved into Baker House, where I'd met Kayla Klim (former Cascades women's soccer goalkeeper). Somebody from Athletics had talked to Kayla about needing game-day staff, and Kayla got me connected. First game of the year, there I was.

"I think being involved on campus was huge – it improved my whole experience at UFV. I met a lot of people through that. My roommate at the time, Dali (Plavsic), was playing on the men's soccer team, and I met a lot of the athletes through him. Being connected (on campus) gives you something else to do, rather than just going to school and going home."

You've been working on the communications team for the past two seasons. What's the best part of the job?

"I could go with the savvy answer and say the best part of the job is definitely the people I work with."

(Laughs) What's the real answer?

"I don't know – I just love the way that working on the communications side and the media aspects of sport, you really get the emotion that comes with everything. I've always loved sports for that reason. With the highs and the lows of the game, you get so invested with the teams. There's just something really special about that aspect of it. It almost feels like you're out there with them. You don't have that physical element of it, but you've followed it along, and you get to capture that emotion and display it for all the athletes. When you capture a big moment or you see a shot that nobody expected to go in, it's a really fun environment to be in."

What's your best memory from the 2019-20 season?

"Best memory? It has to be that Jordyn Sekhon shot, beating the buzzer to send it to overtime. Anybody in the gym would tell you that was one of those heart-stopping moments where everything is in slow motion. You see that ball go in, and the place just explodes. You try to stay a little bit reserved when you're catching it (on camera) for social media, but you get that elevated feeling. It was just incredible to watch."
 
What's your favourite piece of content you created?

"That's a really good question. Honestly, I think my favourite content was the Q&A videos this year, working with you on those. Sitting there afterwards editing those videos, you end up watching the athletes talk so much, you feel connected to them personally. Those were so much fun to do. You really saw people's personalities come to life."
 

We're going to put you on the spot for a couple of questions. You've been part of a lot of post-game player and coach interviews over the last couple of seasons… who's the best quote?

"Hmmm. There are a few good ones. I mean, Nathan Bennett (Cascades men's volleyball coach) always has fantastic quotes. He's easy to talk to, and he's got that kind of personality and sense of humour to have that great quote come out. And there's a few athletes in particular who are really good at those post-game interviews. They know what to say, and they don't have any nerves. A few that spring to mind are Kara Williams from women's volleyball, and Brittney (Zacharuk) from the women's soccer team. And Landon Uy from men's volleyball. It's really hard to pick a favourite."
 
Who were your favourite Cascades athletes to watch play this season from an entertainment standpoint?

"Ooh. There's a few of them. Parm Bains (men's basketball) is absolutely incredible to watch – the way he shoots the ball and the way he plays has been unreal. And anyone who's seen Landon (Uy) play, ever, is blown away by the way he can jump and compete with guys who are much taller than he is. One other player who really stands out in my mind is Brittney Zacharuk, because … I don't know … there's just an aura around the way she plays, that level of confidence and composure on the ball. Whenever she touches it, you have a feeling something's going to happen."

Fellow student communications assistant Adam Hutchison submitted a question, and he wants it asked with precisely this wording: What's next for Jordie Arthur?

"Probably a nap. (Laughs) I don't really know, beyond that. I have no concrete plans. It's really hard to imagine life after UFV. I've been here to so long, and working with the Cascades so long. I definitely have a passion for sports media, and that's something I'd really love to get into. This summer, I'm going to be doing a little bit of writing for the Fraser Valley Bandits. But who knows where it's going to take me? Hopefully I'll keep doing something around sports no matter what." 

View this post on Instagram

???? | Thrilled to introduce Jordie Arthur as the winner of the Cascade Crew Award! This is the second year we've honoured an outstanding member of our student game-day staff, and Jordie is a very worthy honouree. He's been a game-day staffer basically since setting foot on campus in 2013, beginning on the soccer stat table and moving over to the communications team in 2018. This past season, he played a key role in producing post-game video interviews, volleyball press releases, and social media updates, and he also pitched in on a number of video projects including the Cascades Q&A series. Jordie's spent so much time interviewing athletes over the years, we decided to turn the tables on him and make him do a Q&A. Check the link in our bio! #CascadesAwards #WeClimbWeConquer

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