Kyle Claggett is a member of the Cascades’ golf and basketball teams
Very few athletes find a way to play sports at the collegiate level. Not only is the competition steep, but the commitment is significant as training and studying can be difficult to balance. Kyle Claggett is well aware of those challenges. The fourth-year golfer has been a quality addition to the Cascades, and now finds himself as one of the team’s leaders due to the new recruits joining the team for the 2020-21 season.
Although golf doesn’t generally attract taller athletes, Claggett stands at 6’9. This year, after a long break from the sport and one year on the bench, Claggett decided to formally join the Cascades basketball team, making him a two-sport athlete for UFV. To those that know him, however, this is likely no surprise. The Claggetts have quite the history with the sports program.
“Growing up, basketball was kind of my main sport I would say. It was my family’s sport. My sister played at UFV and now she’s playing pro [basketball] in Ireland. Basketball was always something that I wanted to do after high school but [I] just pursued golf after grade 12,” Claggett said. His sister is none other than Taylor Claggett, one of UFV’s most accomplished female basketball players. Her five-year run with the Cascades statistically lines up with the very best scores that the school has seen, so for her brother to join the team is a significant family accomplishment.
Claggett had friends on the basketball team, and over the years, he would join the open gym shoot-arounds and hang out with the players. It was there that people began to notice his skills and question why he wasn’t on the varsity squad. “Adam Friesen, the old coach, was kind of getting on my case to join the team, so I decided to join. Last year, as a redshirt, trying to be around at practice and then this year, full on every day just practising with the team,” Claggett explained.
Likely due to eligibility reasons, Claggett was a redshirt player during the 2019-20 season, meaning that he wasn’t allowed to play. This year, as he now joins the squad as a full player, his role seems similar to what he does out on the golf course.
“Right now, I would say my main role on the basketball team is being a leader again. Just being one of the main post guys [on the] starting lineup and just contributing on the offensive and defensive side,” he said.
Some might think that two-sport athletes may struggle due to their commitments to two different teams, but this overlooks the benefits that cross-training has for players. Claggett finds that the mental toughness and focus required in golf can absolutely translate to better basketball play, and his unique perspective as a two-sport player could bring a whole new presence to the basketball team.
Claggett also had the benefit of actually playing this year. Though the basketball team’s season has been cancelled and their ability to play matches at all has been postponed due to the current COVID-19 situation in B.C., the golf team has been able to play a number of events, such as the B.C. Rivalry Series. This is important because despite the current measures in place that restrict certain indoor gatherings and activities such as organized basketball, golf courses have remained open and ready to go, as they allow for outdoor social distancing. Sadly, Claggett’s two-sport debut will have to wait until the teams return to their regular schedules, but thankfully, when he does return, supporters and fans of the Cascades will get to watch him play on the course and on the court.
