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‘It‘s a display by the goâ€" vernment that the show must go on, despite the fact we‘re not attending the Olympics,"‘ said McCrae, coach of women‘s national team that narrowly failed to qualify for the Moscow Games, but which wouldn‘t have been goingâ€"even if it had finished in the top five teams in the Preâ€"Olympic Qualifying tourney earlier this year in Bulgaria. The Canadian team finished seâ€" venth out of 25 teams. Originally. the camp brought 60 of the top young women athletes in Canada to UW, but after a tryout period that number was pared to 40. They have unâ€" dergone intensive training both on and offâ€"court in the past two weeks, and were joined ‘Friday by eight members of this year‘s naâ€" tional team for a week of scrimmage games. ‘‘This is the first time ever we‘ve had so many girls from all over Canada in one place for this type of camp,""‘ said McCrae Sunday in the ovenâ€"4ike UW gym. ‘‘It‘s given them an exâ€" cellent chance to see what it takes to become a member of the national team. We (coaches) can go across the country preaching to them that they have to be big, strong and fast to make the grade, but really that means nothing to them until they can come to something like this (camp) and see for themselves how they rate." Initiated by the federal government under the Sport Canada banner, Develop ment ‘84 brought together young women ranging in age from 16â€"22 for an intensive training period to give the participants a taste of the commitment needed to .deâ€" velop into an elite player, and also to give national and provincial coaches a chance to assess what the near fuâ€" ture holds in store for woâ€" men‘s basketball in this country. By Rick Campbeli Chronicle Sports Editor While most people have been taking advantage of the warm temperatures and sunshine the past couple of weeks, some 40 young women have been sweating it out at the University of Waterloo gym learning just what it takes to be a member of the Canadian naâ€" tional women‘s basketball team. And according to Don Mcâ€" Crae, coâ€"ordinator of Deveâ€" lopment ‘84 Basketball Camp, for most it has been an eyeâ€"opening experience. Page 10 â€" Waterloo:Chronicle, Wednesday, July 23, 1980 SportWaterloo McCrae. coach of the men‘s team at UW in addiâ€" tion to his position with the national women‘s squad, readily admitted the deciâ€" sion to hold a camp of this magnitude® came on the heels of the Canadian Olymâ€" pic Association‘s decision to boycott the Moscow Games, which ironically got underâ€" way Saturday minus almost half the countries which norâ€" mally would have attended. The national coach was assisted at the camp by coâ€" ordinator Wayne Hussey of Bishop‘s University, coach of the women‘s national junâ€" ior squad, and seven others. On hand were former naâ€" tional player Michelle Beâ€" langer, presently coach of the women‘s team at Uniâ€" versity of Toronto, Peter Ennis, women‘s coach at Laurentian University, Tom Kendall of University of Winnipeg, Christine LeBâ€" lanc from University of Moncton, Peter Campbell, women,s provincial junior coach for Ontario, Hubert LaCroix, holder of the same position in Quebec, and Sally Kemp, coach of the UW Athenas who served as manager for the camp. Of the athletes in camp, . yoy g:t at an event like the Olympics. it was just 25 teams McCrae said that relativelyâ€" from around the world coming together for one purpose â€" to speaking the youngest play women‘s basketball." showed the most promise, _ To recap. the Canadian team finished seventh out of those and that there will be invitaâ€" 25 teams. with a 7â€"3 record that McCra¢ said should have tions sent to some for next â€" been 9â€"1 were it not for two oneâ€"point losses and the fact that year‘s national and national the Canadians played with three key individuals hurt. Jjunior tryâ€"out camp$s, . . . . . . . . But that. too. is now. water. under the bridge, and.as Mcâ€" ‘‘It‘s been most ‘valuable for us (coaches) too," said McCrae. ‘"*The ones that were here can go back now and know the demands they can put on their kids. Some coaches even have their own athletes here which has to help both coach +and player." Once the camp was whitâ€" tled down to 40, the young women were divided up into groups of 10â€"12, based on ageâ€"grouping and also what McCrae referred to as ‘‘*mixedâ€"bag‘‘ grouping." In addition to onâ€"court inâ€" struction, each athlete unâ€" derwent intensive testing by Dr. Howie Green of the UW Kinesiology department, wellâ€"known for his work with professional sports teams, including Toronto Maple Leafs. The young women were also videoâ€" taped in action to give them a better idea of their strengths and mistakes, and were also shown films and documentaries on the naâ€" tional women‘s team. / "It was a very valuable camp overâ€"all, the girls now realize what their physical limitations are, how they stack up against each other, and where they have to imâ€" prove,"" said McCrae. ‘‘For them, the preâ€"Olympic qualifying tournament was the big one, there was none of the publicity or goingsâ€"on that you get at an event like the Olympics., it was just 25 teams from around the world coming together for one purpose â€" to play women‘s basketball."" The boycott is all so much regurgitated water under the bridge now. the politicians. the athletes. the media and the man on the street all having had their say. The tainted Games. minus many influential countries. go on. And it was evident at UW Sunday that so do the lives of the young and not so young women. who have dedicated years to the national program. And dedicated this past week to Deâ€" velopment Camp 84. a federal brainchild intended to search out and cultivate female basketball talent for the 1984 Los Angeles Games. if the Olympics or any of us are around at the time. But after he watched eight members of his national squad easily dismiss a hardworking camp crew in one of many scrimmage games. McCrae sat down and surprised a reâ€" porter by saying that few. if any. of his charges have or will shed tears over the fact that they are not competing in Mosâ€" ‘‘Probably a few of the younger girls would say they‘d rather have gone to Moscow. but so many of our players have been to competitions like the Panâ€"Am Games and have been turned off by the security. the pressures. and so on," said McCrae. Or, depending on who you talk to. when the team found out only days prior to the tournament that the Canadian Olymâ€" pic Association had voted to back the federal government‘s recommendation to boycott the Games based on the atrociâ€" ties committed by the Soviets in Afghanistan. As the events of the 22nd Olympiad. otherwise known as the Moscow makeâ€"believe Games, began to unfold last Sunâ€" day. Don McCrae and the core of his Canadian women‘s basketball team were having one ripâ€"snortin‘ good time â€" on a basketball court halfway around the world just up the street at University of Waterloo. ; You see. for coach McCrae and these women. thoughts and dreams of competing at Moscow ended months ago. when the Canadian women failed to qualify in the top five at the preâ€"Olympic tournament in Bulgaria. ‘‘But I haven‘t even heard the girls talk about the Games," said McCrae. "I‘m glad to see them having some fun here today, they just came in. under no pressure and are really enjoying themselves. Hardly mattered though, Sunday. They were playing their game, and having fun doing it. "Of those four. T‘d say Candy has to be the biggest quesâ€" tion mark," said McCrae. ‘‘She‘s just finishing university, is contemplating marriage, she‘s got some very big decisions to make. But she‘s 21â€"yearâ€"old and is just approaching the peak of her game. we‘d love to see her stay with us." McCrae. not unlike myself. is greatly annoyed at the fact that while the athletes remain home. North American media types have travelled in hordes to cover the Moscow Games, perhaps unintentionally, but nevertheless flaunting the competition in front of the athletes on this side of the Atlantic. ‘I think this is the first time they‘ve been together where they haven‘t been under pressure, usually everywhere we play the team is under the gun, or has its national reputation at stake. It‘s a nice change just going out and playing for fun."" In a sweatbox of a gym. under dim lights. in front of no fans, with no Canada written on their uniforms. Hardly Moscow. Hardly what these girls envisioned three or four years ago. § Other starters who the quietâ€"spoken coach hopes will stick around are Bev Smith from Salmon Arm, B.C.. Debbie Huâ€" band of Ottawa and Bishop‘s University. and area star Candy Clarkson who recently completed her studies at Uniâ€" versity of Guelph. Crae sat pondering the potential at Development ©84, he adâ€" mitted his prime concern is keeping a nucleus together for four more long years. * $0. ® "If we can keep even three or four of this year‘s team around, we should be okay." said McCrae, a superb analyst of future fortunes. "And with any luck at all, I think we can." ; : High on the list of hopeful commitments to 1984 is Sylvia Sweeney, a member of both the 1976 and 1980 Olympic year teams, who now plays basketball yearâ€"round in France while combining the sport with her job at Michelin Tire. The fact that she is apparently able to combine the best of both worlds leads McCrae to believe she could still be a factor years down the road. w s Chronicle Sports Line 886â€"2830 Suddenly Moscow seemed so far away. a thing of the past