Episode 8 of On Guard For Three marks a few firsts for us.
Our first female guest is Joyce Slipp, the starting point guard for Canada’s first ever basketball entrant at the Olympic Games in Montreal in 1976.
She’s also our first Hall of Famer, an honoree of the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame, Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.
Before we get to Joyce, we discuss the impact of Covid-19 on our world and the basketball world, we rant about Rudy Gobert (5:15), read a statement from the province’s chief medical officer (8:15), and predict the future a little.
With the esteemed Mrs. Slipp, we begin as always with the Magic Question (11:30), learn how she grew up in the Moncton area playing golf, volleyball and field hockey too (14:00), the familiar names (to Monctonians for sure) that were her first coaching and teaching influences (17:00)
How different the environment was for student athletes when she arrived at UNB (18:30), the early rules of women’s basketball (20:00) and the sport she would have played if she’d been allowed (22:45).
Joyce talks about adjusting to the sport after the women’s rules were overhauled (24:00), the breakout game that got her a huge break (24:45), her early days with the national team and her positional change (25:30), and her first international trip with Team Canada (27:45).
Joyce talks about creating her own drills to advance her skills (29:00), how she broke out as a scorer (21:30), the dominant team of the early 70’s on the world stage (32:00) and paints us a picture of the opening ceremonies in Montreal (33:15).
Joyce also name drops (we asked her to) about her neighbours in the Olympic Village (36:45), transitioning to teaching and coaching after retiring from playing (40:15), leaving UNB….and then coming back (44:00), coaching while….literally….starting a family (46:00), working with the field hockey national team and the inventive ways she used as a mom to keep her kids around while she travelled North America with them (47:30),
We discuss basketball in her hometown of Fredericton. (49:00) and Joyce has some fascinating comments about the state of women’s basketball in this country and in general (50:30), as well, we discuss, with the growth of the game everywhere, why it is that events like the BioSteel All-Canadian teams and the national teams boast very few players from outside the greater Toronto area (56:00).
Brock posts up Joyce with his BIG THREE! (61:45), and he gets her talking of the dangers of the old Gunningsville Bridge, going into Halls of Fame with the likes of Randy Gregg and Jamie Russell, and the grandkids!
Finally, we make Joyce Commissioner for a Day (67:30).
