Recap: The 2010 SIFE World Cup from Team Canada’s Perspective

The SIFE World Cup is an illusion.

Team Canada booth at the SIFE World Cup Cultural Fair

Many people that hear about the SIFE World Cup believe that it is all about competition. There’s more to it. On the surface, some believe that the purpose of the SIFE World Cup is to bring delegates from 40 countries around the world to a convention centre and make them compete for one team to be ranked one as the winner.

If you’ve ever been to the SIFE World Cup, you know that is only the tip of the ice berg.

The Impact of the SIFE World Cup on Team Canada

Canada was able to bring about 30 delegates from Team Canada (SIFE Ryerson) and a total of 100+ delegates from across the country. These Canadian leaders got exposed to the initiatives from other SIFE teams around the world. Most importantly, Canadian delegates were fortunate enough to hang out, laugh and share stories on challenges and success they have experienced with their SIFE teams.

After the competition was said and done, there was one word I kept hearing after talking with SIFE teams; inspiration. They are inspired to dream bigger, to push harder and make a greater difference in their community and around the world.

What was most important for SIFE Ryerson was that we came together as a team. There are times where we have a lot going on in our lives like SIFE, midterms, a job, family and friends. Sometimes, we take each other for granted and forget to appreciate the hard work each and every member puts in to make SIFE Ryerson what it is today. The SIFE World Cup gave the opportunity to turn off the phone, stay away from email, Twitter, Facebook, the headaches of life (bills don’t pay themselves, lol) and spend quality time with each other.

It could be laughing hysterically at a dumb joke about Drew Carey on the Price is Right or hanging out  in an extended Hummer Limo at midnight (living the good life…it was rented). We all had a lot of fun and there are many takeaways from the trip but building stronger relationships with the go-getters around you is truly invaluable.

An experience like this for our team was priceless and something we will cherish for a lifetime.

The result of the SIFE World Cup for Team Canada

Out of 39 teams that competed at the SIFE World Cup, Team Canada is ranked Top 16. We are fortunate to be ranked Top 16 out of 1500+ SIFE teams around the world.

As a team, this is a big milestone for SIFE Ryerson. Here is why:

• SIFE Ryerson was only established 5 years ago. We are thankful for the fact that we competed against strong teams like SIFE Memorial, SIFE Okanagan, SIFE Niagara College, etc and advanced to the next round of competitions.
• SIFE Ryerson received recognition on the world stage. There are 39 other countries Team Canada can collaborate with and grow with. With Canada having a noticeable presence at the competition, it places SIFE Ryerson is a position to succeed in the future.
• An accomplishment fuels the team and its supporters. It fuels the success of Ryerson University as more high school students look at the university from a different, more favourable perspective. It motivates our strategic partners to support and cheer us on to further grow our programs. And lastly, it fuels the SIFE Ryerson team to create a more meaningful impact.

We Want to Thank You

There is a reason why SIFE Ryerson continues to grow and succeed: our supporters. We couldn’t be where we are today if it wasn’t for our supporters. We want to thank:

SIFE teams from across Canada. Being there with us in Anaheim, dancing at the after party, cracking jokes and just shooting the breeze made us feel like a big SIFE family. Thank you for your support at the SIFE World Cup. Being there and cheering us makes us feel loved; big hug!

All of our strategic partners. There are many organizations in Toronto and worldwide that support SIFE Ryerson. They love SIFE and the endless energy we have. We can’t run successful programs without the network around us. The guidance and direction each strategic partner provides makes a difference.

VP of University Advancement, Adam Kahan and Dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ken Jones

Ryerson University, the best university administration. The overwhelming support of President Sheldon Levy has been almost too much to swallow. He is a true champion of SIFE and trusts SIFE Ryerson blindly with projects that are close to his heart. VP of University Advancement, Adam Kahan and Dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ken Jones blew us away with supporting us by visiting Team Canada in Anaheim, cheering us on and hosting a Thanksgiving dinner as we weren’t able spend it with family; your presence meant a lot to us.

ACE Canada. The time you put in to make our journey to the SIFE World Cup perfect was worth it. The 2010 ACE Canada Showcase of Champions was a lot of work over a short period of time and you guys made it a lot easier for us to go through. We were sometimes hard to get along with (we’re students, come on!) but we really appreciate the effort you made day in and day out to help us along the way. We will never forget it!

Our family and friends. We wake up at 6am to get to class, forget to call you throughout the day, come home at 10pm, kiss you hello, finish work and go to sleep for the day to start all over again. We make sacrifices today for a happier and brighter future. Hope you understand

Our Faculty Advisor, Dr. Steven Gedeon motivating and inspiring.

Our faculty advisor, Dr. Steven Gedeon. Steve, what can we even say? Steve, you mean a lot to us. There are hundreds of things you can be doing right now, starting up rock solid businesses, exploring the world and spending time with your loved ones. Instead, you spend endless hours motivating us, coaching us when we’re weak, bringing us back to reality when we’ re out of it and take the steps to pave a path for our professional and personal success.

We want to thank you for giving up a lot to be with SIFE Ryerson and we want you to know that it means the world to us.

Taking the Next Step

Now, SIFE Ryerson is back in Toronto. At the end of the day, the title of the 2010 ACE Canada Champions is temporary. We have to prove ourselves this year by working hard, staying focused and running programs as a team to have the same opportunity we had this year.

We are excited about the road ahead!

Missed our previous articles?

For a breakdown of our trip to Anaheim, here are links to older posts:

• Day 0: SIFE Ryerson is Off to the SIFE World Cup
• Day 1: SIFE Ryerson Lands in Anaheim
• Day 2+3: The Excitement of SIFE World Cup

Written by Nehal Kazim