By Howard Tsumura
The Vancouver Province

Chris Meehan: Complete Champion

The most essential reading in the handbook given to all Trinity Western University student-athletes is the chapter that encourages them to live a life of significance. It's called The Complete Champion Approach, and for Chris Meehan, who put a fairy-tale ending on a star-studded career with the school's No. 2-ranked men's volleyball team, the title seems almost autobiographical.

On Sunday March 5th, with the most complete and dominant performance in the program's history, the little school from Langley stunned the No. 1-ranked, defending national champion Alberta Golden Bears 3-0 (25-21, 25-8, 25-16) to not only capture its first Canadian Interuniversity Sport men's national volleyball title, but beat its Edmonton nemesis for just the fourth time in 37 all-time meetings. And leading the way for the Spartans? Who else but the Clearwater, B.C. native, who was good on seven of eight kill attempts in what was a dream finish in his final university match. For his efforts the two-time First Team All-Canadian was named the Most Valuable Player for the Tournament.

So much of what Meehan meant on the court was reflected in the numbers he put up, numbers often eye-popping enough to make you do a double take. In a 3-1 Canada West quarterfinal playoff victory over Winnipeg that gave the Spartans a 2-0 sweep over the Wesmen and sent them into the CIS national championships, the fifth-year middle hit at an astounding 92 per cent, finishing with 12 kills and zero hitting errors to go along with eight service aces and three blocks, prompting TWU assistant coach Ben Josephson to say afterwards: "That is the best statistical line I have ever seen."

Meehan’s performance this year was not a one time occurrence. At the conclusion of this academic year Meehan will graduate as the most decorated student-athlete in Trinity Western University’s history. In addition to his Championship awards Meehan has acquired numerous other awards, including: 2001-02 Canada West and CIS Rookie of the Year, captain of the Canadian Junior National Team that won gold at the 2002 NORCECA Championships, 2002-03 Canada West 2nd Team All-Star, captain of the 2003 Canadian Junior National Team that played in the world championships in Tehran, Iran, 2003-04 Canada West 1st Team All-Star, 03-04 CIS 1st Team All-Canadian, 03-04 CIS Championship All-Star and member of Spartans’ CIS Bronze medal winning team, member of Spartans’ 04-05 CIS Silver medal winning team, member of Team Canada at the 2005 World University Games in Turkey, and a three-time CIS Academic All-Canadian.

He is regarded by many as one of the top attacking middles in the country in his age class and given his performances on the international stage some would suggest that the same could be said of his reputation internationally.

Yet so determined was Meehan to answer bigger questions in his life that in September of 2004 he chose to go into a discipleship to ponder his purpose and gain perspective on the bigger questions in life.

"I just felt that when you're playing at a high level and you're trying to pursue academics, that it's very hard to keep priorities straight," says Meehan, who wound up returning to the team in January of 2005, in time for its national title run which ended in a five-set final loss to Alberta. "So I wanted to find something that would affect how I lived and how I perceived life."

Meehan looked at programs being offered around the world before discovering a fourth-month program had been created in his hometown of Clearwater that met the criteria of spiritual growth so essential to his belief system. But what exactly was it?

"There really wasn't a term for it," Meehan laughs of the program which took place in a local church and included himself, his brother Jeremy and his best friend Keith Harrison. "We would get together at nine in the morning and go to three. We'd read through passages of scripture and other books and we'd have a round table. Ultimately we just sat and talked. Some days, we'd only make it through two sentences and we'd go off on a tangent. But at the end of the day, we'd be sitting there in awe."

All of this was happening at time in Meehan's life when he was back home with his mom, Yvonne, who was in remission in her fight with cancer. Months later, however, the cancer returned and she lost the battle.

"When something hits that close to home, with family, everything else just stops," says Meehan, who is majoring in leadership management. "You realize that the ultimate value that you have is your relationships with people and what that truly means to you."

In fact before the Canada West championships or CIS national tournament had even begun, Meehan was wary of putting too much focus on the success or failure of a national title by his team. He felt at that time that there were other more important things to consider.

"Volleyball, in and of itself, isn't the actual ends," explained Meehan. "It's the process that really matters and that is thing that you carry to the end. To me, that comes down to the pursuit of a national championship. That is a goal that will recognize excellence throughout the year. But it is the process that you have to focus on, and the process that you have to enjoy."

So while winning a CIS national title may seem like Meehan's greatest accomplishment, the man himself will tell you that becoming the complete champion is the most important thing of all.

Last Updated: 2007-10-21
Author: Scott Stewart
Email: ssstew@twu.ca