Bryce Froberg still remembers his first visit to Quest University.
The school was yet to be completed and the long drive led to a different landscape than the one on the hill today.
"The library wasn't complete but I think the academic programs building was," he said. "But I remember a lot of dirt and not all the concrete we see up there today."
Froberg was one of the original members of the Kermodes men's basketball team and he saw firsthand not only the transformation of the school but also the building of the basketball program.
The team formed for the 2007-'08 season, playing in a demonstration season, and tipped off in their first official British Columbia Colleges' Athletic Association season in 2008-'09. Froberg admitted the first year was pretty rough.
"It was very, very frustrating at times," he said. "Losing was something myself and the other guys really weren't all that familiar with. We knew that we'd struggle early on, but overall I think I learned a lot about myself and it was a great learning experience."
The team failed to win a game in its inaugural season, finishing with zero wins and 18 losses. However, Froberg pointed to the Kermodes' first-ever league win the next season as a career highlight.
"Our very first win was against Douglas (Nov. 14, 2009) and it was just a huge weight off of our shoulders," he said. "In fact, we swept them in their building and it felt really good."
Froberg isn't alone in his four-year experience building the program. Tyson Compton, along with twin brothers Kyle and Tyler Thorau, have also been with the team from the start and Froberg said it's been a pleasure being their teammates.
"Tyson and I have always been best friends on and off the court," he said. "He's been such a great example of this program because he's also a great student. Tyson's always positive and is a great team guy. The twins always left everything they had on the court, they always battled and the thing I admired about them is that I could tell they always wanted to win."
The four players were honoured before their last home game on Feb. 12 in a ceremony that saw all players receive a standing ovation for their efforts over the first four years in the program.
Men's head coach Sean Shook and Froberg have a unique relationship. Shook taught Froberg in high school and it was Froberg who convinced Shook to apply for the vacant head coaching job at Quest after original coach Steve Anderson's contract was not renewed.
"Bryce is a great leader," Shook said. "He's using basketball to get an education and he's a guy that has put in a lot of time in the weight room to make himself better. Tyson is a guy who really chose to come to Quest and was heavily recruited by teams all over the province out of high school. All four of these guys stuck around through a coaching change and helped see a program build and they should all be commended."
Froberg added that he thinks the team has a ton of potential for next season and pointed to players like Jesse Norris, Brodan Robertson and Connor Heinrichs as excellent guys to build around for next season.
"I think when I first got here I wanted to help set the tone for Quest basketball," he said. "I wanted to lead by example and build a foundation for the future and I think all four of us have helped do that."
Froberg said his future plans are still to be determined but he wants to continue his schooling. He flirted with going to law school but said he's likely going to pursue an MBA in a school near his hometown of Bellingham, Wash.
