A star and captain with UBC field hockey during the '80s and future UBC assistant coach, Melanie was a three-time CIAU (CIS) championship tournament all-star leading UBC to the national championship four times. Melanie was selected both a Canada West All-Star and All-Canadian three times. A national team member and '88 Olympian, Slade was also twice selected UBC's outstanding female athlete and according to her coaches "... could have played for any country in the world" and was "a great ambassador for UBC."
In the annals of UBC women's field hockey, Melanie Slade has proven to be a most acclaimed and successful contributor. She played for the 'Birds for five years from 1984/85 until 88/89 followed by five more years as the team's assistant coach. As a player she led UBC to the CIS (formerly CIAU) national tournament four times, three of which she was chosen as a CIS championship all-star. Melanie was also selected a Canada West first team all-star three of her five years and for those same three years was named to the All-Canadian team. This last accomplishment is most impressive in that the All-Canadian concept did not come into existence until Melanie's third year.
While at UBC Slade also achieved international status as she was a four year member of Canada's National team playing for Canada at the 1988 Olympics, one of only three UBC players from women's field hockey to ever play in the Olympics. "She was a magnificent player" states UBC coach Hash Kanjee. "She could have played for any country in the world. People like Melanie could have kept Canada in the top six."
As a coach, Melanie helped Gail Wilson guide UBC to its fifth national CIS gold medal in 1990/91, a silver in 91/92 and a bronze in 89/90. With coach Kanjee she helped UBC bring home a bronze in 93/94. According to Kanjee "Melanie showed insight into how the game should be played and could impart this to the kids. I hope she comes back because she could help direct hockey down the right road." Coach Wilson is enthusiastic about Melanie, feeling she was exceptional because of her work ethic and that she led by example. Because Melanie was so well liked and respected by the players, Wilson feels that Slade was just as effective as she in bringing the players to the point of realizing their full potential.
Melanie set a certain standard as a player at UBC. Of the field hockey players who have been selected as UBC's Female Athlete of the Year since the award's inception in 1960, Melanie Slade is the only one who has received this honor twice, in 1988 and 1989. "She was well liked, a very good sports person, a great ambassador for UBC," states coach Wilson. "UBC field hockey was important to her - she was dedicated to the program."
Melanie graduated from UBC in 1989 with a Bachelor of Human Kinetics degree and in addition to her five years with the hockey team, the last two serving as captain, she was a Women's Athletic Association member and an Executive member of the Big Block Club. "It was her mental strength, her ability to make decisions and her ability to work well with others" that were her strengths according to a fellow coach. "She had a positive effect on the team." Coach Wilson again feels her ability to empathize and mediate contributed to her ability to lead.
Now married with children, Melanie Slade Brancato continued to be on top of her game. It was in 1998 that Slade won the prestigious Watson Trophy as the Vancouver Women's Field Hockey Association's outstanding player, a trophy won by only a select few from UBC including stalwarts of the past, Charlotte Warren and Shelley Winter. According to Gail Wilson, "... attitude, dedication and loyalty, that describes Melanie Slade."
Researched and written by Fred Hume, UBC Athletics Historian
