First-time applicants and small, rural schools are encouraged to take advantage of the OFSAA Try Day grant. Apply today and receive priority!
Motivate your students and have a memorable experience at your school!
Leadership and inclusion opportunities.
Take advantage during the 2024-25 school year by applying for an OFSAA Try Day grant. The Ontario Ministry of Education has again provided a grant of up to $700 for schools to enhance their athletic/activity programs and to encourage all students to get active again.
Build the OFSAA Try Day program into your schedule of leadership courses, intramurals, special activity days, or fitness programs!
APPLY TODAY!
FOR MORE INFORMATION AND TO REGISTER PLEASE CLICK HERE.
Presented by: Yukon School Sports, Yukon Department of Education and Yukon Teachers’ Association
YSS would like to congratulate Mr. Patrick Wyard as the winner of the 2024 Ben Sheardown Award for Coaching Excellence!
The Ben Sheardown Award for Coaching Excellence can be awarded annually to an individual who has been involved in coaching Yukon School Sports teams. A selection committee comprised of: a representative of the Yukon School Sports, the Yukon Teachers’ Association and the Department of Education may select one coach annually.
• Coaching experience associated with community athletic teams will not be a determining factor in the recipient of this award.
• Equal consideration will be given to those coaches who have coached a variety of sports as well as those who have dedicated themselves to a particular sport.
• All unsuccessful nominations may remain active for future nomination periods.
• A past award winner is not eligible for a second award
• Each nomination should have at least one sponsor. Self-nominations will not be considered
• The Selection Committee may decide not to grant the award in a year in which there are no nominations or if nominees do not meet the selection criteria.
Presented by: Yukon School Sports, Yukon Department of Education and Yukon Teachers’ Association
Nominations
Nominations will be accepted from colleagues, parents, school council members, or athletes coached by the candidate. Nominations must be submitted to Kristen Johnston via email at kristen.johnston@yukon.ca Nominations must be received prior to May 1st. Nomination packages should include:
Nomination packages should include:
• Completed application form
• A letter of reference from the nominator attesting to the candidate’s coaching skills, abilities and leadership. This letter may include two references.
Selection Criteria
The successful candidate will possess:
• Coaching skills, abilities and leadership qualities that demonstrate a commitment to coaching Yukon students on Yukon School Sports teams.
• Extensive coaching experience and dedication to Yukon Schools Athletic Association teams.
• Coaching skills, abilities and leadership qualities that enable athletes to develop their physical, cognitive, and social skills to excel to higher levels of play.
• An ability to motivate and encourage student athletes to exceed their own expectations.
• Ability to model behaviors that demonstrate a commitment to students on the team, sportsmanship, and fair play.
Holly Stipdonk, left, and Brayden Stipdonk, right, get a chance to meet with Frankie Falcon before the march into the opening ceremony.James McCarthy/NNSL photo
Fort Smith’s Joseph Burr Tyrrell Elementary won the most overall points.
Hay River’s École Boréale won the prize for the most sportsmanlike team.
And Harry Camsell School in Hay River and École St. Patrick High in Yellowknife won the most overall points for the amount of people they each had on their teams.
DJSS – Diamond Jenness Secondary School; St Pat’s – École St Patrick High School; St Joes – École St Joseph School; PA – Princess Alexandra School; PWK – Paul William Kaeser High School; WDH – Weledeh Catholic School; MMS – Mackenzie Mountain School; ETS – East Three School; WMac – William McDonald Middle School; Tyr – Jospeh Burr Tyerell; HR – Hay River;
Judging by the smiles and excitement on Wednesday, you’d never know that it had been around five years since the NWT Track and Field Championships had last been held.
But it’s true, and it was obvious the meet was missed by a lot of people.
ÉcoleWilliam MacDonald Middle School
Day one of the return of the largest sporting event in the NWT saw dozens of athletes competing in long-distance running, high jump, javelin and discus, among others.
One of the big winners on the first day was Jayden Hwata of William McDonald School, who won the U13 boys high jump with a winning leap of 1.30 metre.
Once he got the win, Hwata said that was good enough for him.
“That was definitely it,” he said.
Princess Alexandra School had the honour of marching in first for the opening ceremony of the NWT Track and Field Championships in Hay River on Wednesday evening. The banner holders are, from left, Molly Campbell, Eleanor Bassett, Blakely Beck and Adele Russell.James McCarthy/NNSL photo
As tradition goes, high jump winners have the option to keep going for as long as they don’t fail a height. The record for that particular division is held by Luke Dizon of Yellowknife, who leaped 1.57 metres in 2017.
“I thought about it, but I knew I wouldn’t get it,” said Hwata.
The return of the championships was a welcome sight for Kenzie McDonald, president of Athletics NWT. He said getting back out there was a mixture of happiness and relief.
“It’s great to be back and the buzz is definitely there,” he said. “I was quite impressed when I heard the number of athletes (close to 900) and it’s great to see kids who are still interested in it.”
McDonald, the coach for East Three Secondary in Inuvik, said he can see the excitement in his young athletes.
“My group especially had no idea about the sport except for two who went to NAIG (North American Indigenous Games) last summer,” he said. “I think as it goes on, they’ll become less afraid. Talking to other coaches, almost every kid they brought was new and they had no idea what it was. It’s all about getting them trained up to the bare minimum and we can work with that moving forward.”
Peyton Simba, left, and Chloe Chicot-Palmer were the flagbearers for Kakisa Lake Scho during the opening ceremony.James McCarthy/NNSL photo
And some of those athletes who marched in were rather excited to do so. One of them was Scarlett Robillard of Princess Alexandra School in Hay River. This was her first crack at the championships and she said there were absolutely no nerves.
“With the fires, the flood and Covid, I never thought I would never get to do this,” she said. “I’m excited to do it.”
‘Our community needed that’: N.W.T. Track and Field Championships wrap up in Hay River
Fri 7 June 2024 : As the N.W.T. Track and Field Championships in Hay River wrap up, participants say it’s been great to have the event back after a four-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and then by flooding and wildfires.
Youth from across N.W.T. competed in the event from Wednesday through Friday.
Fort Smith’s Joseph Burr Tyrrell Elementary won the most overall points.
Hay River’s École Boréale won the prize for the most sportsmanlike team.
And Harry Camsell School in Hay River and École St. Patrick High in Yellowknife won the most overall points for the amount of people they each had on their teams.
‘It felt so good’
For organizer JJ Hirst, it was a a full-circle moment from when he used to do track and field as a student.
Although he didn’t set any records back then, he has nothing but great memories from that time.
“I remember this field was full of trees, and I remember in gym class, we used to pick the rocks … and for it to come from that to where we are today is, is amazing. I was also involved as a coach, and, you know, just love track. And I love this event,” Hirst said.
He also said the energy has been high throughout the event, despite a lot of rain.
“Listen. Listen to the crowd there,” he said, referring to the sound of spectators cheering.
“When our first event started — the high jump started on Wednesday at [1 p.m.] … I heard the first roar, and it was just – it felt so good, you know? … I think our community needed that.”
Around 120 people put in around 2,000 person hours to make the championships happen, said volunteer co-ordinator Dian Papineau Magill.
They do it, she said, because it makes people happy.
Event coordinator J.J. Hirst said the Hay River needed the track and field championships after four years of cancelations due to COVID-19, flooding and wildfires.
Event coordinator J.J. Hirst said the Hay River needed the track and field championships after four years of cancelations due to COVID-19, flooding and wildfires. (Carla Ulrich/CBC)
“Look at all the smiles,” she said.
“People are happy, the kids are happy, parents are happy. It’s a big family event.”
Ten-year-old Yevah Chepelsky-Tetso competed in the games for the first time this year and described it as “really fun,” adding that her favourite part was the running.
“I don’t know, but like, you have this good feeling,” she said. “When you run, people are like, ‘Yeah! Go! And, like, it’s so much fun. And then you get all hyped up and stuff.”
Volunteer coordinator Dian Papineau Magill said around 120 volunteers worked on the event.
Volunteer coordinator Dian Papineau Magill said around 120 volunteers worked on the event. (Carla Ulrich/CBC)
It was also fun sleeping in a school and staying up late with her friends, reading books and braiding hair, while the boys played hockey in their quarters, she said.
“I’ve been watching a bunch of people over there do high jump, and it looks so much fun,” she added.
“There’s, like, a lot of anger sometimes. There’s a lot of laughter. [It’s] so shocking.”
The exciting partnership between OFSAA and the Canadian Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (CIAAA) was established in 2016 to make Leadership Training Courses available for Ontario Athletic Directors with the following goals:
• To promote the role of Athletic Directors in Ontario high schools
• To offer courses in professional development that are specific and applicable in the everyday role of Athletic Directors in Ontario high schools
• To provide support for existing and aspiring Athletic Directors
WHY TAKE THE LEADERSHIP TRAINING COURSES?
Personal and professional development
To network with other A.D.’s in your region and across the province
To assist those who will follow in your position and help them better understand the role of the Athletic Director in your school and/or board
UPCOMING COURSE OFFERINGS:
503C: Athletic Administration: Enhancing School Based Programs
Wednesday, October 16, 2024 – 4:00 to 7:00 PM in Chatham, ON at the Lambton-Kent DSB office.
This course takes Athletic Directors through ideas and strategies that could be implemented to enhance their athletic programs. The course touches on ways to improve citizenship and sportsmanship within your athletic program through positive initiatives, examines potential problems or possible solutions in areas such as program promotion, social media, tournaments and special events, recognition, awards, fundraising and strategic planning. It is a really good complement to the 501C and 502C.
This course is FREE for the first 28 Athletic Directors who register for the course.
504C: Legal Issues I – The Basics of Negligence, Liability and Risk Management
Wednesday, November 13, 2024 – 6 to 9:00 PM on the ZOOM platform
This course covers liability, negligence, and risk management practices for athletic administrators. Legal concepts will be introduced to athletic administrators through the use of case law, case studies and guided discussion. Appropriate risk management documentation procedures for athletic administrators will be identified. Attendees will benefit from discussing real-life case law scenarios and defining the duties and standards of care that the law requires of athletic administrators. Attendees will leave the course with new knowledge and actionable strategies for managing risk.
This course will be delivered on Zoom and the link and course information will be sent closer to the date of the course.
OFSAA will subsidize 100% of the cost for the first 14 A.D.’s who register.
GIRLS CHAMPION
Tayla Perry – RG Campbell
Chloe Wills – Kyle
Ada Dillon – Sakaskohc
