The Collège Jeanne-Sauvé girls’ golf team has a collective swing in its step.
The St. Vital-based team recently took first place at the provincial high school golf championships on Sept. 20 at Minnewasta Golf & Country Club in Morden, Man.
CJS finished the Manitoba High Schools Athletic Association tournament on 304 strokes, pipping St. Mary’s Academy in second (305), and Portage Collegiate in third (329).
Photo by Simon FullerThe Collège Jeanne-Sauvé girls’ golf team recently took first place at the provincial high school golf championships. Pictured, from left: Celeste Pelletier, Dayna Marriott, Erin Nowicki, and Jewel Lafleche.
Coach Dominic Courcelles said the win means the girls’ team — which consists of Jewel Lafleche, Dayna Marriott, Erin Nowicki, and Celeste Pelletier — has registered back-to-back victories in the event.
The win was also impressive due to that fact only three of the four players were available to compete at the tournament; Marriott had work commitments.
“It feels pretty great,” Courcelles said. “As we only had three of the four girls, we had to count all of the scores, and we knew every score counted.”
In MHSAA tournament plays, only the best three scores count toward a school’s official total.
“It was great to be able to shoot such a low score in what were pretty tough conditions,” Courcelles said.
“There was lots of wind, and the ground was saturated, so we weren’t getting lots of roll. We’re all pretty proud of our performance.”
“I just think our girls are super-great athletes … whatever the sport they’re playing. They’re very athletic, and also very strong academically. Each of them is easy to coach,” he added.
When asked about their achievement, the golfers were modest, but were happy about their success on the greens, a sentiment echoed by Lafleche.
“It’s a good accomplishment,” said the 14-year-old, who’s in Grade 10.
A consensus among team members was that a significant feature of tournament play is that “you can’t see how everyone else is playing, so you’re focused on your own play.”
Asked what advice she might have for upcoming golfers or youngsters considering trying the sport, Marriott — a 17-year-old Grade 12 student — said it’s important to keep at it, move forward and don’t look in the rear view mirror.
“If you have a bad shot, don’t dwell on it. Put it out of your mind, and move forward,” she said.
“We’re very proud to win back-to-back provincial championships, and we’re excited to defend it again next year,” Courcelles said.
“We’re losing Dayna to graduation, but hopefully we can find a new fourth player and go from there.”
The Ministry of Education has again approved the OFSAA Try Day grant for up to $700 for public secondary schools to introduce a new or non-traditional sport or physical activity to your school program in the 2024-25 school year. Select an activity that reaches out to as many students as possible and encourages those who do not participate regularly in school physical activities to join in. Give other students the opportunity to exercise their leadership ability. A definite win-win situation for all!
SCHOOL ELIGIBILITY
150 Publicly-funded secondary schools
Fully committed to completing the OFSAA Try Day program and meeting the deadlines
Involves the minimum required number of student participants and leaders
CRITERIA for approval of funding and reimbursement??
Must introduce a new sport to your program
Selected activity must comply with your school and local school Board safety protocols, policy and direction.
Must involve a minimum of six (6) student leaders in the planning, implementation and evaluation of the OFSAA Try Day event
Must include a minimum of sixty (60) participants – thirty (30) in schools with a student population under 500
Must complete the OFSAA Try Day program by May 15, 2025 and submit reporting materials by May 30, 2025
Funding used for new equipment, instructional resources, transportation to/rental of outside facilities, guest instructors. Tee shirts and food not eligible items for funding.
REGISTRATION Application forms and criteria can be found on the OFSAA website (ofsaa.on.ca) under Programs/Try Day/Registration and are to be submitted ONLINE only. For your application to be considered, the school principal’s approval is required.
SELECTION PROCESS FOR FUNDING AND REPORTING PROCEDURES
Funds are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis provided that all criteria are met
Acceptance for funding is sent by e-mail to the Program Coordinator and Principal within 2 weeks of receipt of registration form
Reporting package is e-mailed within 2 weeks of your acceptance. All reporting materials should be submitted as soon as possible upon completion of your OFSAA Try Day
Deadlines: OFSAA Try Day programs are to be completed by May 15, 2025, and all reporting materials submitted by May 30, 2025
Reimbursement is sent to the school once all reporting materials are received: online reporting form and student evaluation surveys, receipts, photos, media/school articles
Limited funding available
BENEFITS
Enhance and rejuvenate your physical education programs
Introduce sustainable activities that benefit present and future students
Provide an opportunity for student leadership
Encourage regular daily activity as well as lifelong participation
Congrats @AssumptionHCDSB Kathryn Carlone who’s supported students & athletes for 25+ yrs! Kathryn coaches flag football, ultimate, rugby, basketball, hockey, soccer & more. “When there is no coach, there is no team; it’s as simple as that.” #ThanksCoach for stepping up! @OFSAA
Congrats @rslomke, a cornerstone of @TBCDSBStPatrick and with @tbmha, whose dedication & passion for coaching and teaching have made a lasting impact for over 30 yrs! Roger wears many hats and it always a beacon of positivity, optimism, and selflessness. #NCW2024@OFSAA
For 18 years, the Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards program celebrates the dedication and commitment of exemplary individuals who inspire, innovate and share knowledge of sport with others.
The Awards recognize the importance of leadership, performance and the value of human insight which are all integral to great coaching. Coaches were recognized across Ontario at the 2024 Ontario Coaching Excellence Awards celebration on September 14.
The event marked the start of the special 10th annual National Coaches Week, a celebration of the tremendous positive impact coaches have on this nation’s athletes and communities. The week is an opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play by simply saying #ThanksCoach.
To celebrate National Coaches Week (September 16-22), representatives from OFSAA, the Coaches Association of Ontario (CAO), Ministry of Sport and Hydro One were on hand to present the province’s most prestigious coaching honour, an Ontario Coaching Excellence Award.
The OFSAA School Sport Coach Award winners were selected by OFSAA based on their unique contribution to sport through continuous development. The Award does not reflect the accomplishments of a teacher-coach in any one year, but the contributions over a period of years.
The 2024 male recipient of the “Coaching Excellence Award” in the School Sport Category is Roger Slomke of St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay, ON. (NWOSSAA)
The 2024 female recipient of the “Coaching Excellence Award” in the School Sport Category is Kathryn Carlone of Assumption Catholic Secondary School in Burlington, ON. (GHAC)
Whether it is winning OFSAA championships or a student improving their grades, Roger and Kathryn are advocates for sport as more than just a team, but as a family.
“We are excited to honour coach Roger and Kathryn for their steadfast commitment and support in developing athletes both on and off the field. The bonds formed through sports play a crucial role in strengthening our communities, and coaches like Roger and Kathryn are instrumental in creating those safe, enjoyable, and nurturing environments for youth to thrive,” said Jeremy Cross, Executive Director of CAO.
National #CoachesWeek is when we recognize the various coaches in our province – regardless of level – for their immeasurable positive impact in our communities. We want to thank all NBIAA coaches for their commitment to their athletes and their schools. Follow the link below to check out events and free courses for you to take in week thanks to our partners at Sport NB Coach/Entraîneur.
La Semaine nationale des entraîneurs (SNE) est l’occasion de reconnaître tous les entraîneurs de notre province – quel que soit leur niveau – pour l’impact positif immesurable qu’ils ont sur nos communautés. Nous voulons remercier tous les entraîneurs de l’ASINB pour leur engagement envers leurs athlètes et leurs écoles. Suivez le lien ci-dessous pour découvrir les événements et les cours gratuits que vous pouvez suivre cette semaine grâce à nos partenaires Sport NB Coach/Entraîneur.
Let’s all take a moment this week to celebrate our coaches. Coaches are integral to the success of a team and can be an inspiration to so many. Let’s make sure they know they’re appreciated. Say #ThanksCoach!
National #CoachesWeek celebrates the positive impact coaches have on athletes, participants, and communities across Canada. This week is an opportunity to recognize coaches for the integral role they play by saying #ThanksCoach.
This week marks the 10th Annual #NationalCoachesWeek, and we want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of coaches across BC who invest in student-athletes. Thank you for your never-ending passion for school sports! #ThanksCoach#CoachesWeek
Our 2025 National Athletic Directors Conference will be held at the Hotel Arts in Calgary, Alberta on April 10-12, 2025! Save the date on your calendar and start looking at funding opportunities. More information and conference registration will be posted in the Fall. The Conference is our BEST event of the year and you don’t want to miss it.
OFSAA is pleased to announce a new partnership with SMART GOLFSoftware.
We are excited that the software will provide live scoring at the upcoming OFSAA boys and girls golf events taking place October 16 and 17. The software will also be offered at local and association level tournaments and SMART Golf will work with our convenors on printable scorecards, live scoring links, shareable leaderboard, TV display, divisions and tee sheet management.
The software is used by NCAA program in the United States and the new agreement offers full access to this program to all high schools in Ontario.
“We’re thrilled to announce that SMART Golf Software will be the official scoring provider for OFSAA for the 2024-2025 season”, said Rob Sunstrum, CEO of Smart Golf. “After proudly serving as the unofficial provider for the past two years, we’re excited to take this collaboration to the next level. With this partnership, we will provide live tournament scoring for all high school golf competitions across Ontario.”
Alberta Grains Announced as the Presenting Partner for ASAA Volleyball
The Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association is the governing body that oversees amateur athletics in high schools for the province of Alberta. It is a voluntary, non profit organization that has 400 member high schools. Today it announced that it has signed a multi-year Partnership with Alberta Grains to be the presenting partner for ASAA volleyball.
“This partnership is a great initiative for our association; Alberta is famous for its high quality grains which are used for a wide variety of essential food products around the world” said Brad Van Raalte, Acting Executive Director for the ASAA. “This partnership allows us to continue to get messaging out to student-athletes that a healthy diet is an essential part of the preparation a volleyball player needs to perform at his/her highest level.
Alberta Grains is thrilled to be the presenting partner of ASAA volleyball. We believe that by emphasizing the importance of nutrition, we can empower student- athletes to reach their full potential. As a cornerstone of a balanced diet, our grains play a crucial role in fueling their journey to excellence, and we are excited to support them every step of the way.
ABOUT ASAA The ASAA is a voluntary, non-profit organization that was established in 1956 to coordinate a program of worthwhile athletic activities for the young people of Alberta in an educational setting. The ASAA now oversees the coordination of provincial championship events in 11 sports for Alberta’s high school student athletes. Involving over 55,000 student athletes and 10,000 volunteer coaches across 400 high schools, the ASAA believes in creating tomorrow’s leaders through high school athletics.
ABOUT ALBERTA GRAINS Alberta Grains is a not-for-profit, farmer-directed organization that represents the interests of and serves as the single voice for all of Alberta’s wheat and barley producers. The organization works collaboratively within all levels of agriculture to achieve tangible results that benefit Alberta’s grain growers. With a mission to drive profitability for Alberta’s wheat and barley farmers, Alberta Grains is committed to advancing and promoting the interests of 18,000+ wheat and barley farmers in the province. We foster innovation, research, communications, policy advocacy, market development and sustainability in the agriculture sector. Alberta Grains serves as a leader in the Canadian agriculture industry.
Alberta Beef Producers Announced as Partner of the Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association.
For more information, please go to the ASAA website (in bio)
The 2023-24 school year finished with a flourish in May and June!
We saw many repeat OFSAA champions in our team events and also with the exceptional track & field competitors in June. Not to be lost in the excitement was the emergence of the outstanding young class of novice and junior medalists on the provincial landscape this past school year.
Read about their exploits in the pages of the Fall Issue of the Bulletin Magazine and learn about the accomplishments of the deserving recipients of our various annual scholarships and awards.
We know that your are focussed on our 2024-25 championships and festivals as the weather turns to fall. Be sure to find all of the event details in our 2024-25 OFSAA Calendar in the centre spread of this issue.
Best of luck to all coaches and student-athletes in punching your ticket towards excellence this year!
By: 
in bio)
