School Sport Canada is looking to recruit 20-25 participants to be interviewed from provinces across Canada. To be eligible to participate, individuals need to be (a) 18 years of age or older, (b) have played high school sport in Canada for at least one season, and (c) be less than 24 months removed from playing high school sport. Click the link for more information.
recruitment_poster_social_justice_project.pdf
What would you do?….you make the choice. Don’t look for a punch line, there isn’t one… Read it anyway.
My question is: Would you have made the same choice?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its
Dedicated staff, he offered a question:
‘When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection.
Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?’
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. ‘I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.’
Then he told the following story:
Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, ‘Do you think they’ll let me play?’ I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, ‘We’re losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we’ll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning..’
Shay struggled over to the team’s bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt… I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay’s team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field.. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay’s team scored again.
Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn’t even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the Plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay’s life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.
The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.
As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.
Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman’s head, out of reach of all team mates.
Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, ‘Shay, run to first!
Run to first!’
Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, ‘Run to second, run to second!’
Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.
By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball . The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.
He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher’s intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman’s head.
Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, ‘Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay’
Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, ‘Run to third!
Shay, run to third!’
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, ‘Shay, run home! Run home!’
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team.
‘That day’, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, ‘the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world’.
Shay didn’t make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
AND NOW A LITTLE FOOTNOTE TO THIS STORY:
We all send thousands of jokes through the e-mail without a second thought, but when it comes to sending messages about life choices, people hesitate.
The crude, vulgar, and often obscene pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion about decency is too often suppressed in our schools and workplaces.
If you’re thinking about forwarding this message, chances are that you’re probably sorting out the people in your address book who aren’t the ‘appropriate’ ones to receive this type of message Well, the person who sent you this believes that we all can make a difference.
We all have thousands of opportunities every single day to help realize the ‘natural order of things.’
So many seemingly trivial interactions between two people present us with a choice:
Do we pass along a little spark of love and humanity or do we pass up those opportunities and leave the world a little bit colder in the process?
A wise man once said every society is judged by how it treats its least fortunate amongst them.
You now have two choices:
1. Delete
2. Forward
May your day, be a Shay Day.
MAY GOD BLESS EVERYONE WHO DECIDES TO PASS THIS ON IN MEMORY OF SHAY.
The 3rd Annual OFSAA Virtual Student Forum is just around the corner!
Sponsored by Gatorade, the free 30 to 45 minute Zoom sessions will take place at 10 am and 1:30 pm on March 28, 29 and 30.
Please check back here during the week of March 6 for more information on our guest speakers and registration.
We hope that students and teachers will join us as we feature sessions on mental health, leadership, respect and much more.
The 75th Anniversary of OFSAA will be celebrated during the 2023-24 school year.
We asked for the assistance of Ontario students in gaining a design concept towards the final completion of a special logo to mark the anniversary. OFSAA’s 75th Anniversary Planning Committee judged the entries.
We are very pleased to reveal the logo which will be featured prominently on championship banners, apparel, and other merchandise items in 2023-24.
Congratulations to Grade 12 student Reese Rossignol of Adam Scott Collegiate Vocational Institute (COSSA) in Peterborough!
Reese has won a commemorative Canuckstuff hoodie and a sporty prize pack of 75th Anniversary items.
We thank for Reese for his artistic contributions towards the logo which uniquely captures the spirit of our heritage and of our “Diamond Anniversary”!
The P.E.I. School Athletic Association (PEISAA) is launching an award to recognize a graduating student while honouring the memory of a former student-athlete.
Phil Bridges, school sport co-ordinator for the PEISAA, announced the PEISAA Brodie McCarthy Student-Athlete Award during the association’s senior AAA basketball championships at Holland College on Feb. 15.
“The basic criteria around this (award) is it will be awarded to a student in Grade 12; it is a person who is involved in school sport; a person who demonstrates leadership; a person who has good academic standing and not necessarily the best student in the school, but a student who is working well within their academic abilities,” said PEISAA chair Darryl Boudreau.
“We will also look at the non-sport activities that a student might be doing within their own school as well. It could be something with student involvement, it could be volunteering for events going on in the school that is not sports-related.”
The award is named in honour of McCarthy, who died following a head injury that happened in the Three Oaks Senior High School’s David Voye Memorial rugby tournament in Summerside in May 2018. The son of Lisa and Dave McCarthy of Cambridge, near Montague, was 18 and in Grade 12 at Montague Regional High School.
“We were pretty pleased and surprised that Phil approached us with naming the award after Brodie (in the fall of 2022),” Lisa told SaltWire Network in a phone interview. “It was a really nice gesture, and we were happy about it.”
Brodie McCarthy – Contributed
Lisa said it is “quite the compliment” for the family to have the award named after Brodie. Lisa said Brodie loved sports and would eat, sleep and breathe sports.
“There were more sports that he loved than he didn’t love,” said Lisa. “He was a well-rounded athlete I’d say.”
The fact there is a broader span to this award that is more than just athletics means a lot to the McCarthy family.
“It just doesn’t go to the best athlete necessarily or (someone) not necessarily who has top, top marks,” said Lisa.
Here is the citeria for the P.E.I. School Athletic Association Brodie McCarthy Student-Athlete Award:
The new Mental Health and Sport Resource Hub launched on February 16 through the efforts of the Coaching Association of Canada.
Enhance your coaching with positive mental health practices.
Coaches and sport leaders play an important role in the lives of millions of athletes in Canada. With training and tools to support our own mental health and care for those around us, we can positively impact communities across the country and improve mental well-being as well as performance.
The goal of the hub is to increase coaches’ mental health literacy and give them the knowledge and skills they need to support sport participants. This free online portal offers tools and information to overcome stigma and guide conversations around mental health.
The Hub compiles up-to-date, culturally informed and evidence-based resources in one place, making it easier for coaches and athletes to navigate mental health challenges and proactively integrate positive mental health practices into their sports. Resources include eLearning modules, videos, workshops, events, research papers, infographics and more.
Launching February 16: Mental Health and Sport Resource Hub
It’s essential for coaches to have the mental health literacy, knowledge and skills to support athletes and sport participants. The new Mental Health and Sport Resource Hub gathers up-to-date, culturally informed and evidence-based resources in one place, making it easier for coaches, athletes and other members of the sport community to navigate mental health challenges. Featuring eLearning modules, videos, workshops, events, research papers, infographics and more, the Hub’s range of resources will help coaches proactively integrate positive mental health practices into their sport.
Get involved!
Spread the Word
Once the Mental Health and Sport Resource Hub has launched at 12pm ET on February 16, use the resources and copy in the Marketing Toolkit to share the news through your communications channels.
Submit a Resource
After ensuring your resource meets the Criteria for Eligible Resources, you can submit it through the Call for Resources form.
Share an Event
Let us know about any events or opportunities related to the topic of mental health and sport!
We greatly appreciate your help in promoting this project within your network. Should you have any questions about how to get involved, please contact mentalhealth@coach.ca or santementale@coach.ca. View the Marketing Toolkit
À venir bientôt : Portail de ressources sur la santé mentale et le sport
Il est essentiel que les entraîneurs aient de bonnes connaissances en santé mentale ainsi que les outils et compétences nécessaires pour soutenir les athlètes et les participants sportifs. Le nouveau Portail de ressources sur la santé mentale et le sport réunit à un seul endroit des ressources à jour, fondées sur des données probantes et sensibles à la culture pour aider les entraîneurs, les athlètes et autres membres de la communauté sportive à aborder les problèmes de santé mentale. Riche en modules de formation en ligne, vidéos, ateliers, événements, rapports de recherche et infographies, l’éventail de ressources du Portail vous aidera à intégrer de façon proactive des pratiques de santé mentale positive dans le sport.
Soyez de la partie!
Passez le mot
Lorsque le Portail de ressources sur la santé mentale et le sport sera lancé à 12 h HE le 16 février, utilisez les ressources et le texte dans la Trousse de marketing pour partager les nouvelles via vos canaux de communication.
Soumettez une ressource
Après vous être assuré que la ressource répond aux Critères d’admissibilité pour les ressources, vous pouvez la soumettre en ligne au moyen du Formulaire de soumission.
Partagez un événement
Faites-nous part de tout événement ou toute occasion en lien avec la santé mentale et le sport!
Nous apprécions grandement votre aide avec la promotion de ce projet au sein de votre réseau. Pour toute question sur la participation au projet, vous pouvez écrire à l’adresse santementale@coach.ca ou mentalhealth@coach.ca. Voir la Trousse de marketing
View this email in your browserLe français suit l’anglaisExplore the resources availableThe Mental Health and Sport Resource Hub is officially live! Coaches have the potential to positively impact the mental health of those they coach, especially when they’re equipped with the right tools and training. Visit the Hub today to browse a range of mental health and sport resources, including eLearning modules, videos, workshops, events, research papers, infographics, and more.Check out our FAQs to learn more, or submit a resourceyou think could be valuable to others.Visit the HubOur Partners:  Explorez les ressources à votre dispositionLe portail de ressources sur la santé mentale et le sport est maintenant en ligne! Les entraîneurs ont la possibilité d’avoir une influence positive sur la santé mentale des participants sportifs, surtout s’ils ont les bons outils et la bonne formation.Visitez le portail dès aujourd’hui pour explorer les ressources en santé mentale et en sports comme des modules de formation en ligne, des vidéos, des ateliers, des événements, des articles de recherche, des infographies et plus encore.Consultez la foire aux questions pour tout savoir ou soumettez une ressource qui selon vous pourrait être utile pour d’autres personnes.Visitez le PortailPartenaires : |
Jason Simmonds · Journalist | Posted: Feb. 2, 2023, 6 a.m. | Updated: Feb. 1, 2023, 2:22 p.m. | 7 Min Read
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Three Oaks Senior High School is honouring the memory of one of the founders of a major basketball tournament in Summerside.
The senior AAA girls’ event is now known as the Garth Turtle Memorial Sweetheart basketball tournament. The 2023 event runs Feb. 2-4.
“Garth played a big role in getting the tournament started, coached the team here and it was a very easy decision (to name it in Turtle’s memory),” said Three Oaks athletic director Joel Arsenault. “If you are going to name the tournament after somebody, he certainly had his thumb print all over everything related to the Sweetheart (tournament).”
Turtle, who was teaching physical education at Three Oaks, and the late Glenn Edison, who was athletic director, came up with the idea of the Sweetheart tournament in the early 1980s.
Turtle, who died in September 2021, also served as athletic director at Three Oaks for 10 years and was a longtime coach of the Three Oaks senior AAA girls’ basketball team, including several years after his retirement.
“If you are going to name the tournament after somebody, he certainly had his thumb print all over everything related to the Sweetheart (tournament).” – Joel Arsenault
Overall, he was involved in school sports on P.E.I. for approximately 40 years as a teacher, athletic director, official and administrator with the P.E.I. School Athletic Association (PEISAA).
Turtle’s legacy is also visible in the Three Oaks gymnasium. One of Turtle’s most-used phrases he said to students – “Make good decisions” – is now visible on the gymnasium floor.
“It was like his trademark saying,” said Arsenault. “It’s stencilled in front of the home team’s bench, where he used to stand coaching.”
The 12-team tournament features six P.E.I. teams, five from Nova Scotia and one from New Brunswick.
This marks the first Sweetheart tournament in three years as the 2021 and 2022 events were cancelled because of COVID-19.
“It’s really nice to have it back,” said Arsenault, who noted this will mark the first time the Grade 12 players on the host Axewomen have an opportunity to play in a home basketball tournament at the high school level.
One of those players is Avery Kerwin, a senior point guard. “I’ve been watching this tournament since I’ve been super young,” said Kerwin, the 17-year-old daughter of Ryan and Tammy Kerwin of Summerside. “My mom always took me to watch, and now that I get to play in one, I’m super excited.
“This is kind of such a TOSH thing to play in. I’m stoked that in my final year I’m able to participate in it.”
Kerwin said it means a lot to have the opportunity to play in the first Sweetheart tournament that carries Turtle’s name. Turtle coached this year’s Three Oaks senior players in their Grade 10 years.
Kerwin remembers Turtle bringing a lot of energy to the gym.
“We got a chance to know him a little,” said Kerwin. “It is nice that this tournament is a legacy for him because he had been coaching the team for so long and has been probably at every Sweetheart tournament there has been (before this year).
“Now that we finally get the tournament back, it’s a nice way to honour him.”
A look at the Garth Turtle Memorial Sweetheart basketball tournament, hosted by Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside:
****
(Location in parenthesis)
Feb. 2
Feb. 3
Feb. 4
Congratulations to Halifax West who captured the Garth Turtle Memorial Sweetheart Tournament Banner on Saturday.
Jason Simmonds · Journalist | Posted: Feb. 7, 2023, 11:54 a.m. | Updated: Feb. 7, 2023, 11:55 a.m. |
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — The Halifax West Warriors proved to be the class of the 2023 Garth Turtle Memorial Sweetheart basketball tournament, hosted by Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside.
The Warriors went a perfect 4-0 (won-lost) in the three-day event, including an 81-44 victory over Park View Education Centre from Bridgewater in an all-Nova Scotia final on Feb. 4.
In pool play, Halifax West defeated P.E.I.’s Bluefield Bobcats 101-31 and Harrison Trimble from Moncton, N.B., by an 82-58 score.
The Warriors’ closest game came in the semifinal when they had to overcome a 10-point deficit to get by the Charlottetown Rural Raiders 61-57.
Halifax West senior shooting guard Mya Cameron, who scored 15 points in the come-from-behind win over Charlottetown and 13 in the championship game, was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
Park View defeated two P.E.I. teams – Westisle Wolverines 106-28 and the host Three Oaks Axewomen 68-45 – in the round robin, before posting a 70-50 semifinal win over Bay View High School from Upper Tantallon, N.S.
The Axewomen went 1-2. Along with their game versus Park View, Three Oaks defeated Westisle 85-33 and dropped a 59-40 decision to Avon View High School of Windsor, N.S., in a placement game.
Here are the Garth Turtle Memorial Sweetheart basketball tournament awards:
Three-Point Shooting Contest Winner
All-Stars
Most Valuable Player
Turtle’s daughter, Halifax resident Kristen Turtle, presented the championship banner on behalf of the Turtle family.
Garth Turtle, one of the Sweetheart tournament’s founders, held several positions in the P.E.I. school sport scene for close to 40 years. He served as Three Oaks athletic director for 10 years and was a longtime coach of the Three Oaks senior AAA girls’ basketball team, including several years after his retirement.
This year marked the first Sweetheart tournament since 2020 as the 2021 and 2022 events had to be postponed because of COVID-19. A total of 10 teams participated after two teams withdrew due to the weather.
Canada’s leading Concussion in sport symposium is back this year to showcase the latest research, best practices and a stellar speakers. SIRC’s symposium on March 1, 2023 aims to continue to prioritize athlete safety as well as provide opportunities to educate Canadian sport clubs, coaches and organizations on the latest protocols and policies for concussion safety.
This will be a one-day, virtual event, with hundreds of Canadian sport leaders, coaches, practitioners, and researchers attending via Zoom. The day will consist of dynamic speakers from sport organizations, leading academics and policy makers sharing thought-provoking information that you’ll want to apply right away! Topics covered include resources and tips for recovery post-concussion, the impact of rule changes from sports like rugby and taekwondo, mental health considerations, concussion management for youth sport and much more.
REGISTER NOWOpens in a new window
*The cost of registration this year is $15.
Sport has come a long way in terms of concussion safety, all national sport organizations now have a policy in place. At this event, we celebrate how far Canada has come in the past few years. If you work in the sport sector you won’t want to miss this event!
For any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact info@sirc.ca.
February 1, 2023, marked the 37th annual National Girls & Women in Sports Day (NGWSD). This celebration inspires girls and women to play and be active, to realize their full power. We invite you to continue to celebrate #NGWSD2023 in your community!
