Total Sports Kids Only Spring Edition

Total Sports QUINTE

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TOTAL SPORTS QUINTE

BELLEVILLE . QUINTE WEST . PRINCE EDWARD

COUNTY & SURROUNDING AREAS

MARCH 2022 Vol 6 Issue 1

COVERING LOCAL SPORTS IN OUR COMMUNITY

#Kidsrighttoplay

pg 5

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HOUSE OF COMMONS CHAMBRE DES COMMUNES CANADA

I have been reflecting on the past two years of COVID-19 and how it has changed every one of us. As a parent this has been hard to watch. I am the father of 3 young children. How do you explain that one day we won’t need to wear masks every day? How do you let them know that you were also hurting because you couldn’t see friends and family during special times?

How could you reassure them that one day soon they would play their favourite sports with their buddies again? I have witnessed my kids struggle with isolation and yes, fear. COVID-19 has changed all of us.

Bay of Quinte MP Ryan Williams 250 Sidney Street Belleville, On K8P 3Z3 Tel: 613-969-3300 Fax: 613-969-3313 Text: 613-704-3744 Email:

ryan.williams@parl.gc.ca

As parents we try to focus on the positive. We say, “This will end and soon we will be back on the sport fields!” and we were right. Here is to the start of swim meets, basketball tournaments, hockey weekends, volleyball games, curling bonspiels, being on the softball pitch and skating carnivals. If I were a coach I would say “Our back was against the wall, but we gave it 110%!”.

I would add “We were down but not out!” and I would finish with “This generation of players is all heart!”

As your Member of Parliament please know I am here for you. My teams in the riding office in Belleville and on the Hill in Ottawa are here for you. We are listening to you, and we will continue to fight for you.

Thank you Bay of Quinte, for being resilient and strong!

Total Sports TOTASPORTSQUINTE.CA

PUBLISHER Total Sports Quinte BOQTotalsports@gmail.com

905.914.7454 MAIN ADVERTISING AND SUBMISSIONS

Kelly Leigh Martin/ 905-914-7454 BOQTotalsports@gmail.com Stories - Jeff Gard - 905-269-2485 Jeffgard.totalsports@gmail.com

GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kelly Leigh Martin

WRITERS

Jeff Gard - Total Sports Writer Other Writers Randy Uens Economical Insurance (Newman Insurance) James McCourt Terry Boyd

EDITOR

Jeff Gard

Advertising SALES

Don Boucher 613-813-3943 Donboucher300@gmail.com Alisha Martin 343-261-8568 Alishaleigh@gmail.com BOQtotalsports@gmail.com TSportsQuinte TotalSportsQuinte

QUINTE REGION

DISTRIBUTION

Angela Douglas

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Total Sports Staff Deroche Sports Photography OJHL Images Amy Deroche Ed McPherson

TotalSportsQuinte TotalSportsQuinte.ca Total Sports Quinte is a free magazine, digital stories posted daily, print+digital versions published six times a year. Contents Copyright 2020 Total Sports Quinte. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or depicted in print or digital form without the written permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed by contributors may not be those of Total Sports Integrated Media. Total Sports Quinte assumes no liability for submissions or omissions.

Contributors - OJHL Images - Amy Deroche, Deroche Sports Photography, Ed McPherson, Andy Corneau, Wellington Dukes, Total Sports Quinte Podcast, The Boathouse Seafood Restaurant & Waterfront Patio, MP Ryan Williams, Best Western Hotels, Randy Uens, Trent Valley Distributors, Mix 97, CJBQ, Rock 107, Belleville Sports Hall of Fame, MPP Todd Smith, Mr. Print, Newman Insurance, Economical Insurance, Christine Rutter - Exit Realty, Quinte West Chamber of Commerce, Dr Jullianne Peterson, Quinte Smart Homes, Take Mike for Granite, James McCourt, Pegasus Cheer Athletics, Terry Boyd, Joe Fee, Sports Displays, Hockey Stick Man, CLC Construction

COVER PHOTO By Deroche Sports Photography KIDS ON OUR COVER: Top left clockwise:

Taite Crawford, Sawyer Barnett, Elliot Baird, Carter Musclow,Brody Nielissen, Connor Boates, Clover Boyd, Sam Thompson

FEATURES

Spring 20224 Volume 6 Issue 1

2 ..................................... Take Mike for Granite More than Counter Tops 3 ....................... MP Ryan William Message to Families in Bay of Quinte 5 ................ Total Sports Youth Fund - Kids Right to Play By Randy Uens 6 ..................................................... A Hockey Dad’s Highlight of the Week 7 ............................................... Enjoy the Convenience of a Smart Home 8 .......................................................HockeyStickMan - Unbeatable Prices 9 .... Not Just a Hockey Player - Meet Sam Thompson/Pita Pit U15 QRD 10 ....................................................................... Getting Back in the Game 11 .................. MPP Todd Smith - My Bay of Quinte Team are Your Fans 12 ................. Who Wants To Play Lacrosse? Quinte Bayhawks Lacrosse 13 ....... Meet Lacrosse Player James McIlreath - Enjoying a New Sport 14-15 .................. Newman Insurance - What You Need to Know About Buying Your Teens First Vehicle .........................................................

16 .......................................... The Boathouse - Fun 4 Seasons of the Year 17 ..................................................... Wellington Dukes in the Community 18 ........... The Ultimate Team Fundraiser - Sports Display Jersey Mount 19 ............................................. Meet Brody Nielissen - Napanee Express 20 .............................................. Pegasus Cheer Athletics - Register Today 21 .............................. Meet Aynsley Hoornweg Soaring to New Heights 22 ............ Sports Raizer - Join our Facebook Group & Total Sports Hub! 23 ....................... CLC Construction - Proud to Support the Community!

24-25 ............... Gymnastics News - Tumblers Selected to National Team 26 ................................................. Clover Boyd Tackles a Variety of Sports 27 ...................... Belleville Beast Swim Team - Strong Results in Quebec 28 ......... Dewmill & Parsons - Ready to Cater Your Next Sporting Event 29 .................... Meet Connor Boates - Quinte West Golden Hawks U14 30 .................................... Quinte Junior Curlers - Prepare for Provincials 31.................................................................... Sharing a Love of Basketball 32 ...................................... Give Your Childrens a Lifetime of Confidence 33 ............... Meet Jon Gratton - Will Play Football At Queens University 34 ..................... Shop Local - Shop Quinte West - Shop Rolf the Jeweller 35 ............................. Meet Carter Musclow - Frankford Huskies Captain 36 .................................................. Meet Stirling Figure Skater Elliot Baird 37 ......................................... High School Sports Championship Winners 38 .................... $1,000 for Your Team - Buy or Sell with Christine Rutter 39 .............................. Martial Arts is For Everyone - Loyalist Martial Arts 40 ..................................... Meet Taite Crawford - Quinte Royals Baseball 41...................................................................... Young Athletes Now What?

42 ............................. Lady Dukes - Ready to Battle As Season Continues

43 .......................................................... Remembering Elijah Cole 44 ................................... Silver Stick Success - Meet the Winners 45 ................................. Get Your Sticks From Hockey Stick Man! 46 ......................... Belleville Sports Hall of Fame Update March 2022 47 ..................................................... Always Shoot for Your Goals 48 ............... Welcome Sports Teams to Best Western Belleville!

Total Sports outh Fund Because every child

deserves #therighttoplay

HELP FOR KIDS TO PLAY SPORTS $$$ IS ON THE WAY! 5

GETTING BACK IN THE GAME 10

TUMBLER’S SELECTED TO NATIONAL TEAM 24

HICH SCHOOL SPORTS CHAMPIONS 37

Interested in having a Total Sports Magazine and PodCast SportsHub in your community?

Contact us to find out how you can become part of our network! BOQTotalsports@gmail.com 905-914-7454

Sports Column 5

TOTAL SPORTS QUINTE

By: Randy Uens

U Turns: Total Sports outh Fund A View on Sports Because every child

deserves #therighttoplay

How can we make youth sports better?

When I was a kid, youth sports were a pastime pursued for fun, friendships and experience. Sure we took it seriously, and yes we had crazy parents involved, but on the whole, most families used sports to bring the family together or to teach lessons of teamwork, work ethic and sometimes just to have fun and be a kid.

Maybe I am creating too much of a Norman Rockefeller picture here but it truly was a different time. I fully understand now that I had friends that didn’t play organized sports before high school simply because their families couldn’t afford it or didn’t have time for it.

Some of these kids were great athletes that excelled in our little “pick up” games but never received the opportunity to play many sports until they got to high school when it was free. Their athletic development was solely the result of these pick up, spontaneous neighbourhood games.

These non sanctioned, non organized sports probably taught more lessons to kids than any organized sport. For anyone that had the pleasure of participating in a ball hockey game at the old Ann St Education Center, you know that life skills were developed constantly. Fortitude, perseverance, conflict resolution and mediation were ongoing themes needed to survive an afternoon there.

All that has changed. I don’t see spontaneous pick up games going on as much anymore. Electronic games have definitely eaten into this and often our kids’ lives have become more structured than what our lives were, which may be good and bad at the same time.

Parents are also looking for ways to get their children involved in sports and activities to meet other children from other backgrounds and to get them off of their screens.Some in our community have a history here and clearly understand the opportunities. We also have many new residents that are unaware or unsure of what is available to them. We need to find a way to make sports not only affordable but more inclusive and inviting to everyone in our community.

As a community, sports are crucial to creating and maintaining a healthy and well adjusted population. All of the life lessons taught by sports are invaluable in everyone’s lives. You do not have to be an athlete to be athletic and active. Healthy lifestyles and fulfilling relationships are directly associated with youth sports. This is why we need kids to be part of youth sports As these sports become more and more commercial it becomes

increasingly difficult for families to manage the costs and time needed to participate in these sports. It is economically challenging for average income families, let alone families with financial constraints.

Introductory programmes are always full. The reason is that they are generally quite inexpensive. As the participants get older, costs associated with participating go up and many families do not have the wherewithal to continue beyond the introductory programmes.

How many great athletes do we miss out on developing because sports have priced themselves out of those athletes’ ability to pay for training or even just simple participation.

Increasing community investment in sports is the key and will pay dividends for the community. A healthy and prosperous constituency will be a direct result of finding ways to support youth sports and healthy activities. Research suggests that sports have the capacity to connect youth to positive adult role models and provide positive development opportunities. It’s no secret that communities with higher participation rates in youth sports have lower crime rates and better standards of living.

Total Sports Integrated Media wants to help with this. Total Sports has created a non-profit organization called the Total Sports Youth Fund. This organization will run fundraising programs for local sports and develop a community wide 50/50 lottery to support its charitable activities directed at increasing the participation in youth sports.

The goal will be to provide individual families with funding to allow for their children to participate in youth sports, therefore making local sports more inclusive and available to everyone.

As the fund develops the hope is that it will help fund larger capital projects that will promote healthy lifestyles and diversity in our local sports offerings.

The first community 50/50 is planned for sometime in the spring. Should you wish to contribute to help the fund get started, donations are being accepted and a Go Fund Me page is being set up. We are also looking for retail outlets to partner with us in the sale of 50/50 tickets.

For more information or to donate please contact Kelly Martin at 905-914-7454 or email BOQTotalsports@gmail.com

Tip of the Month

Are you a hockey parent lamenting the idea of whether or not your child should play spring hockey or not? Research has shown kids shouldn’t specialize in one sport till they are 14 or 15. Play another sport and invest in some power skating or skill development instead of traveling around the province for a few games. The skill development is a better use of your money and the transferable skills from the summer sport will pay dividends to your child’s overall athletic development.

These are my own views and do not reflect the views of Total Sports Magazine, Dukes Sports & Entertainment or the Wellington Dukes Hockey club.

A HOCKEY DAD’S Highlight of the Week

TOTALSPORTSQUINTE.CA

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte

At the end of a busy work week, Justin Davidson loves spending time at the rink.

The winter, of course, is all about hockey.

Two of his sons play in the Belleville Minor Hockey Association’s house league hockey program.

Connor, his oldest, plays U13 while Riley, the middle child, plays U11. Both started around the age of four or five in Timbits.

“They both love playing hockey with their school friends and making new friends that they play with or against from year to year,” Davidson said, adding the kids enjoy the referees being on the ice calling the game and having the scoreboard, like an NHL game.

“It’s the highlight of my weekend,” Davidson said. “I enjoy watching the boys make good plays, whether scoring themselves or a great assist or a good backcheck to steal the puck. Watching the coaches push them and the advancements individually and also as a team against other teams.”

“They enjoy learning ways to skate faster and quicker turning,” Davidson said. “Also how to skate with their head up and looking for a pass.” ...

For more on the house league and rep opportunities available with Belleville Minor Hockey,

Both play ball hockey in Belleville as well and Connor has played two years of rep soccer in Belleville. Riley has played soccer as well as both started playing around the same age they did for hockey.

Photo By Deroche Sports Photography

Visit BellevilleMinorHockey.ca

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TOTAL SPORTS QUINTE

SPORTS A GREAT SOCIAL OUTLET FOR THOMSPON

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte played hockey when they were kids so I think it was naturally something I was going to do.”

Thompson began playing hockey at age three in Stirling. He played for the Blues at the junior and senior Tyke levels as well novice when his team was the runner-up in for the Ontario Minor Hockey Association East championship.

For the past six years, he’s played with the Quinte Red Devils AAA organization, currently a member of the U15 team.

After playing forward positions for most of his first three seasons in Stirling, Thompson made the switch to defence full-time when he joined the Red Devils at the U10 level (formerly minor atom). He had a taste of the position in novice the previous season.

“It was interesting because in Stirling we weren’t all strong players so we didn’t have enough defence so I just did that for a couple games and then it started to go a lot better so I kept playing,” Thompson said. “I found that playing forward there was a lot more structure to where you have to be. It wasn’t that difficult to make the switch because I was so young when it happened.”

Thompson found the defence position appealing as it provided him the opportunity to move the puck up the ice to the forwards and help set up scoring opportunities.

“I think you control a lot more of the play. You’re more of a quarterback,” said Thompson, a fan of Colorado Avalanche defenceman Cale Makar for “his offensive prowess and his edges, the way he moves” on the ice.

U15 RED DEVILS Sam Thompson has enjoyed participating in a variety of sports over the years.

Hockey stands above the rest, but the 14-year-old has tested his skills in rep soccer in Belleville, rep softball in Springbrook, trampoline and rock climbing. He has played basketball and volleyball for school teams and considers sports to be a great social outlet.

“I would consider myself to be more offensive-minded, but not to the extent of scoring goals, but making plays so the team can score,” he added.

His personal goal right now is to get drafted in the 2023 Ontario Hockey League Priority Selection following his U16 season.

Pressure, he said, is one of the biggest challenges faced playing at the AAA level.

“You feel like you always have to do the right play or make the right move,” he said. “It’s difficult because I’m still growing up and I’m still developing.”

“It’s just the activities and playing with my friends and being able to compete against other people. Explore as many sports as possible,” Thompson said.

Finding success requires hard work on and off the ice. Between games and practices, there are also team training sessions and power skating workouts.

Such was the case when he played rep soccer in Belleville as it provided Thompson an opportunity to compete with his school friends.

“It’s very surreal because you have to put a lot of work in, try to get a lot stronger and faster to be ready for that next step,” Thompson said.

“It was more for fun than competitiveness,” he remarked. “Hockey was more my main sport. I knew my brother and my dad always

The Quinte Red Devils offer AAA hockey from the U9 to U18 levels. To learn more, visit www.quintedevils.com.

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GETTING BACK IN THE GAME

By James McCourt Games, sport and physical activity play a major role within society. From early games played with the family to meticulously organized elite sports programs, the role that games, sport and physical activity play in our everyday lives is extensive. Everyone is exposed to games, sport and physical activity to some degree.

This exposure could be through family, friends, schools (physical education programs), or in many cases community programs.

Many experts believe that games, sport and physical activity are connected with positive mental, social, psychological, physical and academic development, particularly in youth. There are positive correlations between games, sport, physical activity and socialization, self-identification, moral development, positive personality characteristics, achievement motivation, sense of competence, self-esteem and body image.

One of the biggest struggles of our current pandemic for the youth of the Quinte region has been the closure of school gyms to community groups after school hours. While surrounding school boards were setting up policies and examining ways to allow youth programing back into schools safely, the Hasting and Prince Edward District School Board continues to keep school doors shut. While gyms sit empty, the youth in our region continue to suffer. Sports programs and clubs are left to struggle and fight for the limited resources that this area has to offer. There are so many sports and clubs that use school gyms. Baseball, football, hockey, basketball, rugby, not to mention community groups like Scouts and Girl Guides. In terms of sports, it puts our athletes at a huge disadvantage when other area programs are running at full capacity. If programs CAN find gym times, they are usually shortened because of the massive need for youth to share the facilities.

The Bay of Quinte region has a rich history of coaches, athletes, administrators and parents. People who volunteer their time and energy, who go above and beyond so that youth can have opportunities that will impact their lives and shape who they are as individuals. By keeping gym doors closed, you not only deny youth opportunities to grow, but you silence the amazing leadership examples and life-lessons that these volunteers provide to youth and the community.

Perhaps one of the biggest tragedies for youth during this pandemic is the affect that it is having on female athletes. At a time when Canadian women are achieving amazing things on the world stage in hockey, soccer, basketball, rugby, rowing, etc., girls are dropping out of sport at an alarming rate. Research shows that due to the pandemic, 1 in 4 girls are not committed to resuming their pre-pandemic sport participation levels. These statistics equate

to over 350 000 girls not participating in sports. The Canadian Women and Sports’ report on the pandemic Impact on Girls in Sport, explains this statistic in another way. It would be as if every girl in Alberta between the ages of six and eighteen just decided to stop participating in sport. This is a profound statistic.

Before the pandemic, girls reported that the top benefits of sport participation were: physical health, fun/enjoyment, social, mental health/well-being. A huge part of participation in sport for girls is the social connections they make. Girls reported that the major areas affected by the pandemic for them include: mental and physical health, missing friends, being stuck at home and the impact of the loss of school and loss of activities at school. As an elementary school teacher and coach I see the impact that the pandemic has had on girls when it comes to physical education and sports. I was reminded of this when a parent sent me a message about her daughter who was reluctant to come out for basketball, even though she had played in previous years. After the first practice, she got in the car and said “mom I forgot how much I love basketball until my team started back up, I really like my team.” Are the youth of the Quinte region just becoming used to life without games, sport and physical activity? After her practices began back up, this particular player decided she wasn’t going to wait for school sports to start and began organizing drills she learned at practice with her friends at recess.

Games, sport and physical activity play such an important role in the lives of our youth. So many life lessons are learned on the field, court or rink. While volunteers are sidelined indefinitely and our school gyms remain closed, how long will we continue to sit by and watch the youth or our area suffer?

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Thcrowd e crowdroars. roars.Flash Flashbulbs bulbsflicker. flicker. S ocial m edia aaccounts ccounts eexplode. xplode. AnAnother other hohometown metown hero hashas inspired The Social media hero the entirthe e naentire tion witnation h a clutwith ch pearfoclutch rmancperformance e on the biggeson t stthe agebiggest to win go ld or rto aiswin e thegold tropor hy.raise The the moment inspired stage will live on for years in the minds of many. trophy. The moment will live on for years in the minds of many.

For every Christine Sinclair, Sidney Crosby, Penny Oleksiak or Rick Nash, there’s a back story that goes For Christine orstRick goes beevery yond th e champiSinclair, onship. OSidney ften, it sCrosby, tarts witPenny h a spaOleksiak rk of joy ju playiNash, ng thethere’s game ina yback outh.story It is ththat e fam ily, coachethe s, tchampionship. eammates and Often, commuit nistarts ty that with kindlaedspark that of spajoy rk just throuplaying gh the ythe eargame s. Andin , ityouth. is the Ithoisurthe s of beyond practiccoaches, e, trainingteammates , and sacrificand e thcommunity at few see. that kindled that spark through the years. And, it is the family, hours of practice, training, and sacrifice that few see.

The next great could come from anywhere. Judging by the young talent profiled on these pages, it could be here in the Quinte region. I’m proud to be involved with our dedicated, passio nate sporting community.

The the Thnext ank ygreat ou volcould unteercome s and sfrom uppoanywhere. rters for all Judging you do tobyen suryoung e yountalent g peoplprofiled e have aon lifethese long lopages, ve of sit port could whetbe herhere they in ultthe imatQuinte ely pushregion. for starI’m domproud or simto plybeeninvolved joy playinwith g andour stadedicated, ying active.passionate sporting community. Thank you volunteers and supporters for all you do to ensure young people have a I’m plelove ased of thesport Prov-whether ince has m adeultimately a strong copush mmitm enstardom t to suppor ortsimply Provincenjoy ial Spplaying ort Orgaand nizatstaying ions and lifelong they for Multi-Sport Organizations to ensure our local amateur athletics programs are in a strong position to grow active. and recover after two challenging years. Sport builds community, it teaches valuable life lessons, and its impact reaches far beyond the action on the field right across our local economy.

I’m pleased the Province has made a strong commitment to support Provincial Sport Organizations and MyMulti-Sport Bay of QuinOrganizations te team are youto r faensure ns. Weour ’re hlocal ere toamateur support lathletics ocal familprograms ies so theyare caninfoacustrong s on thposition e game. you hand ave recover questionafter s abou t pro vincial progryears. ams orSport servicbuilds es, plecommunity, ase contact m office. valuable life toIfgrow two challenging ityteaches lessons, and its impact reaches far beyond the action on the field right across our local economy.

In closing, please join me in encouraging the young athletes in your life. In the words of famed Canadian Olympic and World champion Donovan Bailey: “Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, My Bay of Quinte team are your fans. We’re here to support local families so they can focus on the and above all, don’t let anyone limit your dreams.” game. If you have questions about provincial programs or services, please contact my office.

In closing, please join me in encouraging the young athletes in your life. In the words of famed Canadian Olympic and World champion Donovan Bailey: “Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and above all, don’t let anyone limit your dreams.”

613-962-1144 x toddsmithmpp.com

Constituency office: 5503 Hwy 62 S, Belleville, Ont. (Rossmore Plaza) Todd Smith MPP, Bay of Quinte

613-962-1144

toddsmithmpp.ca

Constituency office: 5503 Hwy 62 S, Belleville, Ont. (Rossmore Plaza)

Who Wants to play

TOTALSPORTSQUINTE.CA

LACROSSE?

Registration: March 1st - April 9th House League Season: April 23rd - June 25th Location: Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre Registration Fees (Early Bird / Regular) - Early bird until March 27th U5 (2018/2019): FREE U7 (2016/2017): $165 / $190 U9 (2014/2015): $190 / $215 U11 (2012/2013): $190 / $215

U13 (2010/2011): $205 / $230 U15 (2008/2009): $205 / $230 U17 (2006/2007): $220 / $245

Visit Quintelacrosse.com Email: quintelacrosse@gmail.com

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ENJOYING A NEW SPORT Meet James McIlreath

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte James McIlreath, like a lot of kids in the Quinte region, tried lacrosse for the first time in 2019.

That year, the Quinte Bayhawks minor lacrosse program launched and had a successful first season. Unfortunately, any momentum gained was curtailed the following two seasons due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Ontario government restrictions for minor sports.

Now 10 years old, James had previously played soccer, ball hockey, had tried ice hockey for a year along with skating and skiing.

27. Children at the U5 level (2018/2019 birth years) can be signed up for free. The early bird/regular costs for the other divisions are: U7 (2016/2017) $165/$190; U9 (2014/2015) $190/$215; U11 (2012/2013) $190/$215; U13 (2010/2011) $205/$230; U15 (2008/2009) $205/$230 and U17 (2006/2007) $220/$245.

“In 2020 we only had a small outdoor skills program and last summer we had a limited outdoor house league,” said Bayhawks president Joe Fee. “This year our main goal is to grow and build upon our initial 2019 season as it will be the first time we play indoor box lacrosse since then. We hope to have more players and teams in house league, build on a partnership with Tyendinaga and Kingston to grow the game and have a few rep teams compete provincially.”

Lacrosse was unfamiliar to him, but his dad John introduced him to the sport. His dad is a former player and showed James his old stick and mask.

“My dad showed (lacrosse) to me and I thought it was pretty cool so I tried it,” James said.

He got registered for the inaugural season of Quinte Bayhawks and loved it, especially all the running required during a game while also learning new skills.

“It was kind of hard passing to my teammates because you didn’t know how hard or light to throw it and it’s also hard to catch because it’s a small net,” he said.

It proved to be a great crossover sport for his other activities.

“I think it went really well,” James’ mom, Jennifer, said of the first lacrosse season. “He’s a really good soccer player, but we wanted to work on the hand-eye coordination and it was definitely a huge benefit for that. We learned that he’s got really good hand-eye coordination.”

One of the highlights from the 2019 season was the opportunity to go watch a Tyendinaga Thunder junior game in Deseronto.

“That was amazing,” Jennifer said. “He was so pumped up after that because of course it’s a faster game at that level. They sort of saw the potential of what they could do. “He loved the game. I loved the game. It was amazing to watch.”

James and the other inaugural Bayhawks’ players have yet to return for another regular season. If the schedule works out, James certainly wants play lacrosse again.

He’s also an avid skier in the winter and loves to compete before moving into soccer season.

A benefit of lacrosse, Jennifer McIlreath suggests, is the late April start and the season concluding in later June, especially for families who have other plans during the summer months. ...

The Quinte Bayhawks Lacrosse organization is excited for a return to indoor box lacrosse this season.

Registration is underway with early bird prices in effect until March

Visit Quintelacrosse.com

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TOTALSPORTSQUINTE.CA

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT BUYING YOUR TEEN’S FIRST VEHICLE THE NEWMAN BLOG

By: Stephanie Ferreiro Economical Insurance

If your teenager just passed their final driving test, they’re probably gearing up to look for their first car — and it’s more than likely that you’ll be enlisted to help them find insurance.

Whether they’ve already found the perfect vehicle or they’re still in the test-drive stage, we can help you and your teen shop around for the right car insurance to suit their needs. We can even compare insurance costs for the vehicles your teen is considering, which could help make their decision a little easier.

We’ve got answers to some of the questions that might come to mind as you look to insure your teen’s first set of wheels.

specific vehicle most often should be listed as the primary driver for that vehicle.

Some parents might be tempted to list themselves as the primary driver of their teen’s car to keep their premium down, but you should know that this is considered insurance fraud — and it could result in a cancelled policy or a denied claim.

To make sure your teen has the coverage they need in the event of a collision, consider this simple breakdown of what you should do in a couple of common scenarios: 1.

Are there car insurance discounts for teenage drivers?

It’s no secret that teens generally pay higher car insurance premiums than older drivers, simply because they have less experience behind the wheel. They may also be more surrounded by distractions (like their friends dancing in the back seat or the buzzing cell phone in their pocket, for example). The good news is that your teen may qualify for a discount that could help them get a more reasonable rate.

For example, some insurance companies will offer discounts if a new driver has completed a certified driver’s training course, and others will offer discounts for students who get good grades in school.

Be sure to ask us to find out which insurers offer discounts that your teen might qualify for.

Who should be listed as the primary driver on your teen’s car insurance policy?

In a car insurance policy, the “primary driver” or “principal driver” is the person who drives the vehicle most often, regardless of who actually owns it. Other drivers living in the same household will need to be listed in the policy, too — but the person who drives a

2.

You bought a car for your teen to drive, but the ownership is in your name. If the vehicle ownership is in your name, you will also need to buy the insurance policy to go with it. But since your teen is the one driving the car on a day to day basis, they need to be listed as the primary driver.

Your teen bought their own car and the ownership is in their name. If the vehicle ownership is in your teen’s name, they’ll need to buy the insurance policy to go with it. Your teen will also need to be listed as the primary driver since they’re the one who will be driving the car most often.

The content in this article is for information purposes only and is not intended to be relied upon as professional or expert advice.

This article was originally posted on economical.com If you have questions about your teen’s car insurance coverage and who should be listed as the primary driver, reach out to us.

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Fans :L-R / Finleigh, day one & Belleville another Aislynn :)

Wellington Dukes In the Community The Wellington Dukes have been honoured to support many local charities and causes this season, regardless of the challenges of lockdowns, they are committed to giving back to the fans, the community and their sponsors. Recipients of the Dukes fundraising this season have been as follows - Hockey Player Kale Hennessey, 99.3 County FM, Coats for Kids in partnership with PEC OPP, Community Living PEC, Storehouse Foodbank and Air Force City Pipe Band (sponsored by Christine Rutter - Exit Realty).

Still to come this season: - Storehouse Foodbank (sponsored by Christine Rutter Exit Realty) Friday April 1st, Reaching for Rainbows - Sunday April 3rd, PEC Hospital Foundation and PEC Hospice - will both be during the playoffs.

Eberley, John Wilson (Dukes fan since bulls symbol man), Alistair, Aislyn and

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Sometimes the Biggest Fans - Come in the Smallest Packages

Family Day at the Boathouse Seafood Restaurant

TOTALSPORTSQUINTE.CA

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NIELISSEN ENJOYS SUCCESS With Napanee Express

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte Softball Napanee has a longstanding tradition of success with its Express rep teams and Brody Nielissen is pleased to have experienced it.

Despite a number of provincial shutdowns the past two years due to government restrictions, the Express have managed to get limited seasons each summer and Nielissen and the U14 boys team have won back-to-back Ontario Amateur Softball Association provincial championships.

Last August, they competed at the Eastern Canadian championships in Fredericton, New Brunswick and went 7-1 in the tournament to capture the silver medal.

“It was a pretty fun experience,” said Nielissen, who was named the tournament’s top hitter with an outstanding .820 batting average. “When we were down there we met teams from Quebec, New Brunswick, PEI, Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. We talked to them off the field and during the game we’d be enemies and when you get the off the field you talk to them just walking around the ballpark.”

In addition to the on-field game play and the challenge of playing centrefield as well as shortstop on occasion, Nielissen enjoys spending time with friends at the ballpark and away at tournaments. He loves the social aspect of softball and sports in general. He also plays hockey for the Quinte Red Devils U15 AAA team and enjoys golfing as well.

announced the return of the spring training indoor sessions in early February, noting “they are a great way to get ready for Softball Napanee’s upcoming competitive ball season. The indoor sessions will prepare athletes for our team tryouts in the spring.”

Registration is required to attend and the fee is $10 per athlete.

Please register on the Softball Napanee website where some schedule information is also noted for U8, U9, U11 boys, U11 girls, U13 boys, U15 boys and U17 boys.

“Please note that athletes 12 years of age and older are required to be vaccinated to participate. This is a requirement of the provincial softball organizations. Please also note that spectators will not be permitted in the gyms for our sessions. Athletes will need to be dropped off with coaches at the school doors.”

All clinics will run until the week of April 25. The organization notes U13, U15, U17 and U19 girls teams had tryouts in September and rosters have been confirmed. House league softball is also offered from U6 to U16.

For more information and to watch for 2022 details visit the website.

“What I love about (sports) is you get to meet new friends,” Nielissen said. “You also get exercise out of it, too.”

Softball is a great summer sport following a busy hockey season at the AAA and high school levels. Nielissen started skating as a toddler and began playing hockey around age four, starting in Loyalist Township before playing a number of years in Kingston.

He’s a left winger and considers himself to be a strong two-way player on both sides of the puck.

Now with the Red Devils, Nielissen believes the move to Quinte is good for his development.

“You get more exposure when you’re in Quinte,” he said. “The jump going from Kingston to Quinte was a pretty big jump. I thought I got better over the year just with the good coaches we have.” He has aspirations to play at the junior level in hockey and “just see where it takes me.”

For softball, his goal is to play for Team Canada one day and represent his country. Of course, he’s hoping for another great season with the Express as well. ...

Softball Napanee, established in 1980, has hosted numerous provincial championships and six Canadian championships.

Express teams have found great success at the provincial and national levels over the years.

Indoor workouts are underway for the 2022 season, which will hopefully be a return to nearly normal for the local teams. In regular seasons, Napanee Softball offers Express rep teams at a number of age groups for boys and girls. The organization

Brody Nielissen competed with the Napanee Express U14 boys fastball team at the Eastern Canadian championships in August 2021

Visit SoftballNapanee.teamsnapsites.com

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SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS Meet Aynsley Hoornweg

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte Whether it’s in cheerleading or on the ski slopes, Aynsley Hoornweg likes a big challenge.

For instance, the nine-year-old is a flyer with Pegasus Cheer Athletics. “I like flying in the air and I like learning to do new tricks,” Aynsley said.

“It looks cool when you get thrown up.”

After trying other sports like soccer and baseball, cheer proved to best for Aynsley and she’s been training with Pegasus for about five years now.

“She works really hard and she enjoys practising at home in her spare time and whenever she can get in the gym for extra nights,” her mom, Jessica Hoornweg, said. “She’s not afraid to put her trust in other kids to catch her and not let her hit the ground. It’s more scary for mom.”

“The first time we did it they didn’t realize how much pressure they have to throw and how much pressure comes down to catch.”

Aynsley acknowledges it can be difficult to learn to new tricks and skills. The most challenging so far has been cradle. “It’s when your bases push you up into the air, then you have to lean back and then they’ll catch you,” she said.

Not fazed by challenges, Aynsley has also been skiing in her spare time for the last four or five years whether that’s locally at Batawa Ski Hill or even Mont Tremblant in Quebec. “It’s fun going to big, big hills and learning how to do stuff there,” she said. “I like cold weather and snow in the winter.”

When it came to choosing an indoor activity, Aynsley simply saw cheerleading on a children’s show and promptly knew she wanted to give it a try. She hasn’t been able to train at the gym as often as she would prefer the past couple of years. There was one virtual competition last year. Still, she never stops training in the gym when possible and is eager to do what she can at home as well to prepare for future competitions. “You’re cheer routine, you can always go through that,” Aynsley said. “When you’re at home you should keep doing them and exercising.”

Aynsley has brothers who enjoy soccer and a sister who will try a number of activities. That can make for a busy family schedule, but Jessica is all for it. “They like doing it and if they want to do it then we like to get them there, but it can be very busy. I would rather that than sitting in front of the TV,” she said. “Other than keeping them active, they make new friends outside of their school which is always good. It’s just nice to see them work hard at something that they enjoy and have fun.”

Aynsley looks forward to continue working on her skills and enjoys watching videos of cheerleaders, including Gabi Butler and Gabi Fuller. “I want to be a professional cheerleader when I get older,” she said.

In the meantime, Aynsley loves spending time at Pegasus because “all the coaches are so kind and you can make lots of new friends.”

Visit PegasusCheer.com

Pegasus Cheer Athletics is located at 1989 Old Highway 2 in Belleville.

Programs available include cheerleading, tumbling, parkour and preschool classes.

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TOTALSPORTSQUINTE.CA

QUINTE BAY GYMN

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte

Tumblers Selected to Nation

Two local power tumblers from the Quinte Bay Gymnastics Club have been named to Canada’s 2022 national gymnastics team.

at events such as Ontario Cup, Ontario provincial championships and Eastern Canadian championships.

January’s announcement from Gymnastics Canada noted this year’s Trampoline Gymnastics National Team includes Justin Thompson for development tumbling and Jared Matthews for junior tumbling.

At that young age, though, Thompson had big goals.

“I’m really happy that I made the national team,” Thompson said.

“I haven’t had a really clear path to the national team. It’s been ups and downs. I broke my ankle when I was 16 and missed out and when I was 17 there was the whole COVID year and again when I was 18. Now that I’m 19, everything seems to align right. It’s perfect because I had some struggles to get there and now I’m here.”

Matthews, who is 15 and has already competed internationally once previously, appreciates the opportunity to represent the Canadian team.

“It makes me feel good that I got picked and they want me to represent my country and I can go out and do my best,” he said.

In a release, National Team Director Karen Cockburn stated “on behalf of Gymnastics Canada, I would like to extend our gratitude and appreciation to the National Team athletes and coaches for their commitment, sacrifice and resilience during these unprecedented times.

“There are many international opportunities for our senior, developmental and junior teams, which will allow us to access for the future and make the necessary technical adjustments to prepare for the 2022 World Championships and beyond.”

Both Quinte Bay Gymnastics athletes were hooked by the sport at an early age.

Gymnastics was a great outlet for Thompson and his sister Katelyn, who is now one of his coaches. The siblings were put in gymnastics at the same time, which looking back isn’t a surprise.

“We’re only 13 months apart so we were always together,” Thompson said. “When I was young I just really liked to be upside down. I really liked to flip, it just made me feel free. I was super hyper and it let me get out my energy.”

Matthews was taken to a program at a young age and had the opportunity to just play around on gymnastics equipment.

“I really fell in love with it,” he said. “I tried my hand at hockey for two years, I didn’t like that.”

Gymnastics was a different story, especially when he started learning the fundamental skills.

“What I loved about it was just the feeling of when you’re flipping through the air and trusting yourself with all the skills you’re doing,” Matthews said. “It was just a lot of fun with everybody there. They treated you well, you treated them well, it was just a great environment to be in.”

Power tumbling features athletes performing a series of acrobatic skills including jumps, twists and flips down a 25-metre long sprung track.

Thompson was a power tumbler from age eight to 10 before switching to artistic gymnastics and training in Kingston. He was successful in tumbling, never losing a competition and winning gold

“I always had a dream of going to the Olympics and power tumbling unfortunately isn’t an Olympic sport,” he said. “On top of that we had lost our coach at that point, I was 10, so the only other club that I was going to be able to go to was Oakville.”

The move to artistic gymnastics and training in Kingston made more sense and Thompson trained in that discipline until he was 16, earning a number of medals at Ontario, Eastern Canadian and Canadian championships and Elite Canada.

“I really liked the fact that there was six events so every single day was really different,” Thompson said. “You could one day be doing three events and working on skills there and then the next day you could be working on three different events. It was a lot more variety of stuff you would be doing.”

After the ankle injury sidelined Thompson, he found his way back to power tumbling and the Quinte Bay Gymnastics Club, coached

by Karla Sage and Katelyn Thompson. He was pleased to reunited not only with his sister, but also Sage who coached him during his early years in the sport Continued next page ...

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NASTICS

nal Team

“I’ve always really appreciated Karla. After breaking my ankle, my heart wasn’t really with it anymore for artistic so I made the switch and was a lot happier right away,” Thompson said. “When I was younger and coached by Karla, I was super shy, I didn’t know what I was doing, but now I have a really good relationship with my coaches and I’m able to communicate with them a lot better so if I’m ever feeling a certain type of way, I know how to communicate that now.”

Returning from an ankle injury and switching back to power tumbling just before his 17th birthday presented enough challenges, but the biggest one was getting sidelined again. Four months after tumbling training began, the club was shut down in March 2020 due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. Provincial and other regional restrictions have limited his ability to compete, but Thompson still showed enough to earn the national team spot.

“It’s been hard, but I’m definitely glad that I persevered and pushed through my ankle injury and now I’m now seeing the hard work that I put into it,” Thompson said. “My heart was always in power tumbling.”

Being part of the development team will allow Thompson to compete at the senior level nationally and internationally. He’s looking forward to Canadian events as well as World Cup Trials and World Championships, though is currently dealing with a back injury.

“I’m taking my training easy so I don’t make the injury worse,” Thompson said. “Hopefully by the end of the year I’ll still be able to go to the World Championships. If I miss out on a few of the competitions, it’s not the end of the world because I know I’ll have the same opportunities next year.”

Matthews began competitive power tumbling when he was nine and has won numerous competitions, including at Ontario Cups, Ontario and Canadian championships, Eastern Canadian championships, Tour and Elite Canada.

In 2019, Matthews represented Quinte Bay Gymnastics and Canada at the World Age Groups Competition in Tokyo, Japan and placed 10th.

“It was a great experience,” Matthews said. “I loved going there. It was my first time competing internationally so I was just trying to take it all in and realizing what other countries were doing. I came back and realized what I had to do and started working on it.”

After all these years, Matthews still draws from his experience learning the basic fundamentals of gymnastics such as handstands, cartwheels and roundoffs.

“You didn’t think about it much when you were little, but those are the fundamentals of gymnastics and then as you progress you start really picking apart those skills and realizing how much they affect your career,” he said. “You start really focusing on the technique and everything with them.”

Like Thompson, Matthews hasn’t been afforded many opportunities to compete the past two years and didn’t have the chance to build off his previous international experience. He’s looking forward to the opportunity with the national team this year.

“I’m a competitive person and I love competing for things,” Matthews said. “It makes me feel good that I can go out, work hard and go to competitions to show what I’m doing and hopefully win.”

The dedication of hours spent training has paid off for these two Quinte Bay Gymnastics athletes as they look to make their mark with the national team.

“You really just have to work hard to get there,” Thompson said.

“Like any sport, you’ve really got to put in the work, otherwise you’re just not going to get to that top level.”

To learn more about the Quinte Bay Gymnastics Club, visit: www.quintebaygymnastics.com

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CLOVER BOYD TACKLES A VARIETY OF SPORTS

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte

There’s something about team sports that Clover Boyd loves.

It doesn’t matter if it’s volleyball, soccer or rugby.

“Probably just working with a team and being able to accomplish something together,” she said.

“Our coaches were amazing. We had home workouts and things we could do so that we were still busy and ready so when we could go back,” Clover said, adding video meetings were a positive.“We could feel like we were still part of a team and not just by ourselves in lockdown.”

Clover, who is 14, wants to help her team in any way she can and looks for a role where she can make a difference. Take volleyball, for instance, as she is a setter for her Belleville Ravens club team.

She joined the Ravens about two-and-a-half years ago after first playing the sport in elementary school.

She love playing the setter position.

“You’re part of every single play so you really have to know where to put the ball every time so that a hitter can get to it and to make sure they can get the kill,” she said. “It’s difficult because there’s so many people depending on you to get the ball up to hit it.”

Her longest tenured sport is soccer as she started playing around age 4 in Quinte West and when she was nine joined the Belleville Comets club program.

Clover has always played as a defender in soccer, which suits her desire to play a physical style.

“I love being able to just stop whoever is coming,” Clover said. “My favourite part is tackling so being able to tackle someone legally and knowing that you helped your team keep a goal out of the net.”

Perhaps it’s not surprising she was a natural fit to join her high school rugby team in Trenton this past fall. Her dad, Terry, encouraged her to give it a try.

Playing as a prop (forward), there were a lot of rules and other aspects of the game to learn, but Clover said she benefited from the junior and senior teams practising together. Once again, she loves the physicality.

“It was definitely a lot different than soccer, but I feel like the seniors on the team really helped and our coaches were amazing,” she remarked. “It was definitely really weird when I first started, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really fun.”

Recently, she added another sport to her repertoire at school: badminton and she’s also preparing with the Ravens for the Ontario Volleyball Association provincial championships in April.

Playing so many different sports, shutdowns were a challenge for Clover, but her teams still tried to make the most of any opportunities to prepare for returns to the field or gym.

Visit BellevilleRavens.ca

Thinking long-term, Clover has ambitions to get a scholarship for volleyball or rugby.

For now though she’s thinking about team goals.

“Coming up I’m hoping we do really well at provincials for volleyball,” she said.

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BELLEVILLE BEAST Swim to Strong Results in Quebec

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte Competing at their first swim meet since March 2020, the Belleville Beast placed eighth overall as a team at the Pointe-Claire Invitational in Quebec in December.

Prior to this event, a few swimmers participated in an open water competition, which was a two-kilometre swim, this past July and the Belleville club held time trials for its own athletes at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Centre at the end of October and in early December.

“This was our first time actually competing in a pool against other teams,” said Beast head coach Brandon Oates. “It was a pretty big meet. There was 450 swimmers and about 19 teams there.”

age 11-12 division, placing third in both the 50-metre breaststroke and 50-metre backstroke finals.

Alexandra MacDonald, 11, placed third in female 11-12 division’s 50-metre backstroke to earn bronze.

“Probably the highlight of my weekend was watching the athletes interact with one another in a team setting,” Oates remarked. “In swimming, most of the time they’re there (for practice), they’ve got a few minutes before they get in the pool and then they’re in the water. (In Quebec) between their events, it was pretty neat to see them all dressed up in their team gear again and be able to have fun chatting with each other and cheering each other one.”

Twenty-three swimmers represented the Beast at the Pointe-Claire Invitational. Among the numerous impressive results from the whole team, 12-year-old Olivia Demianchuk won the female 11-12 age group 50-metre breaststroke final, Maisie Walsh, 12, captured silver medals in her 11-12 50-metre butterfly and 100-metre breaststroke finals and Francis Brennan, 14, earned silver in the male 15-16 200-metre backstroke final.

Protocols were in place to protect swimmers and Oates noted the facility, which had two large pools, was large enough to accommodate all the competitors.

Brennan also placed first in the 15-16 100-metre backstroke preliminaries, but was disqualified in the final. His impressive weekend, though, also included setting new team records.

Meanwhile, Adam Case, 12, collected a pair of bronze medals in the

PHOTOS ABOVE: L-R - Alexandra MacDonald, Adam Case, Francis Brennan , Olivia Demianchuk, Maisie Walsh, BELOW: Belleville Beast Swim Team

“We have so many cherished memories from the weekend and I’m just glad that our team was able to do some type of racing in a normal atmosphere again,” Oates said.

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CONNOR BOATES Sports Built On Relationships

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte Whether it’s hockey, baseball or fishing, Connor Boates loves sports and the relationships that come with them.

At the end of February, the Quinte West Golden Hawks led the OMHA Lakeshore League U14 ‘A’ division with a 21-4-2 record.

“I just like hanging out my friends and joking around with them, playing sports and being competitive,” he said.

For Connor, teammates are the best part of the experience.

Connor, who is 13, plays hockey for the Quinte West Golden Hawks U14 team. He’s played the sport since he was three years old and at the rep level since he was six.

“I played hockey my whole life and he’s got an older brother who’s 16 that plays rep hockey here in Trenton, too,” his dad, Mike Boates, said.

Connor’s brother, Geoffrey, plays for the U18 Golden Hawks and is also an affiliated player for the junior C expansion Frankford Huskies. “(Geoffrey) has played his whole life so Connor kind of grew up in it,” Mike Boates said. “He was at the rink before he could walk. He’s grown into it and loved it ever since he could pick up a stick. He was never at the rink without a mini stick whenever he was there watching his brother.”

“Just working together with my teammates,” he said. “Working out with my teammates and hanging out with them.” ...

U15 Golden Hawks to host OHF championship

Quinte West Minor Hockey will host the Ontario Hockey Federation U15 ‘A’ championship April 22-24 at the Duncan McDonald Memorial Gardens.

The OHF championship tournament features the winning teams from the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, Greater Toronto Hockey League, Minor Hockey Alliance of Ontario and the Northern Ontario Hockey Association plus the host team which will be the Quinte West U15 Golden Hawks.

Connor plays right wing and loves scoring goals and celebrating with his teammates. His dad noted that while he’s always been a scoring threat on his team, Connor also excels in sportsmanship and hasn’t taken a penalty in three years.

“My dream is to make it to the NHL,” said Connor, who is a fan of the Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens.

Away from the rink, Connor also enjoys baseball, which is another opportunity to play with friends. He typically plays second base and enjoys the opportunity to make big plays. Baseball, he said, can help with strength, hand-eye coordination and stamina.

“Mostly it’s just staying active over the summer so I’m ready for hockey in the winter,” he said.

Fishing has become another favourite activity in the summer. He’s now a junior sponsored fisherman and plans to enter multiple tournaments each year. He entered three last year, winning one and placing second in another in Belleville while also finishing as he runner-up at one in Trenton.

His biggest catch to date is a six-and-a-half pound large mouth bass.

“I’m not much of an outdoors guy,” Mike Boates said. “He’s kind picked this up on his own and something he really loves.”

Connor enjoys “hanging out with my friends and talking with the people I fish with.” He hopes to enter four or five tournaments this summer.

The first order of business, of course, is completing this hockey season which has been a successful one for the U14 Golden Hawks.

“I’ve been scoring lots of goals and assists and we have lots of wins,” Connor said. “We’re first place in the league.”

Connor Boates plays for the Quinte West Golden Hawks U14 hockey team.

Visit QuinteWestMinorHockey.com

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QUINTE JUNIOR CURLERS Prepare for Provincial

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte Two junior members, Carson Kay and Gabe DeCastris, from the Quinte Curling Club have qualified for the U18 provincial championships with their Kitchener-based rink Team MacTavish.

Team MacTavish of the Westmount Curling Club, seeded fifth, went undefeated in three games at a qualifier in Palmerston to advance to the Curling Ontario championship, which was originally scheduled during January at the Oshawa Golf and Curling Club, but was postponed.

“Our play in the qualifier was excellent. We all knew what was on the line and made almost every shot that had to be made,” said Kay, who is the team’s vice (third) alongside skip Tyler MacTavish, second Nathan Kim and DeCastris, who is the lead. “Going into our game against the top-ranked team in the province we felt really strong. We went out and made sure every shot was made and made correctly.”

DeCastris and Kay, who have previously competed at Little Rocks provincials, joined Team MacTavish by adding their names to a free agency list online for teams looking for players. They were contacted by the MacTavish family and jumped at the opportunity to join the team.

“I had met Tyler MacTavish at a qualifier for the Hit, Draw and Tap finals two years ago,” Kay, who has been with the Quinte Curling Club for five years after switching clubs, noted.

DeCastris has been curling for six years.

“I like the strategy of it,” DeCastris said, adding he’s enjoying being a part of Team MacTavish. “We all work well together and I think that’s what makes us a good team,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being able to play on a bigger scale than we are used to.”

Kay enjoys all aspects of curling, including the position of vice, which involves throwing the fifth and sixth stones and helping to call the shots when the skip throws the final two.

“I feel that I see the shots in the game well, but when given the opportunity to sweep I would take it all day long,” he remarked.

“For someone that likes both the shot calling and the sweeping sides of the game, vice is the best of both worlds.” Team MacTavish is a young, but formidable group at the U18 level.

MacTavish is only 14 years old while Kay, DeCastris and Kim are 15.

“Our connection and trust to each other is huge. As a team of four we all connect extremely well, but we also connect as twos, the two front end players are almost like brothers and myself and Tyler connect like brothers,” Kay said. “We trust each other’s abilities and we communicate openly about shots and strategy.

This allows for everything on the ice to run super smooth. Along with our connections on the ice, we also as a team have some great connections off the ice.”

Kay said the team benefits from great coaching, including primary coach John Thompson and credits him for preparing clear game plans for the players to execute at the qualifier.

“John Thompson is an excellent coach, has had many coaching successes and is very knowledgeable. He gives a lot of his time to work with us as a whole team, but also as individuals on things we each need to improve on,” Kay said. “Since the team is split across the province, Gabe and myself have a high skills coach that works with us at Quinte Curling Club, Beth Calwell, who like John is very knowledgeable and has helped Gabe and I immensely.”

Another shutdown early in the new year due to government restrictions presented challenges for the curlers, but they continued to work out at home as much as possible and maintained their diet and fitness.

“Once given the green light to return to the ice regularly, we were on right away and haven’t stopped since,” Kay said. “ The U18 provincial championships will now be held March 30 to April 3 in Oshawa.

Team MacTavish will certainly carry confidence into that event based on their strong play this season.

“We expect the competition level at provincials to be top notch and we believe we deserve to be there with the way we have been playing this season,” Kay said.

PHOTO: Team MacTavish members are, from left, lead Gabe DeCastris (Quinte), second Nathan Kim, third Carson Kay (Quinte) and skip Tyler MacTavish.

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SHARING A LOVE FOR BASKETBALL

By Jeff Gard / Total Sports Quinte Sawyer Barnett’s love of basketball was fostered by just shooting hoops outside at home when he was five years old.

“He eventually graduated to a regulation hoop, but he started out on a low one at five,” said his father Kurtis, adding his own enjoyment for the sport likely played a role in Sawyer’s outdoor play.

“I think probably most was to impress me because I love basketball.”

Now 10, Sawyer’s love of the sport continued to grow and he and his dad now cheer for the Boston Celtics. Sawyer’s favourite player is Jayson Tatum. “I really like them because my dad does and now I love watching them,” he says. “It kind of helps me getting better watching them play.”

Of course, as great as it is to watch basketball, playing is even better, which Sawyer enjoys as a member of the County Clippers U12 team in Prince Edward County. He started playing for the Clippers around age seven.

“I just like playing with my friends and I love the sport,” Sawyer says, noting his favourite parts are dribbling and shooting. “I dribbled with two hands. Now I’ve worked my way up to one hand and dribbling really good.”

Sawyer tried soccer and t-ball a few years ago and enjoyed them, but they weren’t a slam dunk to keep his interest. He loves playing and practising for basketball, going on road trips and having his family watch him play.

That’s been limited the past couple of years due to Ontario government restrictions. While he could get outside to shoot hoops, it wasn’t the same as when he was five.

“I didn’t really like it because I couldn’t really do anything, couldn’t see any of my friends, couldn’t see anyone, couldn’t see my team, couldn’t play tournaments,” Sawyer said.

PHOTO - Sawyer Barnett (24) of the County Clippers dribbles the ball up the court during a tournament game in Peterborough.

The disappointment was evident to his father Kurtis.

“You could tell it wasn’t the same to him to go out and shoot around. He loves going to practice, he really looks forward to it.

Even if it gets cancelled because of a snow day or something, he’s bummed out,” he said.

“I guess the main thing is he’s a really social kid so that aspect to him is huge. Just going away to the tournaments and being with his friends. He’s made a lot of really close friendships with his teammates so I know that’s a big driving force for him. He struggles being by himself and just shooting around. He’ll do it for a bit, but he needs that social interaction.”

Sawyer has enjoyed playing in tournaments and Peterborough and looks forward to provincial championships in London.

He puts as much effort into practice as he does games.

“It’s really important because we all work with each other, we all do drills together so we know how each of us play and what we’re all good at,” Sawyer said.

Sawyer has big personal aspirations in the sport.

“My goal is to get to the NBA,” he said. “That’s my only goal right now.” ...

In February, the Clippers announced the unfortunate cancellation again of the Spring House League. The organization is “looking at putting together some outdoor camps this summer” according to the announcement.

To learn more about the Clippers and keep up to date with rep and house league announcements, visit www.countyclippers.ca.

Visit CountyClippers.ca

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GRATTON TO PLAY FOOTBALL AT QUEENS UNIVERSITY

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte Jon Gratton remembers his first Belleville minor football game with the Trent Hills Titans.

It didn’t go as planned.

Gratton, an offensive lineman who is now 17, was in Grade 6 at the time that he made his debut at Mary Anne Sills Park. “I was pretty nervous going into my first game,” Gratton recalled. “I’m an O-Lineman and I was supposed to be a guard. Right before the game our centre ended up getting sick so the very first game of my career I’m snapping the ball and have no idea what I’m doing.”

The Campbellford-area resident made it through that initial game and returned to his expected position. It turned out to be a successful first season as the Titans captured the Belleville league championship. “It was a good, competitive league, nice kids,” Gratton said of the Belleville minor football loop which eventually merged into Quinte Skyhawks Football. “I loved every second I was in that league. I liked that it was super competitive, in my opinion.”

Another memorable game was during his second season with the Titans. “The Trent Hills team wanted me to play quarterback because we didn’t have anyone else who knew any of the plays so that was definitely a little stressful for a bit,” Gratton remarked.

Fortunately, he said, that lasted just one game and another player took over as quarterback.

Gratton played three seasons in Belleville before joining the Peterborough Wolverines club football team in Grade 9. He also went on to play six-aside football at Campbellford District High School. Now Gratton is ready to take the next step in his football journey as he has committed to join the Queen’s University football program.

His father Glen, who played university football for Laurier, encouraged Gratton to give the sport a try back in elementary school.

“When I was in Grade 6 I actually didn’t want to play football,” Gratton said. “I was scared to get hit and then I started playing and fell in love with the sport.”

It was his coach with the Wolverines, Jim Cooper, who suggested to Gratton last summer that he explore his options at the university level.

Gratton hadn’t considered that he had the potential to play at the Ontario University Athletics level. Development has been slowed the past couple of years due to limited playing time as a result of the pandemic Gratton got in touch with almost every Ontariobased team and had several visits to meet coaches and players as well tour facilities.

“The big tipping point really was Queen’s just felt right,” said Gratton, who is considering his course options, but has ambitions of possibly obtaining a teacher’s diploma in the future. “As soon as I walked on the campus it just felt like home and felt like the place for me.”

Gratton will bring a lot of size – 6-foot-7, 290 pounds – to the Queen’s Gaels’ offensive line. He’s also used size to his advantage in his other favourite sport hockey. Always a defenceman, he’s played in Warkworth and Campbellford, at both the rep and house league levels, since he was young. “I’ve been skating since I could walk,” Gratton said. “It’s just an enjoyable sport. Just kind of the fast pace of it. There’s always stuff going on. Especially as with the body contact in rep, it really fits my body style.”

Size also has its challenges.

“It’s a long way to fall,” Gratton quipped. “The worst thing about it is I really can’t hit people without getting penalties.”

There are some comparisons between the two sports. In hockey, as a defenceman, Gratton wants to support his goaltender and help keep the puck out of the net. In football, on the offensive line, it’s all about protecting his quarterback and other teammates in the backfield. “I just love O-Line because every single play you’re going to hit someone across from you,” he said.

Gratton is looking forward to the challenge on the field at the OUA level and the challenge balancing academics and athletics.

“It’s always been pretty important to me. I’ve always taken school seriously,” he said. “With the online school my grades haven’t always been as great as they’ve been in the previous years, but I’ve been working on getting them back up because Queen’s is a very competitive school to get into.”

It will certainly be an exercise in time management, but he’s ready for the test. On the field, he’s hoping to help the Gaels rebound from a loss last year in the Yates Cup, the OUA football championship game. “The atmosphere of the school is amazing,” Gratton said. “Everyone is so nice and it’s just an amazing school all around. It was the perfect pick for me.”

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MUSCLOW EMBRACES Leadership Roles

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte Musclow also played football and was a quarterback for his Bayside Secondary School teams.

“I liked how it was really a team sport. Every player has to do their job for everything to work as a unit,” he said. “Being quarterback, I like the leadership role you have. I just really liked the physical part of it, too. That definitely helped carry over to hockey, the hitting and stuff which I never really expected when I started playing football, but it definitely helped.”

Hockey, of course, also provides the team aspect Musclow relishes.

“Everyone has to work together,” he said. “In Stirling, for player of the game we would get a lug nut and a wheel can’t stay on unless all lug nuts are doing their job.”

Musclow considers himself to be a quiet leader who leads by example.

“You don’t have to be super vocal, but some guys are more vocal and good leaders in that way,” he said. “I’m more of a lead by example, work hard and I like to help players get better, too. In practice I’ll take time to help improve them and I think that helps the team a lot.”

The new Frankford team had a tough start to the season, losing its first 16 games, including two in overtime. They were outscored 34-4 in their first five contests.

On Nov. 26, though, the Huskies earned a 4-1 victory over the Campbellford Rebels.

Leading an expansion team certainly has its share of challenges, but Carter Musclow was honoured to be named the first captain of the new junior C Frankford Huskies.

The 18-year-old embraces the role with the Huskies during their first Provincial Junior Hockey League season and said the club’s home opener back in October was certainly a highlight.

“It was pretty cool opening night we had some of the old captains out and it was cool seeing them and talking to them,” Musclow remarked. “Definitely a huge honour.”

Musclow has a couple friends whose fathers played for Huskies teams in the past. There were previous junior and senior teams in Frankford. Otherwise, Musclow’s familiarity with the history of the franchise was limited.

“I’ve been in the arena and seen the pictures up on the walls, but that’s about it,” he said.

This season is a chance for Musclow and his teammates to usher in a new era for the Huskies.

Musclow grew up in nearby Stirling where he played minor hockey, with the exception of one season at the AA level with the Belleville Jr. Bulls. He realized Stirling was where he wanted to play for his remaining minor hockey years, ending the 2019-2020 season.

“Our midget year we went to the OMHA finals so that was a nice way to cap off my Stirling career,” Musclow said. “It’s small town, you know everyone there and I made a lot of good, close friends playing there. This sport is always amazing. When we went to playoffs, I’ve never seen such a full arena. We went all the way up to Collingwood and had fans there. It was pretty crazy and just hockey.”

“We had a couple overtime (losses) and everyone was so pumped to be that close and we had a lot of close losses before,” Musclow said. “Everything just lined up for that win. We outplayed Campbellford and Pat (Shearer) coached us real well. He had been working on some new systems and everyone was playing them.

We didn’t let up either, we had to keep going. I think some of our other games we would get ahead and then would get comfortable and let up and that would cost us. Everyone kept their foot down and kept working.”

Musclow credits Shearer for the team’s development from the start of the season to now as the improvements on the ice have been evident. “‘It’s been a huge difference,” he said. “We have a young team so over the next couple years we’ll just keep getting better and better. A lot of the other teams have a bunch of older guys and they’re trying to push for a championship this year whereas we’re a younger team and building together.”

Musclow is grateful for the support from the Frankford community.

“I remember playing against Picton and we were down 4-1 and came back and took it to overtime and that was the loudest I’ve ever heard that arena. Everyone was pretty pumped about it,” Musclow said.

“It’s I would say one of the loudest arenas in the league. It’s a small arena, but it’s always pretty full. We have a good turnout and lots of fans. You see the people coming wearing hats and jerseys. They’re always there every game no matter what.”

PHOTO - Carter Musclow was named the first captain of the expansion Franford Huskies. (Huskies photo)

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STIRLING FIGURE SKATER Elliot Baird

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte

Brinley Kelly and Elliot Baird of the Stirling Figure Skating Club competed in their first competition in Orono in February and both received silver for Star 1.

Kayla Christiansen of the Stirling Figure Skating Club earned gold in Star 3 at a competition in Orono in February.

Seven-year-old Elliot Baird (above right) spent many hours at the arena long before she stepped onto the ice as a figure skater.

Her older sister Julia, now at university, was a provincial champion figure skater, and brother Cole is a hockey player, currently with the Quinte West Golden Hawks U15 team, “Elliot has definitely been raised at the rink,” her mom Lorie said.

After beginning to skate in 2018 when she was four, Elliot completed the CanSkate program in July of 2020.

Watching her sister skate certainly inspired Elliot, who likes the challenge of figure skating and seeing results.

“Learning new things and getting better” is the best part, she noted.

Coached by Lindsay Newbery at the Stirling Figure Skating Club, Elliot is currently a star skater and recently passed her Star 1 dance assessment with honours.

In February, she also competed at her first competition in Orono and earned a silver medal at the Skate Ontario Star 1-4 event.

Paige Newbery and Payton Rosborough from the Stirling Figure Skating Club both received silver in Star 3 at a competition in Orono in February.

Elliot is currently practising jumps and considers the Waltz to be the most challenging so far. She recently enjoyed watching the Winter Olympics and enjoyed staying up late to see skaters like Canadian Madeline Schizas compete.

While she also enjoys playing soccer, figure skating is Elliot’s favourite. Her mom, having been through it once already, believes figure skating is a great sport for young people.

“They’re constantly trying to improve their own skill and that determination is pretty incredible and although it is an individual sport, the skating community is pretty good to support others,” Lorie Baird said.

Elliot certainly agrees. “I like meeting new friends,” she said.

To learn more about the Stirling Figure Skating Club

Visit StirlingSkate.ca

Ava Cameron of the Stirling Figure Skating Club was awarded the silver medal in Star 6-7 Dance at The Elizabeth Manley Winter Classic Competition in Gloucester in February

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HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Championships

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte

See full stories at TotalSportsQuinte.ca

Nicholson Basketball Belleville’s Nicholson Catholic College Crusaders captured the silver medal at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) girls ‘A’ basketball championship in Smithville in November. Pictured members of the team are: (front, from left) Anna Walsh, Grace LaCroix, Madison Lees, Chloe Knapp; (back, from left) Brynne Barrett, Courtney Lambert, Kira Fiar, Charlotte Farrell, Sarah Paul and Evelyn Shakell.

Quinte Christian Volleyball The Quinte Christian High School Eagles had a strong showing at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) boys ‘A’ volleyball championship, advancing to the quarterfinals in Caledon in November.

Members of the Quinte Christian senior boys volleyball team this season were Matthew Andrawis, Brodey Brooks, Silas Luyt, Justin Postma, Dylan Prinzen, Noah Van Dyke, Edward Vanderwilp, Timothy Vanderwilp, Nolan Walcott, Andrew Walcott, George Walcott and Evan Westerman. Joining head coach Eric Lammers on the coaching staff were Jordan Hall, Janice Brooks and Curtis deVries.

COSSA Cross Country Quinte Quinte-area schools qualified numerous athletes for the provincial high school cross-country running championships at the Central Ontario Secondary School Athletics meet in Brighton in October. Runners who were part of the top two teams or one of the five fastest individuals in each division advanced to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) championship meet at Lakefield College School in early November.

Centennial Chargers Football High school football returned in the fall and the Centennial Secondary School Chargers won the Bay of Quinte and Central Ontario Secondary School Athletics championships. The Chargers went on to host Kingston’s Frontenac Falcons in the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Eastern Bowl.

Below photo from the Bay of Quinte championship courtesy of Mark Hopper

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MARTIAL ARTS IS FOR EVERYONE

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte footwork (jab, jab cross, jab cross hook, push kicks, rounds kicks, etc.) developing the student’s technique, timing and reflexes.

It’s been a challenging couple of years as provincial government restrictions forced the Academy to shut down operations on multiple occasions. The hope now is the students can now continue their training on an ongoing basis without disruption.

Some Loyalist athletes had the opportunity to showcase their skills at competitions this past fall, including the Ontario Open International Jiu Jitsu Championships in Markham in September with Mia Brown winning gold and Solana McCaughen earning silver.

At the Submission Arts United Ontario/Quebec in Ottawa in November, Mia Brown and Ian Quilty won gold while Jakob Cunningham earned silver. The whole team represented the Loyalist Academy in great fashion.

Pictured with coach Andrew Babcock, Solana McCaughen (left) earned silver and Mia Brown (right) won gold at the Ontario Open International Jiu Jitsu Championships in Markham in September.

For more information about the Loyalist Martial Arts Academy as well as announcements about membership sales and upcoming camps (March Break, PA Days, summer, etc), check out loyalistmartialarts.ca or follow on Facebook @loyalistmma.

Loyalist Martial Arts Academy has thriving programs for youth with benefits that extend beyond the mat.

Skills the athletes learn in the disciplines of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Muay Thai can be applied in everyday life. Benefits can include increased confidence and self-esteem, learning discipline and self-control, gaining physical strength, agility, balance and control, develop respect for themselves and others, meeting new friends in a safe and fun environment and improved focus and impulse control for children with ADD and ADHD. “We believe and encourage the thought of ‘martial arts for everyone’ at Loyalist,” said Academy owner and coach Tim Keller. “It is never too early or late to begin martial arts training; we have members from four to 64. The benefits are tremendous, physically and mentally, and the community here is welcoming and supportive.

Our coaches have decades of experience and are second to none.

Martial arts can improve confidence, instill self-discipline, drive goal-setting and provide mental clarity. Not to mention, open the door to new friendships, experiences, and skills.”

Located at 250 Sidney Street in Belleville, Loyalist Martial Arts Academy offers great adult programs in BJJ and Muay Thai as well as women’s only kickboxing, but they are also teaching the next generation as well.

Ian Quilty and Mia Brown won gold at the Submission Arts United Ontario/Quebec competition in Ottawa in November.

For Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu programs, Tiny Lions is for ages 3-6, Little Lions ages 7-9, Lions 10-12 and Youth 13-17. The BJJ program focuses on developing strong fundamentals on position and technique while teaching the child discipline, self-defence and control. Once a student has the approval of the lead instructor, they may take part in Randori, which emphasizes live training or rolling with a partner and develops the student’s sensitivity to balance and timing while using techniques.

For the Youth group, there is also conditioning that implements exercises specifically designed to improve the student’s cardio, strength and stamina. Once a student has one stripe on their white belt, they may attend Randori.

Muay Thai is also offered for Little Lions ages 7-8 and Lions ages 9-12. The program consists of conditioning and technique, which is a total body workout focusing on developing a student’s endurance, footwork, cardio and strength and conditioning through boxing techniques (i.e. pad work, rope skipping, push-ups, circuit training).

The technique part of the class works striking combinations and

Pictured with coach Andrew Babcock, from left, Ian Quilty, Mia Brown, Colton Seeley, Emersyn Bedore and Jakob Cunningham were all great representatives of the Loyalist Martial Arts Academy at the Submission Arts United Ontario/Quebec competition in Ottawa in November.

Visit LoyalistMartialArts.ca

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QUINTE ROYALS BASEBALL Taite Crawford

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte

At 12 years old, Taite Crawford has been playing baseball for most of his life. About a decade at this point. His love for the game developed naturally.

“From a young age I just liked throwing and running around and catching and hitting,” Taite said. “I just decided that I wanted to play baseball so stuck with it.”

Now, though, as winter nears its end, Taite looks forward to the upcoming baseball season. He hopes its as normal a season as possible. He certainly encourages other kids to give baseball a shot.

“I think it’s really fun to play because if you can build team relationships with teammates and have friends, it’s an overall good community,” he said. “It’s fun to play and also helps with your arm strength and endurance.”

Taite began playing t-ball in Wooler when he was three before playing two seasons with Belleville Minor Softball. He made the switch to baseball with the Quinte West Amateur Baseball Association for his first season of rookie baseball. The following year, he made the jump to Quinte Royals rep baseball, earning a roster spot as an underage player on the rookie team.

His goals in the sports are simple.

Playing for the Royals, Taite can usually be found fielding the hot corner at third base, though occasionally plays left field or pitches.

In fact, he won five of the seven games he pitched last summer.

Perhaps it’s no surprise he was named his team’s MVP when the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association handed certificates in November.

As Ontario restrictions continue to ease, the organization will continue to follow provincial guidelines and recommendations from the Eastern Ontario Baseball Association and Ontario Baseball Association.

Despite his pitching prowess, Taite enjoys playing third base. His favourite team is the Toronto Blue Jays and favourite player is Josh Donaldson, a former Jay now with the Minnesota Twins. “I like that there’s a lot of hits that go there,” he said, noting that arm strength is key especially to get the ball to first base. “I like that I get to use my arm to throw it. I can throw it with speed so I don’t have to worry about it not making it.”

The Royals have been offering rep-level baseball in the Quinte region for the past 20 years and note that a provincial title for organization’s 14U team in 2019 is a testament to the talent of local ball players and the quality of certified coaches in the area.

Other activities also help Taite stay active and benefit is baseball ability. Being part of the CrossFit Belleville Spartans Youth Program is a great example.

“CrossFit I like because it has improved my strength and endurance over the time I’ve gone there,” Taite said, noting he gets great arm and leg workouts.

He also enjoys learning skills at Canada Goju Karate Trenton/ Quinte Dojo. “I like doing karate because it calms me down and helps me relax and teaches me a ton of stuff,” Taite said.

House league basketball is another fun activity.

“It’s fun because it’s not as competitive,” Taite said. “It’s kind of like a break and it’s a fun sport to play. A summer or two ago when we didn’t have baseball because of COVID, I ran around in my backyard and shot a bunch. It also really improved by endurance from running around a ton.”

Visit QuinteWestBaseball.ca

“Usually my main goal is just to do good in the games and worry from there,” Taite said. ...

The Quinte Royals are preparing for the 2022 season.

Watch for updates at www.quinteroyalsbaseball.com.

All players, regardless of experience, are encouraged to attend tryouts in September.

In addition to the Royals rep program, house league baseball is offered by the Quinte West Amateur Baseball Association. Check out quintewestbaseball.ca.

Photos by Deroche Sports Photography Taite Crawford enjoys pitching and playing third base for his Quinte Royals baseball team.

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TOTAL SPORTS QUINTE

YOUNG ATHLETE’S - NOW WHAT? By: Terry Boyd - The GYM Trenton Association. He has a private practice and works with athletes in hockey, volleyball, tennis … you name it. He has clients from around the world including China and Europe. Taylor is a sharp guy with B.A. Sport Psychology (honours, cum laude), and is graduating dual Master of Science in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Sport Science this summer.

I had the chance to ask him this very question - Now What?

TB - “What can you tell me about what you do?”

TAYLOR - “The mental aspect of the game- I frame it this way, you could have all the talent in the world, put in all the hours, but if you can’t make it happen when it matters most, at the end of the day it doesn’t really matter. My focus is to help the athlete show off all the hard work they put in when it matters. Some of the areas I focus on is consistency, confidence and mental toughness.”

TB - “What Kind of effect do you think the pandemic/ lockdowns had on kids who normally would have had sports?”

Despite all the political back and forth, vaccinations, safe distancing, isolation, protests and lockdowns one thing everyone can agree on is the number and types of casualties as a result of the aforementioned circumstances. We all agree the pandemic has altered lives, taken lives, closed businesses, affected friendships and has had an incredible effect on the state of people’s mental health. I want to talk specifically about the state of mental health in our youth, and where we go from here regarding sports and athletics.

During the pandemic, which most agree seems to be abetting, I had the privilege of coaching my daughter’s soccer and volleyball teams respectively. Both rep. teams with good players eager to compete and practice their skills. They individually and collectively are passionate about their team, their friendships and the sense of accomplishment and pride. Everyone would agree this is extremely important for the personal growth and development of our youth not just in sport, but in life. It’s important, very important.

During a short period of time where volleyball was permitted, my volleyball team (Belleville Crush) played in a tournament with a few teams from Ottawa and the surrounding area. We had a winning record and found ourselves playing for first place mid tournament.

Keep in mind, this tournament was required for rankings, but at the end of the day was a way to test skills, but was certainly not the Provincials.

The team was divided into two groups, let’s call them team A, team B. Both halves of the team had strengths and both sides competed very well. Team A lost their first game of the tournament in extra points, and the best of three series depended on Team B getting us through to a third and deciding game. After a long hard fought battle in extra points the girls lost the second game. I pride myself on being aware of what is happening with my team, but was caught by surprise when a number of the girls were in tears after losing the game. We weren’t out of the tournament, we battled hard and as a coach I was very proud and extremely happy with an outstanding performance of a relatively new team in their first tournament. But they were invested, passionate and playing the game meant something to them and it showed. Not long after we were locked down again and forbidden to play.

So now what? With things opening up again and a return to sport and activities how do we recover, how do we move our young athletes forward? Some of them have missed drafts, lost friends, quit sports, and without exaggerating in any shape or form have been heartbroken as a result of the lockdowns and pandemic. I’ve had more than enough parents tell me how sad, depressed and unmotivated their child has been and have even had pictures of kids in absolute tears after finding out they’re being locked down again. This article is not about the reasoning behind lockdowns but rather what has happened as a result and the steps to get back into an active lifestyle for our kids.

I recently spoke to Taylor Staden. Taylor is a Provisional Mental Performance Consultant with the Canadian Sports Psychology

TAYLOR - “The loss of routine was a big one, a kid has hockey on a Friday or Saturday night, you have practices, you get to see your friends. Often school was closed with no hockey as well so social interaction was affected. I would add, the worry, worrying about things shutting down again. The message I’ve been sending to my youth athletes is about getting a healthier perspective on the situation, still find ways to stay motivated and get better.”

TB - “Do you think after more than two years with the frequently lockdowns athlete’s performance has been affected, will they be able to reclaim that?”

TAYLOR - “That’s really difficult to say and would depend on the type of kid, some youth athletes have found a way to be adaptable through training at home and staying motivated. They’re likely going to be at an advantage as a kid who may not have had the same accessibility or resources. When kids are growing up there are so many areas of development whether it be fundamental motor skills, lifeskill developmental or social developmental as well, I think it’s really hard to say, at the end of the day it’s really important to look at the situation for what it is and make the best of it.”

TB - “Now what? Now that we’re getting back into sports and competition, what advice would you I’ve to athletes and their parents?”

TAYLOR - “For the time being I would focus short term. If there’s one thing we’ve learned through the pandemic, it’s you can’t plan too far into the future. Right now a lot of thoughts are whether they will finish the season, will there be playoffs, will there be another lockdown. Take it a week at a time and let the athlete transition back into the game, at the end of the day just let them have fun with it, that’s what really matters the most.”

Taylor’s final comment, “let them have fun with it, that’s what really matters the most.” I couldn’t agree more. I hate to jinx anything, but it looks like things might slowly be returning to a somewhat normal place for sports and athletics, let the kids play, let them have fun. It truly is what matters the most.

For more information on how Taylor can help your individual or team’s performance see below.

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LADY DUKES Ready to Battle as Season Continues

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte It’s been a successful season so far for the U18 Lady Dukes -Belleville Bearcats AA hockey team as the playdowns and provincial championships approach.

The Lady Dukes had a winning record in Ontario Women’s Hockey Association league play at the end of February and have had strong showings at a few tournaments as well.

“It’s been phenomenal,” said Kelly Sage, head coach of the Lady Dukes, which are part of the Belleville Bearcats Girls Hockey Association. “We have a tremendous group right now. Everyone seems to gel really well.”

In mid-October at the Stoney Creek Showcase, the Lady Dukes won five straight games before losing the championship contest 1-0 when the Durham West Lightning scored in the final few minutes of play.

Sage believes Durham West remains undefeated to this point, with the Lightning’s only blemish a 1-1 tie against the Lady Dukes in league play.

“When we started the program back up and brought the under-18 AA back to Belleville three years ago, that same (Stoney Creek) tournament we were playing for 35th, 36th place team so there’s a lot of girls on this team now that were there and went through the struggles and are reaping the benefits of their hard work,” Sage said.

Hard work is paying off, for sure, but Sage said the Lady Dukes are a tight-knit group and share the joy of teammates earning school or Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) commitments.

“When one of our girls gets committed to a school or a PW team, there’s no looking down the line saying ‘oh it should’ve been me,’” the coach said. “There’s cheers, there’s high-fives, people are crying, they’re so excited for their teammates. Everyone’s there for the same reason and we all have the same goal at the end of the day.”

There has been plenty of good news to go around. Lady Dukes captain Emily Moore and goaltender Cassidy Dobson have both committed to join the Sault College Cougars women’s hockey team in Sault Ste. Marie. Cougars hockey teams compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).

Visit BellevilleBearcats.ca

“Both well-deserved, they’re going to make a tremendous impact on that team right away as freshmen coming in there,” Sage said.

Defenceman Abby Hicks, meanwhile, has committed to the York University Lions.

“The coach of York has been down to watch her play with us a few times this year and really likes what she sees,” Sage said. “Abby is a very strong, very smart defenceman.”

Elyse Ives is also heading to York University, but to join the field hockey team instead of ice hockey.

“She just made Team Ontario too (for field hockey) which is huge for her, so super-exciting,” Sage said.

There’s a trend on the Lady Dukes of players who excel in multiple sports, including playing on a variety of high school teams.

“I think is super important for all athletes, that their main focus might be hockey, but there’s so many benefits of broadening your horizons and being able to compete at different levels and with different teammates,” Sage said.

A number of players are committing to PWHL teams and there will be more opportunities coming up for players to showcase their skills to team coaches and scouts.

If all goes well, the provincial championships will be held in April.

The Lady Dukes will look to build on their early regular season success during the final stretch of the regular season before playdowns begin.

Team members are goaltenders Cassidy Dobson and Addy Cochrane as well as Jennifer Keller, Hailey Putnam, Mackenzie Tyner, Hailey Robinson, Elyse Ives, Emily Moore, Peyton Armstrong, Siyerra Vandewal, Abby Hicks, Kaya Brahaney, Sierra Wood, Lilia Brown, Maci Davis, Sydnie Johnston, Makenzi Jones and Taylor Adams.

“We’re hoping to make our mark. The way the season started out, we’re hoping even though we’re proud and excited about what we’ve done so far, but the best is yet to come for us,” Sage said.

“Offensively we have been very strong this year so we’re going to clean up our D-zone, maybe try to hit a few more power plays when we get those breaks and just stay focused at the end goal.

That provincial championship, that’s where we want to be right in the mix there. Not let the last two months of the halt slow us down and continue to build on where we were before we got shut down.”

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Photos: (L) Elijahs last photo taken before he passed (Centre) Quinte Hockey School (R) Elijah in Atom Hockey 2003-04

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte It has been over 13 years now since Elijah Cole passed away at the tender age of 16, but his love for sports – hockey in particular – will never be forgotten.

Hockey was his favourite, by far. In addition to playing soccer, Elijah also played ice hockey, ball hockey and roller hockey. Even some summer hockey on the ice. “Anything that was related to hockey, he was participating in,” said his mom Tracy Steen.

started refereeing ice hockey. He was gaining experience as a ball hockey referee, which also provided him the opportunity to make $10 every game he officiated. “He was pretty good at it. A lot of running,” Tracy said. “He was a very active boy.”

Sports, though, were a family activity and many hours were spent at the rink. That meant early mornings, late suppers, coffee on the go, Tracy said.

That included street hockey in the family’s neighbourhood. Pickup games were often initiated by Elijah. “As soon as he’d go out there, all the kids started coming out with their sticks and they all played,” Tracy said, adding that she and other family members often joined in as well.

It wasn’t just for hockey. Elijah’s sister Kaylea, who is now 28 and has a daughter Ezrah who turns three in April, was a figure skater.

Elijah began skating at two years old out on the pond with a hockey stick and a puck, joined by his dad Paul Cole. Hockey was a father-son activity and bonding opportunity that continued for many years while Elijah played in the Prince Edward County Minor Hockey Association’s house league program and Paul helped coach his teams. “That was a huge thing having his dad there at all times,” Tracy said. “That was a lot of time spent with him. Having his dad on the bench meant more to him because it was time spent with him.”

They loved it.

On the ice, Elijah started out as a centre before transitioning to defence for most of his playing years. His favourite number to wear was 9 after listening to his dad talk about Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard.

They cheered for the Montreal Canadiens together. “Elijah would fly on the ice like a rocket,” Tracy said, noting he also liked that it was Gordie Howe’s number.

One memory that certainly stands out for Tracy was a game when Elijah – likely from nerves – got sick on the bench. It was a big mess, she said. His coach suggested he not return to the ice, but Elijah insisted that he was fine to continue. He certainly was. “He went right back out and that boy scored nine goals,” Tracy said.

Elijah enjoyed participating in the Wellington Dukes hockey school when he was young and his favourite player was Tony Rizzi. He just loved being on the ice. So much so that Tracy thinks he might have

Elijah presenting his dad Coach of the Year Award

Family presenting the 1st Memorial Award to Matt Thompson L-R Matt, Paul, Tracy & Kaylea

The family was usually in an arena somewhere. “That was like our second home,” Tracy said.

“Just being together as a family,” Paul said. “We all tended to be at the rink at the same time, all four of us, and although me and Elijah were generally either on the ice or on the other side of the rink, we were still there as a family. It was a big family thing.”

Friends were a big part of Elijah’s sports experience as well and Tracy said Kaylea fondly remembers her brother providing comic relief and making everyone laugh. Especially his teammates.

Since his passing in 2008, the Prince Edward County Minor Hockey Association has handed out the Elijah Cole Memorial Award. It is awarded annually to the U18 (formerly midget level) house league player who exemplifies love for the game and bringing enjoyment to their teammates.

Win or lose, Elijah was always quick to give a pat on the back to his teammates. “He was very encouraging to his teammates,” Tracy said.

“Elijah was also the type of kid that was fearless,” she added. “Nothing scared him. He would always have your back. Elijah loved his family and friends very much. He was a very caring person on and off the ice.”

Elijah’s family will cherish those memories forever.

Family Photo 2008 L-R: Paul, Tracy, Kaylea & Elijah

The Elijah Cole Memorial Award for Exemplifying a love of the game & enjoyment to teammates

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SILVER STICK SUCCESS Several Quinte-area minor hockey teams won their respective regional Silver Stick qualifiers in November and December.

The wins qualified the teams for the International Silver Stick Finals in January, but those tournaments were ultimately postponed or cancelled due to provincial restrictions. Currently, the Newmarket-based Silver Stick Finals for certain divisions has been rescheduled for March 12 to 15. Included in the list of participants are the Quinte West Golden Hawks U10 ‘A’ and Belleville Jr. Bulls U12 ‘AA’ teams.

See full stories from Regional Silver Sticks at Totalsportsquinte.ca

By Jeff Gard/ Total Sports Quinte

Quinte West U10

Napanee Stars U13

The Quinte West U10 Golden Hawks celebrate winning the Northumberland Regional Silver Stick tournament in Cobourg on Sunday, Nov. 28. Members of the team are goaltenders Bryce Lawrence and Preston Martin as well as Brody Bucholtz, Nikolai Caron, Noah Carre-Stewart, Kohen Couperus, Alexander Dolton, Roy Finch, Karson Hamilton, Joshua Korver, Elena Kotsovos, Nico Leone, Levi Mallory, Tye McMurter, Noah Trice, Griffin Van Gemeren and Benjamin Villeneuve. (Photo by Jeff Gard/Total Sports Quinte)

The Napanee Stars Desjardins Insurance U13 ‘BB’ team celebrate after winning the ‘A’ division at the Northumberland Regional Silver Stick on Sunday, Dec. 5 in Cobourg. Members of the team are: Brock Boutilier, Brayden Hartwick, Jack Sutton, Colton Lockridge, Cal Wilson, Carter Cork, Cooper Seaton, Keegan York, Bauer Desveaux, Liam Mulder, Brock Alaver, Wes Davey, Ben Kerr, Oliver Kimmett, William Babcock and Zachary Wilde.

Joining Kerr on the staff are assistant coaches Jay Sutton and Nate Murphy, trainer Jenn Davey and assistant trainer Mandy Wilson. (Photo by Jeff Gard/Total Sports Quinte)

Napanee Stars U11 The Napanee U11 Stars celebrate winning their division at the Northumberland Regional Silver Stick tournament Sunday, Nov. 28 in Cobourg. Members of the team are goaltenders Clayton Manion and Cole Osborne as well as Casey Allore, Benjamin Babcock, Caleb Baker, Chase Castagnier, John Dorey, Matthew Dowling, Brock Gunter, Maddux Hartwick, Cooper Plumley, Noah Raycroft, Grayson Rowe, Keegan Wilde and Bryson Wilson.

(Photo by Jeff Gard/Total Sports Quinte)

Belleville Jr Bulls U12 Belleville’s Brighton KOA/Wild Wing Jr. Bulls won the U12 ‘AA’ division at the Sylvia Tremblett Georgina Regional Silver Stick hockey tournament on Dec. 5. Team members are players Rory Young, Nathan McDonald, Eli Anderson, Ryan Jowett, Grayden Howard, Connor Sagriff, Jake Vandenburg, Brody Parks, Brycen McCoy, Brock Rivers, Jax McMurter, Landon Hayes, Logan Broek, Logan Hanna, Austin Preston, Dominic LaBarge and William Gauthier as well as the coaching staff of Dan Howard, Adam Rivers, Peter Sagriff, Andy Jowett and Jordy McMurter.

(Submitted photo)

Tweed Hawks U18 The Tweed Hawks celebrate after winning the U18 ‘C’ division at the Pembroke Regional Silver Stick on Sunday, Dec. 5. Team members are Niilo Ahola, Hunter Beatty, Michael Beatty, Hayden Blackburn, Gavin Brooks, Chaz Cassidy, Liam Cassidy, Will Cassidy, Daniel Chase, Laine Clement, Levi Gravelle, Kleighton Grove, Charles Gunning, Jacob Heard, Brody Hunt, Ryan Maracle, Hayden Riley, Liam Rogers and Jack Shalton.

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PRO STOCK STICKS, SKATES, GLOVES, GOALIE GEAR, & MORE AT

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BELLEVILLE SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Update March 2022

As we all continue to live with COVID-19 restrictions, the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame continues to work via Zoom and email - and even a couple of times in-person! - to continue to prepare for our next induction ceremony.

The deadline for nominations to be considered for the 2022 induction ceremony is Wednesday, May 25, 2022.

We’ve even managed to expand our committee! As a result of our online application process, our new expanded committee consists of:

The Belleville Sports Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization dedicated to recognizing, honouring, and preserving the record of outstanding achievements accomplished by the city’s elite athletes and builders from all eras, and displaying them on a permanent basis. The Hall of Fame is housed in the Dr. R. L. Vaughan Atrium at the Quinte Sports and Wellness Center.

Ian Press - president Nancy Popovich - vice-president Kerry MacKinnon - secretary Jason Lott - treasurer Members at Large - Liane Woodley, Jennifer Kerr, Randy Uens, Dan Maloney, Al Murphy, Stephanie Manderville, Karen Williamson, Scott terHaar, Tim Larry Please join us in welcoming our seven new members. We look forward to working with you all!

bellevillesportshalloffame.com Contact:

Our goal remains to host a 2022 induction ceremony this coming September at the Quinte Sport & Wellness Centre.

Key public health and health system indicators continue to improve, and the province of Ontario is cautiously and gradually easing public health and workplace safety measures. We are optimistic that this trend will continue, and that we will see you at our first induction ceremony in three years!

Belleville Sports Hall of Fame

We encourage people to nominate worthy candidates for the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame. To submit a nomination, visit our website, at: https://www.bellevillesportshalloffame.com/blank-page

Twitter: @bellevilleHOF Instagram: @bellevillesportshalloffame Facebook: Belleville Sports Hall of Fame

265 Cannifton Road Belleville, ON K8N 4V8 Email: bellevilleshof@gmail.com

Social media:

Visit BellevilleSportsHallOfFame.com

Proud Supporters of the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame

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613-962-1144

toddsmithmpp.ca Constituency office in Rossmore Plaza

Todd Smith MPP

Through COVID-19 and beyond, I’m on your team Bay of Quinte

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