SportsXpress Brantford Mar/Apr 2014

Team Canada and Brantford connections

A passion for ringette

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MARCH/APRIL 2014 Brant & Area Edition

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editor’snote Welcome to SportsXpress, a magazine all about local sports — the players, teams, families, volunteers and fans. We publish real life stories on the full range of community sports and include all ages and skill levels. Every fan, parent, and sports enthusiast can participate by sharing their experiences with other fans.

We want you to make SportsXpress your magazine and www.SportsXpress.ca your website, by sending in your comments, story ideas, opinions, articles and photos. Get in the game with us and be connected with your local community sports!

Give us a call at (226) 227-2102 or email Richard dela Rosa at rdelarosa@SportsXpress.ca ~ from the SportsXpress team

sportsfiles

Entertaining, informative and engaging articles on local athletes, sports and teams.

05 | New Sports Xcelerator Centre 07 | Quality Inn & Suites Brantford – A good choice for your team!

08 | D&D United Martial Arts brings home the medals 14 | Dudley Hewitt Cup 16 | Learn the basics of curling 20 | Jimmy “The Iceman” MacNeil 22 | The All Ontario Cup

Special thanks to D & D United Martial Arts for supplying the main cover shot and Jeff Evans for supplying the ringette cover photo.

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behindthebench

Tips, tatics and ideas are shared by athletes, coaches and fans.

10 | Betty Opersko: Always giving back to the game 12 | A passion for ringette

fromthesidelines

Fans, parents and sports groups share their opinions and experiences.

15 | OJHL images – sports photography

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sports@school

Highlighting articles on all school sports and athletes.

19 | Laurier Brantford looking to repeat at Challenge Cup

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Get in the Game!

MARCH/APRIL 2014 Check out our website at www.BrantSportsXpress.ca PUBLISHER

EDITOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER CONTRIBUTORS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Call your own shots!

Be a part of the SportsXpress Team!

SportsXpress is a grassroots media provider dedicated to the community sports lifestyle. We’re all about the athletes, coaches, their families and fans.

We publish real life stories and include all ages and skills.

We’re Growing!

Since 2008, we’ve grown to over 20 community publications across Canada. We are looking for sports-minded entrepreneurs to build new publications throughout the country.

Richard dela Rosa rdelarosa@SportsXpress.ca 226–227–2102 Leisha Senko Britt Cobean Boston Pizza, All Wildlife Removal Inc., Mud Sweat & Tears, Jared Houlisten, Quality Inn, Donna Marie Stewart, Tourism Brantford, D & D United Martial Arts, Brantford Kia, Candace Kragten, Richard dela Rosa, Superstars Legends and Heroes, Rembos, Stacy, Goo’s Take-out, Doug Robinson, Don Cotton, Dudley Hewitt Cup, OJHL, Tim Bates, Studio 5.6.7.8, Brian Holland, Laurier Brantford, Jimmy MacNeil, Smith Drugs and Apothecary Ltd, BHi, Don Gilbert, SportsXpress Team and community sports fans.

Donna Marie Stewart, D & D United Martial Arts, Betty Opersko, Jeff Evans, OJHL images, www.ojhlimages.photoshelter.com, Laurier Brantford Golden Hawks Hockey team, Jimmy MacNeil and Various Sports Enthusiasts.

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Contact SportsXpress at: 1.877.588.8856 or email Sales@SportsXpress.ca

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NATIONAL & REGIONAL SALES

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PRESIDENT/CEO

Walter Browning walter@sportsxpress.ca

VP OPERATIONS

Clint Szakacs clint@sportsxpress.ca

VP EVENTS & COMMUNITY RELATIONS VP MARKETING & SPORTS

Neil Lumsden Nlumsden@SportsXpress.ca Jason Daleo Jasond@SportsXpress.ca

VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Mathew Milne Mmilne@SportsXpress.ca

CORPORATE MANAGER OF MARKETING & PRODUCTION

Kelly Martin KellyM@SportsXpress.ca

Are you: • Passionate about sports?

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• Experienced in Sales?

Join our Growing Team!

Contact SportsXpress at: 1.877.588.8856 or email Sales@SportsXpress.ca Or visit www.sportsxpress.ca for more information

Mailing Address 50 Ottawa St. South, Unit 110, Kitchener, On, N2G 3S7 519–208–9302 or 1-877-588-8856 Editorial Contributions: Submissions are welcome from writers, photographers, athletes, coaches and individuals. We assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. Contributors are responsible for obtaining all approvals for the publication of photos and content prior to submission. All submissions may not be used. We may edit, publish, reproduce, distribute and archive submissions in any form or medium without any compensation. We are not responsible for lost or damaged submissions. Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or transmission of any article, photograph or artwork in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher is prohibited. SportsXpress is published six times per year. For detailed circulation information, contact Sports Express Media Inc. Sports Express Media Inc. is committed to protecting your privacy as our customer. We may collect personal information only if it is required for the proper functioning of our business and only share this information with our business partners. The editors and contributors who write for Sports Express Media Inc. attempt to provide accurate and useful information and commentary. However, the editors, contributors and Sports Express Media Inc. cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of the information. We assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any readers based on the information provided. view & upload Photos • Video • Articles TM

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Your Community Sports Report

sportsfiles

New Sports Xcelerator Centre

By SportsXpress Team SportsXpress magazine has been a growing presence across Canada as a grassroots, multi-platform media provider dedicated exclusively to the community sports lifestyle. We have been bringing you the content that matters most to you – stories about your athletes, teams, coaches, families, volunteers and fans. With the launch of our newest edition, we are proud to be able to bring SportsXpress to Brantford and the surrounding area, further extending and connecting our network of sports communities across Canada.

The Xcelerator Centre model was designed to take this sports network to an even higher level – bringing a dynamic combination of coaching, administration and technology to local sports organizations. Starting with our head office location in Kitchener, the Sports Xcelerator Centre has worked in partnership with SportsXpress magazine to fill the need for facilities and infrastructure support for sports groups. The Xcelerator model provides a number of business services for local sports groups, including: • a physical location for program registration • phone and mailing services • accounting and bookkeeping services • web and technical support

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• •

boardrooms for meetings and training sessions marketing and design services affordable office space The aim of the Sports Xcelerator Centre is to create a hub of sports-minded businesses and organizations, sharing resources and developing sustainable business models to ensure the continued growth and development of sport in our communities. With the opening of our Brantford Sports Xcelerator Centre, we are pleased to be able to offer nearly 100,000 sq. ft. of facilities and administration space for local sports groups.

The Brantford Xcelerator Centre features six indoor beach volleyball courts, two full-sized hardcourt surfaces for multi-

sport use, and two turf fields for indoor soccer and football (not to mention a great atmosphere for sports and socializing, including our unique beach paradise tikibar!). The facility will also have office space available for local sports groups to rent, and will provide the same business services as our Headoffice facility in Kitchener.

The Brantford Xcelerator Centre could not exist without a dedicated team of individuals which includes Iqbal Khan with Access Storage, a sport enthusiast and supporter of the local community.

Thank-you for your support and hard work to help us open this new Xcelerator Centre in Brantford!

“We are thrilled to be bringing the Xcelerator business model to communities across Canada, as we feel this will do a lot to raise the profile of community sports by supporting the needs of these organizations.”

– Walter Browning, CEO of SportsXpress Magazine and Owner of the Sports Xcelerator Centres in Kitchener and Brantford

For more information on office rentals, business services, or facility use, please contact: Richard dela Rosa, General Manager at 226.227.2102 or rdelarosa@sportsxpress.ca Brantford Sports Xcelerator Centre, 101 Wayne Gretzky Parkway, Brantford, Ontario, N3S 7W6

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sportsfiles

Quality Inn & Suites Brantford – A good choice for your team!

Submitted by Donna Marie Stewart, Economic Development & Tourism Brantford The City of Brantford is fortunate to have a wonderful selection of accommodations that will fit most any budget.

The Brantford Hotel Association members include four very comfortable and affordable inns dedicated to providing a home-away-from-home experience for their guests.

Conveniently located in Downtown Brantford, The Quality Inn & Suites

Brantford is a very popular and affordable choice for visiting teams participating in one of the hundreds of tournaments held in the city each year. This pet-friendly hotel has 95 air-conditioned rooms with 11 Suites, plus complementary meeting facilities and a banquet hall that will hold up to 300 people. Most rooms have a refrigerator and microwave for convenience.

Addisons Restaurant & Lounge, a full service restaurant offering complementary continental breakfast and weekly entertainment is located onsite. The whole family will enjoy the pool tables and indoor swimming pool, plus fitness facilities. Laundry facilities/dry cleaning services and a 24-hour business centre are also available.

Hosting hundreds of teams annually, the Quality Inn & Suites Brantford has lots of experience in accommodating tournaments and special events. Just minutes from highway 403 and close to shopping, and entertainment, Quality Inn & Suites Brantford is a good choice for your team’s next visit.

Visit www.qualityinnbrantford.com or call 519-758-9999 for more information.

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sportsfiles

D&D United Martial Arts brings home the medals Submitted by D&D United Martial Arts In January 2014, 13 members of D&D United Martial Arts who achieved placement on Team Canada had the privilege of representing Brantford and Canada at the 2014 ICOMA World Championships in Saint Maarten. These amateur martial artists earned a combined total of 34 Medals out of 174 earned by Team Canada (10 Gold, 16 silver and 8 Bronze).

This annual event brings amateur athletes of all ages and belt levels from around the world to compete in six categories; forms, weapons, sparring, chanbara, synchronized and musical forms.

Master Bryon Davis, head instructor at D & D United Martial Arts, earned a triple crown at this world event by achieving three gold medals. Linda Davis medaled in five of the six events, and other competitors continued to build on past performances including Sempai Kelsey Cooper, Darrell Warren, Connor and Sabrina Beecraft.

Both Miriam Levett and Amber Beauregard enjoyed the competition, meeting new people, and watching every-

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one receive their medals.

“I enjoyed the beginning,” said Cole Von Lukawiecki.

Connor Beecraft liked chanbara the most, and Josh Penney enjoyed getting to know everyone on the team and having fun.

“I like how the place looked,” said Karrissa Stairs.

Some Achievements include; Master Bryon Davis, Godan Black Belt, earned three gold for weapons, sparring, and forms, and one silver. Linda Davis, Nidan Black Belt, earned two gold for weapons and forms one silver for synchro and two bronze for open and sparring.

Sempai Kelsey Cooper, Nidan Black Belt, earned three silver for weapons, open and synchro. Darrell Warren, Shodan Black Belt, earned two silver for weap-

sportsfiles ons and sparring, and one bronze for forms. Sabrina Beecraft, Shodan Black Belt, earned one gold for sparring one silver for forms and one bronze for weapons.

Connor Beecraft earned one gold for chanbara. Daniel Friesz earned one silver for weapons, and two bronze for forms and sparring. Chris Levett earned one silver for forms. Miriam Levett earned one silver for weapons, and one bronze for open.

Joshua Penny earned two gold for weapons and forms, and two silver for synchro and chanbara. Karissa Stairs earned two silver for weapons and synchro. Amber Beauregard earned one silver for chanbara, and one bronze for forms. Cole Von Lukawiecki earned one gold for sparring.

Qualifying for placement on Team Canada begins in March of each year and the criteria consists of participating in qualifying tournaments, maintaining good grades at school for the children,

good sportsmanship, and a lot of hard work. It is a pleasure and a privilege to represent Brantford and Canada with pride and be able to show the athletic abilities that Brantford has to offer at a world level.

The competitors would like to extend special thanks to everyone who supported this adventure including the (MAAAF) Martial Arts Amateur Athletes Fund, MP Phil McColeman, MPP Dave Levac, all of the parents and sponsors.

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behindthebench

Betty Opersko: Always giving back to the game Story by Candice Kragten and Richard dela Rosa It’s rare to find someone whose love of sport is so engrained that the thought of leaving it is unimaginable. Betty Opersko is that sort of person. Having participated and officiated in sports events for over 60 years, Betty still isn’t ready to stop.

Born and raised on a farm just outside of Waterford, Betty learned from a young age what competition was. Being the youngest of eleven siblings, Betty was closest to her four immediately older brothers whose sports influenced her greatly.

“I had to keep up with the boys,” Betty recalls with a smirk. “But it was the strength of my mother that’s pushed me forward.”

Her parents, who were immigrants from Austria, first settled in Alberta, but moved to Waterford when they purchased a 40 acre farm. They then bought another 50 acres of surrounding land to make their homestead a 90 acre dairy farm. As a child Betty wasn’t shy of hard work. She had to drive the tractor and help with farm work.

When she was old enough she became involved in the Ontario Farmers

Association, and the 4H clubs. She competed in 10 International Plowing Championships, and won many awards.

Through the Ontario Junior Farmers Association she won a scholarship and was awarded with a 10 week trip to England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Betty was also awarded Norfolk Dairy Princess, and runner up for the Canadian Dairy Princess Title. She later became a Provincial Director and Ontario Executive for the Ontario Junior Farmers Association.

Betty attended Waterford District High School and was an active participant in many sports, and when she wasn’t playing she was officiating.

“At lunch we would just grab our sandwich, and run down to the gym. That’s where we wanted to spend all of our time,” she says.

High school was where refereeing started to make an impact on Betty. She turned to refereeing intramurals when she wasn’t playing in them herself. As a freshman she would officiate the junior games, as a junior she oversaw the freshman and junior games, and when she be-

came a sophomore she was officiating all of the grades including the seniors, and thus began her long standing officiating career in 1948.

After high school Betty became a teacher for Hagersville Secondary School, and immediately started to coach every team she could.

“Back then you didn’t need to go to university to become a teacher. I was a good student and excelled at sports, and was asked to become a teacher from the principal at Hagersville,” she says.

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behindthebench She took night school classes, body tells me I’m not doing a good job Provincial Women’s Softball Association, Saturday classes and summer courses anymore then I’ll stay home on my farm,” Ontario Baseball Association and Sloto get her post secondary education, all she says.

Pitch Ontario and Canada. She continues the while still teaching. In the end, Betty It’s all just a small reminder of how far to umpire games locally. received her Bachelor of Applied Arts, the love of sport can truly take someone.

“I caught for 45 years… someone was Bachelor of Education, Master of Science behind me for 45 years so I thought I in Education and Master of Educational should give back,” she says.

Administration. She also achieved certifiBetty was also the first woman umpire cates in Secretarial Science, Marketing, for baseball, slo-pitch and fastball Accounting, in Simcoe and Data, Special “Betty Opersko participated Norfolk County.

Education She was the first and officiated in sports and Principals female referee for Courses Parts basketevents for over 60 years.” volleyball, one and two. ball and broomAfter nine years ball, in the Simcoe at Hagersville she transferred schools and Norfolk County, and she was part of and worked at Delhi District, Burford the first all-female crew of umpires at an District and ended her career at Herman Ontario Summer Games.

Fawcett Secondary School in 1995.

Betty has no plans of retiring from Betty always found time to officiate volleyball officiating either. She is still multiple sports. She acted as a an ofthe head convener for Norfolk, Brant and ficial at the university and college levels, Oxford County, and controls over 25 refat high schools, elementary schools, erees for the area. She still jumps at the the Ontario Volleyball Association and chance to officiate tournaments. even recreational leagues. To this date “There are times when I am up on the she has been a volleyball official for an stand from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. When my exceptional 66 years. She has received many awards over her long standing career including the Fox 40 Award as Canadian female sports official of the year in 2002, and the Gold Whistle Award in NASO (National Association of Sports Official), as well as being inducted into the Brantford, Norfolk and Redeemer University Halls of Fame.

A career highlight was when she was given the opportunity to meet Prime Located in Brantford Ontario, Rembos Inc. is a major producer of lumber and other wood Minister Steven Harper at a provincial products for the residential- construction and home-renovation markets, as well as for volleyball tournament while she was ofspecialized structural and industrial applications. We offer a variety of lumber grades produced mainly from spruce, pine and fir (SPF ). These species, known for their strength, ficiating for his son. are exceptional for the production of quality framing lumber.

Although her volleyball officiating career is an astounding feat on its own, Rembos produces an annual capacity of 40 million board feet.

Betty was involved in refereeing basketRembos Inc. is currently seeking candidates to fill full-time manufacturing ball as well. She boasted an impressive positions within the company. five decades as a basketball Official before retiring ten years ago.

If you feel you can be part of a great team, please submit your resume But her one true love was baseball. in person at 60 Old Onondaga Rd.East.

She was a catcher for 45 years.

“You can see the whole game play out We are looking forward to hearing from you! before you from behind the plate, I just loved it there,” says Betty.

Rembos is currently celebrating our 10th anniversary as a community partner Having won multiple provincial chamin Brant County, with many more years to come... pionships, she was inducted into the CNE Hall of Fame for Fastball, as an athlete as well as her contributions to women’s fastball organizations. She is part of the Ontario Amateur Softball Association, Provincial Women’s Softball Union,

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behindthebench

A passion for ringette Story by SportsXpress and photos by Jeff Evans We interviewed Stacy about her passion for officiating the sport of ringette.

She talks about the high points with SportsXpress.

Q: How do you juggle everyday life and sport?

A: “The majority of our tournaments and regular season games fall on weekends. For some of the larger tournaments officials are required to take a Friday off

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in order to attend. I am lucky to have an employer who encourages community involvement, and does not restrict my commitment to officiating. After officiating for a few years it is easy to coordinate my everyday life with which tournaments and games I can attend. It basically comes down to managing my time appropriately.”

Q: What is the female to male ratio in officiating ringette?

A: “The ratio of female officials to male officials is probably 1:2. Since the sport is predominately women participants, it is harder to convert some players into officials. I would say though that most of the higher level/ranked officials in the sport are women. A lot of the male officials have either a daughter or sister in the sport, and took an interest in officiating while attending the arenas to watch the games. Becoming an official in the sport of ringette means that you’re joining a team of your own. At larger tournaments, like Provincials, all officials can be seen hanging out with each other in between games, cheering on other officials while they are on games, and talking with each other about incidences or rules they may have encountered. It is a real group environment.”

Q: Who would you give credit to in regards to success?

A: “I started playing ringette when I was six years old, and for this I can give credit to my parents and my friends at elementary school. My dad had always been involved in hockey locally, but when I asked him if I could skate, because the other girls in my class were, he looked into ringette in Paris. I played competitively (AA) up until I was 18 years old.”

Q: When did you seriously get into the game?

A: “I took my first Ringette Officiating Clinic when I was 16 years old. They were having a clinic at the arena before the season started and one of my coaches asked if I was interested in attending.

I went because I wanted to learn more about the sport of ringette, and because I noticed there was a lack of female officials in our local area. I continued to officiate until I went to college, took some time off while I was there, and then three years ago got back into it. To become a higher level official it takes a lot of time, commitment and training. Pushing yourself in officiating can be similar to a player pushing to be the best they can be physically and mentally.”

Q: What is the qualification process like?

A: “The qualification process is a lengthy one to say the least. To start things off, officials in ringette are ranked using a levels system. The levels are 1-5 with subcategories of A, B and C. To become a Level 1 official you have to attend a level 1 clinic which includes an on ice portion and written test. To move up though the sub categories you have to receive one on-ice evaluation from a qualified evaluator. To become a level 2 official, you have to attend a level 2/3 clinic, pass the written test and receive two on-ice evaluations. Level 3 officials have attended the 2/3 clinic, pass their written tests and must receive three on-

behindthebench

A passion for ringette Story by SportsXpress and photos by Jeff Evans We interviewed Stacy about her passion for officiating the sport of ringette.

She talks about the high points with SportsXpress.

Q: How do you juggle everyday life and sport?

A: “The majority of our tournaments and regular season games fall on weekends. For some of the larger tournaments officials are required to take a Friday off

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BrantSportsXpress.ca

in order to attend. I am lucky to have an employer who encourages community involvement, and does not restrict my commitment to officiating. After officiating for a few years it is easy to coordinate my everyday life with which tournaments and games I can attend. It basically comes down to managing my time appropriately.”

Q: What is the female to male ratio in officiating ringette?

A: “The ratio of female officials to male officials is probably 1:2. Since the sport is predominately women participants, it is harder to convert some players into officials. I would say though that most of the higher level/ranked officials in the sport are women. A lot of the male officials have either a daughter or sister in the sport, and took an interest in officiating while attending the arenas to watch the games. Becoming an official in the sport of ringette means that you’re joining a team of your own. At larger tournaments, like Provincials, all officials can be seen hanging out with each other in between games, cheering on other officials while they are on games, and talking with each other about incidences or rules they may have encountered. It is a real group environment.”

Q: Who would you give credit to in regards to success?

A: “I started playing ringette when I was six years old, and for this I can give credit to my parents and my friends at elementary school. My dad had always been involved in hockey locally, but when I asked him if I could skate, because the other girls in my class were, he looked into ringette in Paris. I played competitively (AA) up until I was 18 years old.”

Q: When did you seriously get into the game?

A: “I took my first Ringette Officiating Clinic when I was 16 years old. They were having a clinic at the arena before the season started and one of my coaches asked if I was interested in attending.

I went because I wanted to learn more about the sport of ringette, and because I noticed there was a lack of female officials in our local area. I continued to officiate until I went to college, took some time off while I was there, and then three years ago got back into it. To become a higher level official it takes a lot of time, commitment and training. Pushing yourself in officiating can be similar to a player pushing to be the best they can be physically and mentally.”

Q: What is the qualification process like?

A: “The qualification process is a lengthy one to say the least. To start things off, officials in ringette are ranked using a levels system. The levels are 1-5 with subcategories of A, B and C. To become a Level 1 official you have to attend a level 1 clinic which includes an on ice portion and written test. To move up though the sub categories you have to receive one on-ice evaluation from a qualified evaluator. To become a level 2 official, you have to attend a level 2/3 clinic, pass the written test and receive two on-ice evaluations. Level 3 officials have attended the 2/3 clinic, pass their written tests and must receive three on-

behindthebench

ice evaluations. These evaluations must be from at least two different evaluators and ideally not within the same region. To become a level 4 official you must attend a level 4 clinic (only one of these is held every other year, anywhere in Canada) you must receive four evaluations from three different evaluators and different regions. At least one of the evaluations given must be on an “AA” tournament final game or one deemed to be appropriate to the level of an “AA” Provincial Championship game.”

ences I have gained through officiating.

I’ve gotten to travel all across Ontario, meet new people, and strive to be a great official.

“This year I was chosen to attend the “AA” Ontario Ringette Provincials in Gloucester-Cumberland March 6-9.

This will be my first time at this event.

Officials from Ontario are chosen based on ranking and performance throughout the season and invitations are sent out accordingly. I am really excited to have been selected for this as it is the highest competition level in Ontario.”

Q: What level are you currently at?

A: “Currently I am working towards upgrading from a level 3B official to a level 4C. Attending tournaments and having evaluators watch your performance on games is one of the more stressful things about officiating. Most of the officials in ringette want to obtain the highest level they are capable of. Since I have returned to officiating, I have had to start over from the beginning. That meant I had to attend a level 1 clinic and work my way up through the evaluating system to get where I am now. Since I have always been involved in the sport, the rules, and skating have come somewhat naturally to me. The hardest part for me now is applying the rules during games to ensure both teams are being competitive and fair.”

Q: Why did you get back into officiating?

A: “The reason why I chose to get back into officiating after taking some time off is that I still wanted to be involved in the sport. I really enjoyed being on the ice in some capacity and officiating is a great way to stay active. I really like the experi-

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Dudley Hewitt Cup

By Doug Robinson and Don Cotton, Tournament Co-ordinators Photos by OJHL Images (www.ojhlimages.photoshelter.com) The Dudley Hewitt Cup is named after George Dudley and W.A. Hewitt, two pioneers of amateur hockey in Ontario.

The first Dudley Hewitt cup was awarded in 1971 to the Detroit Jr. Red Wings of the Southern Ontario Junior A Hockey League. The tournament is now played in a round robin format between the champions from each of the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, the Superior International Junior Hockey League and the Ontario Junior Hockey League and a host team from one of those three leagues. The winner moves on to

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represent Central Canada to compete for the Junior A National Championship – the Royal Bank Cup. The Wellington Dukes have a storied history of success and dedication in the OJHL. That success has been evident in many ways but more so over the past 10 years, winning the Dudley Hewitt Cup twice and advancing to the Royal Bank Cup. For those closely involved with the organization, aspirations of one day hosting the tournament began in Fort Francis in 2003, and became even more of a dream in Huntsville in 2011.

Having successfully won the bidd to host the 2014 Dudley Hewitt Cup, the Host Committee has been formed and plans are underway. The tournament will take place from April 29, until May 3. Ticket packages are available online now.

Please visit dudleyhewittcup. wellingtondukes.com for more information.

With the dedicated staff, executive, volunteers, super supportive community and fan base, along with the greatest facility in Ontario, we believe we are poised to put on a tournament that will make the league and ourselves extremely proud.

On behalf of the Dukes’ organization, the tournament committee, and the County of Prince Edward we thank you for your support and encouragement. There is much work to do, so enjoy the season and mark the dates on your calendar.

fromthesidelines

OJHL images – sports photography Submitted by Tim Bates, Director of Photography OJHL images Photos by OJHL Images (www.ojhlimages.photoshelter.com) In August of 2012, The Ontario Junior Hockey League founded OJHL Images to bring the fragmented photography efforts of the Ontario Junior Hockey League and its member organizations into the modern digital and social media age.

The creation of OJHL Images was an exciting opportunity to chronicle athleticism and to promote Canada’s Premiere Junior Hockey League through the medium of professional photographic images.

Director of Photography Tim Bates recognized that in an age where the public face of any organization is often presented in a social media setting “photography” is critically important to presenting and maintaining professionalism.

The digital revolution has resulted in a lasting behavioral change specifically the way sports imagery is produced, distributed and ultimately consumed by the public.

Pictures are distributed worldwide and are no longer geographically constrained, social media and Twitter in particular, has had an enormous impact on sports coverage over the last few years, fans are sharing images 24/7 often minutes after they have been posted.

Today every single image is only one click away. The power of the network has turned the audience we reach into the people who are reached by other people.

OJHL Images provides member organizations and authorized media agencies a vast collection of game action and still imagery, plus contemporary archival imagery available for the promotion of the League, its player’s and for marketing purposes.

OJHL Images also maintains the licensing and digital distribution of all league photography in a professional manner for editorial and commercial use including images available for public purchase.

The Director of Photography and founder of OJHL Images is professional photographer Tim Bates. Tim is a Member of the National Press Photographer’s Association and his photographs have been displayed all over the world in numerous sporting publications.

Tim recently captured the coveted cover of Lacrosse Magazine for his coverage of World Cup Lacrosse.

Bates credits the unrelenting support from OJHL Commissioner Matry Savoy and Hockey Hall of Fame’s Craig Campbell and Izak Westgate. “Without the vision of these people this program

would not have made it past the planning stage.”

Whitby Fury owner Scott McCrory was also a huge supporter of the OJHL Images program.

One of the first goals of the OJHL Images program was to bring a professional standard of image quality consistent with the NHL and Getty Images.

Currently OJHL Images has 19,787 Images In their database.

OJHL Images operates with 18 staff photographers including three American photographers.

Perhaps the biggest reward according to Bates is, in two short years of operation OJHL Images have gained the support and following of the players.

There is nothing more rewarding than being approached by a player who says “that was a great shot.”

Images can be viewed at www.ojhlimages.photoshelter.com

Tim Bates

BrantSportsXpress.ca

15

Learn the basics of curling Object

Each team consists of a...

Accumulate the highest score for a game by delivering stones as close as possible to the centre of the target and knocking away the stones of the opposing team.

LEAD

SECOND

THIRD

SKIP

Two teams of four...

Take turns sliding granite stones towards a target.

8

Each team member throws two stones per ‘end’.

The second throws his/her stones next.

There are 10 ends in a game.

Curling originated over 500 years ago in Scotland, and was brought to Canada by Scottish soldiers in the 1700s.

It is currently estimated that 94% of the world’s curlers live in Canada.

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8

The third (or mate/vice-skip) throws third and is typically the second-strongest player.

HOGLINE

The skip is the strongest player and throws his/her stones last. The skip determines the strategy and directs the play of his/her teammates.

14'6" (4.42 m)

Referred to as ‘rocks,’ curling stones are made of polished granite and weigh a maximum of 44lbs. The granite is very rare and comes from a quarry on Scotland’s Ailsa Craig.

The lead delivers the first two stones for his/her team.

The stone must be released before crossing the first hogline, and must cross the second hogline in order to be valid.

The Curl Nicknamed

The curler can cause the rock to travel on a curved path by slowly rotating the handle. A low rotation rate (3-4 revolutions) creates a strong curl.

“chess on ice,” curling

Sweeping

requires a

The action of moving a broom over the ice warms the surface, reducing friction and causing less curl and more speed. Sweepers wear one shoe with a gripper sole for traction and one shoe with a teflon or steel sole which slides on the ice.

tremendous amount of skill, strategy

SHOT ROCK THE HOUSE

and teamwork.

At any time during an end, the stone closest to the button.

The house is the target towards which stones are thrown. It consists of a 12' blue ring, an 8' white ring, a 4' red ring and a white circular ‘button.’ The ‘tee line’ passes through the centre of the house parallel to the hogline and backline.

HACK Foothold that curlers push off from to deliver stones.

146" (44.5 m)

HOGLINE BACK LINE Keeping Score Points are scored for stones resting closest to the house at the conclusion of the end.

Only one team can score in each end.

RED

2

0

0

YELLOW

0

1

3

Sources: The Complete Book of the Winter Olympics,” Wallechinsky and Loucky; www.curling.ca

BrantSportsXpress.ca

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sports@school

Laurier Brantford looking to repeat at Challenge Cup Story by Brian Holland and photos by Laurier Brantford Golden Hawks Hockey Team The Laurier Brantford Men’s Hockey Team will be looking to once again become Challenge Cup champions this coming March. However, after losing six key members from last year’s team, things are different this time around.

“We’re a lot faster this year,” says Player-Coach and Captain Dave Howe.

“It’s different and we have to adapt to the new style, but there’s definitely a lot of potential for this team.”

Howe is one of just two players with over two years of experience on the team. This year’s roster includes eight new players, a fresh look for the defending champs.

“Last year we had people to calm us down when things didn’t go well,” says third-year veteran Michael Bondy. “It’s all about confidence and I think we’re getting better as the season goes on.”

This team will have to be different if they are to repeat last year’s performance. Laurier qualified for Challenge

Cup last year by winning their last tournament of the year. They snuck in, grabbing the final seat in the tournament.

They went undefeated in the tournament to claim the OCAA (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association) Championship.

“If the women’s team can learn anything from the men’s, it’s that winning can bring you closer together both on and off the ice.”

Entering their final tournament before Challenge Cup, this year’s team is yet to claim a tournament title. Fortunately for the Golden Hawks, they automatically qualify with last year’s win.

On the flipside, Laurier Brantford Women’s Team is coming off a first place finish in their most recent tour-

nament. Despite winning the tournament, the women have not secured a spot for Challenge Cup. They have one more tournament to improve their ranking and make it to the OCAA finals.

Lynne Guilliver, Recreation Programs Coordinator at Laurier Brantford, overseas all extramural sports and has experienced the impact of winning an OCAA title.

“It was great for the school and really gives us hope for the future,” says Guilliver.

As much as the win impacted the school, it had a greater effect on the individuals from that team. If the women’s team can learn anything from the men’s, it’s that winning can bring you closer together both on and off the ice.

“Last year was the first year the guys really became a team,” adds Gulliver.

“Winning is what really created those lasting friendships.”

www.lbstudentaffairs.ca

BrantSportsXpress.ca

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sportsfiles

Jimmy “The Iceman” MacNeil Submitted by Candice Kragten It’s a little known fact that two, not one, hockey related stars have come out of Brantford, Ontario. One you most likely have seen work his magic on the ice; Wayne Gretzky. The other, less wide-

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spread, is Jimmy the Iceman MacNeil, and his ice related skills.

For over 20 years MacNeil has been a Certified Ice Technician for the city of Brantford. First known as Jimmy the

Classic Rock Zamboni driver, due to his frequent intros and jokes told to Scott and Lori on the classic rock station Y95, he then became known as the Iceman in the 1997/ 1998 season, because of a label on the back of a Brantford Smoke hockey jersey. The name just stuck. He rose to fame in 1999 when he received the Zamboni Driver of the Year Award, a contest that was running in celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Zamboni.

The Iceman received a multitude of trophies and awards but was also asked to drive a zamboni in the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, for the All Star Games in 2000.

With the Salt Lake City Olympics occurring in 2002, Jimmy was asked to do the Drive for Gold tour as a result of his 1999 win, becoming the Goodyear Drive for Gold official zamboni driver. He drove a zamboni from coast to coast to raise awareness for grassroots hockey in Canada. The 14, 419 km trip lasted four months, starting September 30, 2001 in St. Johns, Newfoundland, travelling to Victoria, British Columbia, and looping back and finishing January 23, 2002 in Calgary, Alberta. The zamboni he drove was manufactured in his home town of Brantford, and was specifically designed for driving on the roads. Along the 69 community stop “The Iceman” was accompanied by many celebrities and sports enthusiasts including Walter Gretzky, the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Howie Meeker, Randy Carlyle, Winnipeg Blue Bomber Wade Miller, various Olympians, and basically every mayor of each community that was visited.

After the Drive for Gold was completed Jimmy was asked by Tim Hortons to be one of eight true stories celebrating Tim Hortons’ fortieth anniversary. The Iceman was featured on doughnut boxes, tray liners, and coffee cups at all Tim Hortons locations across Canada.

Although he may be somewhat of a local legend, this was not Jimmy’s original career plan. He studied history at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo,

sportsfiles and planned on becoming a teacher. But, after his graduation his father became ill and needed help with his mechanic business. At the time he was the first and only person who could fix the ice resurfacing machines, so father and son drove around southern Ontario and the northern USA visiting arenas and fixing their machines. This is where Jimmy’s love of arenas fell into place. “There’s a certain aura about it. The cold, the smell of the popcorn and the hotdogs. If you want to meet a lot of happy people just having fun, just go to an ice rink,” he says.

Today you can still find Jimmy, “The Iceman” MacNeil working away in the Brantford Civic Centre, doing what he is most passionate about. Laughing and waving at the kids pressed up to the glass, watching the zamboni drive in circles cleaning the ice for the next game.

“There is something so unique and cool and fun about watching this machine take all that snow that the players have made, and in ten minutes restore the ice to what it was. It’s such a fun thing to watch.”

Jimmy the Iceman MacNeil with his Zamboni.

BrantSportsXpress.ca

21

sportsfiles

BHi ramping up for busy summer Submitted by Ball Hockey International With spring right around the corner, Ball Hockey International is preparing to get rolling with another push for the All Ontario Cup. The 2014 adult league consists of three divisions – open, intermediate and rec – with four preliminary

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tournaments at each BHi location. The Spring teaser takes place Feb. 21 to 23 in St. Catharines; April Fools is held in London from April 25 to 27; Jump Start Jammer is in Welland July 25 to 27; and the September Shootout is in Brantford September 5 to 7, 2014. Winners of tournaments earn discounts on their entry fees to the All Ontario Cup, held November 14 to 16 at the St. Catharines BHi location. Winners of the Cup this year will receive Championship rings.

The Youth All Ontario Cup will be contested at four age groups – Atom, Pee Wee, Bantam and

Midget. The BHi St. Catharines Youth invitational is held April 4 to 6; London plays host May 2 to 4, and the Welland Jump Start Jammer runs July 4 to 6. The Cup Champions will be determined at the Elmer McMann Memorial Weekend of Champions August 8 to 10 at BHi in Brantford, Ontario. The winners of each division will win customized team tracksuits.

For more information, call 519-455-2255 or email dgilbert@ballhockeyinternational.com.

www.ballhockeyinternational.ca

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