sport in aurora vol. 2 issue 4

Volume 2 ||| Issue 4

EVOLUTION GYMNASTICS OLYMPIC INSPIRATION PG.16

AURORA BARBARIANS WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM WINS ONTARIO CHAMPIONSHIPS PG.11

AURORA MINOR BALL ASSOCIATIONPG.18

WOMEN’S REC. HOCKEY – FUN AND FITNESS! PG.17

PLUS

SOCCERCDS Grad Adriana Leon Scores Hat Trick for Canada

BASEBALLAurora Diggers House League Celebrates 40 Years!

AND MUCH MORE

COACH

reG ChAPPell“Don’t give up your dreams”

2 ||| Sport In AurorA MAgAzIne

THE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL (JK-12) is a co-ed, non-denominational, university-preparatory school. We offer a superior, balanced education that challenges the student, develops the mind, and strengthens the character. We educate in innovative ways through integrated, leading-edge technology and in sophisticated facilities for academics, athletics, visual and performing arts. Please contact us at any time to arrange a personal tour.

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE:

Saturday, October 27 10am - 1pmThursday, November 15 9am - 12pmApplications received by December 14, 2012 will be considered for first-round offers.

Education With Balance

13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario 905.833.1220 [email protected] www.cds.on.ca/whowillyoube

CDS Sport in Aurora v5.indd 1 2012-09-21 4:42 PM

Sport In AurorA MAgAzIne ||| 3

THE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL (JK-12) is a co-ed, non-denominational, university-preparatory school. We offer a superior, balanced education that challenges the student, develops the mind, and strengthens the character. We educate in innovative ways through integrated, leading-edge technology and in sophisticated facilities for academics, athletics, visual and performing arts. Please contact us at any time to arrange a personal tour.

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE:

Saturday, October 27 10am - 1pmThursday, November 15 9am - 12pmApplications received by December 14, 2012 will be considered for first-round offers.

Education With Balance

13415 Dufferin Street, King, Ontario 905.833.1220 [email protected] www.cds.on.ca/whowillyoube

CDS Sport in Aurora v5.indd 1 2012-09-21 4:42 PM

05 Editor’sNote

06 FromtheDirectorofParks

andRecreation

08 AdrianaLeonScoresHat

TrickforCanada

08 AuroraSeniors’Centre

StrikeGoldat55+

SummerGames!

10 PlayerProfile–NickBaxter

11 AuroraBarbarians

Women’sRugby

TeamWinsOntario

Championships

12 CoachProfile–

RegChappell–Paralympic

SwimmingCoach

14 MasterDucks2012-2013

SwimmingSeasonoffto

aSplashingStart

15 AuroraSpecialDucksOff

toaGreatSeasonStart

15 SpecialGrandSlamsFirst

SeasonaGreatSuccess

16 OlympicInspiration

17 BasketballInjuries

17 RecreationalWomen’s

Hockey–FunandFitness!

18 MinorBantamJaysare

YorkSimcoeBaseball

AssociationFinalists

18 AuroraPeeweeJays

KeepRoundingtheBases

andTakeKindcardine

TournamentbyStorm

19 AuroraMosquitoJays

FinishCloseSecondin

YSBAChampionships

19 AuroraDiggersHouse

LeagueCelebrates

40Years!

20 NoRegrets

21 St.Andrew’sCollege

ContinuesCommunity

OutreachwithNewFields

22 AuroraDucksTriathlon

Team…OfftoaSwimming,

BikingandRunningStart!

22 SpecialEaglesGolf

SeasonaSuccess

23 BikeSportsWinterTip!

IndoorTrainersKeep

YouFit!

11

15

20

22

contents

12Reg Chappell with Summer Mortimer at the 2012 Paralympics in London, England


September/october 2012 VoLuMe 2, ISSue 4

PublisherInsport Media & publications Inc.

editorron Weese – Sport Aurora e-mail [email protected]

director of salesLaurie MuellerPhone 905.713.5027 e-mail [email protected]

art directorFranco Di tomasso

Youth rePorterJames powell

editorial contributionSport Aurora Members Karen MacLeodtown of Aurora peter McClellandDr. Carey Avery Meaghan Sheahanrob gray Kim SillcoxLee green Sarah SmithJoshy Kallungal Melony teague Ken Lane Carol Walthers

contact usInsport Media & publications412 McCafferey road newmarket, ontario L3X 1t5Phone 905.713.5027 e-mail [email protected]

editorial contributions Submissions are welcome from writers, photographers, athletes, coaches and in-dividuals. Contact ron Weese, editor. We assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. Contributions are responsible for obtaining all approvals for publication of photos and content prior to submission. All submissions may not be used. We may edit, publish, reproduce, dis-tribute 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 arti-cle, photograph or artwork in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher is prohibited. Sport in Aurora Magazine is published six times a year. For detailed circulation information, contact Insport Me-dia & publications Inc. Insport Media & publications 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 Insport Media & publications Inc. attempt to provide accurate and useful information and commentary. However the editors, con-tributors and Insport Media & publications Inc. cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of this information. We assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any readers based on the information provided.

prInteD In CAnADA


The objective of this publication is

not to publish scores and stand-

ings; that is the stuff of newspa-

pers that are read and discarded. Sure,

we care and are proud of the teams

and athletes that are successful and

win Tournaments and Championships.

But this Magazine, I am proud to say, is

as much about the stories behind the

scores, standings and successes on the

fields, rinks and in the pools. The stories

of personal challenges and opportuni-

ties and, yes, even disappointments that

make amateur sport so “real” to us, will

always fill our pages. The cover story

about Reg Chappell and his 30+ year

coaching life, culminating in his partici-

pation at the London Paralympics is

such a story. I hope you read this story

and feel the commitment and passion

that it takes to really excel in sport.

Likewise you must read the story, No

Regrets, submitted by Peter McClelland

on page 20, to really understand the

ups-and downs an athlete experiences

in a life committed to sport.

I also want to welcome our Youth

Reporter, James Powell, a Co-Op

student in Aurora who is now working

with Sport in Aurora Magazine. He has

provided another well-written story of

a young athlete’s personal success on

page 10.

We all should be proud of the Aurora

Barbarians Rugby Football Club

(ABRFC). This Club is now recognized

as one of the finest Rugby Football

Clubs in all of Canada. Not just because

of the Senior Men’s success, but also

because of their commitment to the

development of the youth and women’s

game. The success this Club has had in

all facets of the sport is truly astound-

ing. Read about the ABRFC’s Women’s

Ontario Championship on page 11.

To all our Sport Aurora Organizations

and those who continue to send in

stories and photos to us, I thank you.

Amateur sport is full of important

stories of challenge and success and

we are proud to publish them.

Ron Weese

Editor, Sport in Aurora Magazine

The Mission of Sport Aurora is to

promote participation in sport and

recreation for all citizens of the

community we serve.

For more information on Sport Aurora,

visit our web site at:

www.sportaurora.ca

editor’s note

Sport in Aurora Magazinecontinuestoprovidegreatstories


new multi-Purpose artifi cial turf field opens

The Town of Aurora Parks and

Recreation Services department

is pleased to announce that the

new artifi cial turf fi eld at St. Maximilian

Kolbe Catholic High School is now

open. This joint venture between the

Town and the York Catholic District

School Board will see the fi eld used by

St. Maximilian Kolbe during school days

and permitted out to user groups by the

Town on evenings, weekends and other

non-school days.

Since it opened at the beginning of

August, the fi eld has already had foot-

ball, rugby, lacrosse, and soccer activity.

The fi eld is lined for football, rugby and

soccer but can also be used for almost

any fi eld sport. This will enable our lo-

cal teams to play more games here in

Aurora, rather than looking for fi elds in

neighbouring municipalities.

This lit artifi cial fi eld requires much

less maintenance, does not need time

to rest or have to be closed when it

rains like natural grass fi elds do. With

far less “down time” and the ability to

keep the fi eld open long before and

after the normal season for grass fi elds,

the opening of Aurora’s second artifi cial

turf fi eld means more opportunity for

Aurora’s youth to keep active.

The offi cial grand opening of the

fi eld will take place just prior to the St.

Maximilian Kolbe vs. King City football

game on Wednesday, October 24. The

kick-off is at 6 p.m. with the pre-game

ceremonies starting around 5:30 p.m.

Al Downey

Director, Parks and Recreation Services

Town of AuroraUpcoming Special EventsA Haunted Forest Saturday, October 27 | 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Aurora Family Leisure Complex and Sheppard’s BushCome and join us at Sheppard’s Bush for a spooky night filled with haunted trails, ghost tales, witches brew, a bonfire and many scary surprises! Tickets must be purchased in advance for this very popular event.

Santa Under the Stars Parade Saturday, November 24 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Yonge Street Each November, The Town of Aurora hosts an exciting night-time parade. Join us on Yonge Street as Santa Claus proclaims a new holiday season!

Tree Lighting Ceremony Wednesday, December 5 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Aurora Town Hall and the Aurora Seniors’ CentreThe Town of Aurora hosts the official tree lighting ceremony at Aurora Town Hall to kick-off the holiday season. Enjoy caroling, hot chocolate, make-and-take ornaments, the official lighting of the tree and a visit from Santa Claus. Don’t miss this fun family event!

Family First Night Monday, December 31 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Aurora Family Leisure ComplexRing in the New Year early with your family and friends. Enjoy wagon rides, bonfire, swimming, skating, games, children’s activities and so much more!

To learn more about these and other Town of Aurora events, please call the Special Events hotline at 905-726-4762 or visit www.aurora.ca/specialevents

Did you know The Town of Aurora has a full-service fitness centre? It’s called Club Aurora® and it offers affordable family fitness for all ages.

Located in the Aurora Family Leisure Complex, Club Aurora has flexible memberships to suit all of your fitness needs.

Here are just a few of the services offered:

• Aquatics personal training• Non-member personal training• 25-metre pool – aquafit and osteoarthritis aquafit• Four international squash courts• Indoor running track• Cyclefit studio• A variety of fitness classes for all abilities• Annual fitness appraisals, personalized fitness programs

and equipment and weight room demonstrations• Child minding services

Club Aurora also offers convenient hours – we’re open Monday to Friday from 5:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Take advantage of our free offer and try Club Aurora. We’re confident you’ll like it so much you’ll be back. Your body will thank you for it!

135 Industrial Parkway NorthAurora, OntarioPhone: 905-726-4764Email: [email protected] us online at www.aurora.ca/fitness

AFFORDABLE RATES QUALITY SERVICECall or visit us today!

Experience Club Aurora

NEW!NEW!

ONE FREE GYM VISITWith this coupon, enjoy one (1) free gym visit to Club Aurora*. Must be 14 years of age or older. Limit one coupon per person. Location: 135 Industrial Parkway North, Aurora, Ontario Expiry: December 31, 2013 *Bearer will be required to complete a health questionnaireTR

Y U

S!

Did you know The Town of Aurora has a full-service fitness centre? It’s called Club Aurora® and it offers affordable family fitness for all ages.

Located in the Aurora Family Leisure Complex, Club Aurora has flexible memberships to suit all of your fitness needs.

Here are just a few of the services offered:

• Aquatics personal training• Non-member personal training• 25-metre pool – aquafit and osteoarthritis aquafit• Four international squash courts• Indoor running track• Cyclefit studio• A variety of fitness classes for all abilities• Annual fitness appraisals, personalized fitness programs

and equipment and weight room demonstrations• Child minding services

Club Aurora also offers convenient hours – we’re open Monday to Friday from 5:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. and weekends from 7:45 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Take advantage of our free offer and try Club Aurora. We’re confident you’ll like it so much you’ll be back. Your body will thank you for it!

135 Industrial Parkway NorthAurora, OntarioPhone: 905-726-4764Email: [email protected] us online at www.aurora.ca/fitness

AFFORDABLE RATES QUALITY SERVICECall or visit us today!

Did you know The Town ofTown ofT

Experience Club Aurora

NEW!NEW!

ONE FREE GYM VISITWith this coupon, enjoy one (1) free gym visit to Club Aurora*. Must be 14 years of age or older. Limit one coupon per person. Location: 135 Industrial Parkway North, Aurora, Ontario Expiry: December 31, 2013 *Bearer will be required to complete a health questionnaireTR

Y U

S!


adriana leon SCoreS HAt trICK For CAnADA ||| By Kim Sillcox, Country Day School

aurora seniors’ centre strike Gold at 55+ summer Games! ||| By Joshy Kallungal ||| Photo Courtesy of Aurora Seniors’ Centre

Adriana Leon, a

2010 graduate of

The Country Day

School (CDS) in King, is only

the third Canadian ever to

score a hat trick at the 2012

FIFA U-20 Women’s World

Cup, an exclusive club that

includes Team Canada’s

Christine Sinclair. Adriana

scored three goals in the

first half of Canada’s opening

game against Argentina on

August 20, which Canada

went on to win 6-0. This

year’s U-20 World Cup was

held in Kobe, Japan.

“Wearing my Canadian

jersey, I wanted to win, and

I knew that if I worked hard

we would be successful,”

said the forward from King,

Ont. “Scoring three goals in a

game is the best thing a for-

ward could ask for. Of course

I was ecstatic, but I was

more content with the way

our team played. Everyone’s

individual jobs were met, and

that’s why we were so suc-

cessful on the pitch.”

Unfortunately, the U-20

Canadian Women’s team

went on to lose to Norway

(2-1) and then to North

Korea (2-1) and did not

advance to the quarterfinals.

However, team members

found solace in knowing

that Canada will host the

2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s

World Cup, as well as the

2015 Women’s World Cup,

of which Canada will be one

of 24 participating countries.

This event is the largest

single sporting event for

women in the world and

will take place in six cities

across Canada: Edmonton,

Montreal, Ottawa,

Vancouver, Winnipeg

and Moncton.

Adriana played NCAA

Division I soccer for the

University of Notre Dame as

a freshman and sophomore.

In 2010 she scored the only

goal for Notre Dame in the

NCAA College cup final –

securing the national title for

her team with a 1-0 win over

Stanford University.

Upon her return from the

World Cup in September,

Adriana started her junior

year at the University of

Florida where she is now

playing for the Gators. While

she missed the first three

games, she made up for lost

time in the fourth delivering

the overtime winning goal

against Auburn University to

clench a 2-1 victory. Adriana

is only one of three players in

the history of Florida’s soccer

program to score a “golden

goal” as their first as a Gator.

Her second goal of the

season against the University

of Tennessee, just 5:31 minutes

into the game, earned her

the honour of being the

Gators’ earliest scorer thus

far in the 2012 season. The

Gators topped Tennessee

2-1 that game, and as a

result, Adriana is the second

member of her team this

season to be selected as

CollegeSoccer360.com

Primetime Player of

the Week.

In May and June of 2012 many of The Seniors’ Centre athletes brought home 18 medals consisting of 10 Gold, 5 Silver and 3

Bronze. The members participated in six categories of Pickle ball (55+ men, 55+ Mixed, 55+ women, 65+ Men, 65+ mixed & 65+

women) and in Contract Bridge and Carpet Bowling. Congratulations to the winners from Aurora Seniors Centre listed below:

PiCKle BAll MeDAl WinnerS:GolD: Minoo Nejad, James Alberga, Beatrice Ego,

Evelyn Foster, Pat Fox, John Layton.

Silver: John Seaman, Myrna Rawlins, Walter Rawlins,

Joanne Keates, Annette Gagne.

Bronze: Joshy Kallungal, Tom Bozinoski, Joyce Bannon.

ContrACt BriDGe MeDAl WinnerS:GolD: Audrey Robertson and Lucille Sequeira

Audrey and Lucille are also competing in the ALL Canada

55+ Senior Games being held in Cape Breton, N.S. in

August 28-September 2, 2012 representing Ontario.

CArPet BoWlinG: GolD: Lorna Nadeau and Bill Summers

sPort in aurora

Adriana Leon, a forward for the University of Florida soccer team, is on the

attack versus Florida International on September 2. Since returning from the

FIFA Women’s Under-20 World Cup, Leon has scored two goals for the Gators

– the golden goal at Auburn and again versus No. 23 Tennessee.

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1-800-465-0411 www.mcalpineford.comHOURS: Monday-Thursday 9:00am-8:00pm • Friday & Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm

HOURS: Mon.-Thurs. 8:00am-6:00pm • Fri. 8:00am-5:00pm • Sat. 8:00am-4:00pmQuick Lane 905-841-2424

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sPort in aurora

pLAYer proFILeNICK BAXTER

||| By James Powell, Sport in Aurora Youth reporter

On January

9, 1997, 11 lb.

Nick Baxter

was born. Nick was

always the big kid in

school and in sports.

When he was 14 Nick was still carrying

that heavy load and even a focus on

exercise was still he was carrying a

man’s body on him.

Nick’s fi rst love is hockey and has

played at various levels as a kid. Nick

has always been a natural goal scorer

and plays an unselfi sh game that results

in him being at top of the points chart.

The coaches however, didn’t utilize him

in penalty killing situations due to his

lack of quickness and his days at the

AA level were numbered.

Jim Thomson, a player development

consultant and AMHA coach looked

differently and saw great potential in

him. After meeting and getting to know

Nick, Jim also understood Nick’s love

for hockey and saw his desire to play

at higher levels. Earlier this year, Jim

met with all of Baxter family to explain

his plan for Nick. The plan included

some important changes to his life that

would work on his fi tness level, slim him

down and increase his self-confi dence.

However the main objective was to

make him a more complete player and

someone that could compete at the top

level for his age, Minor Midget AAA.

Nick reached that objective by

making the South Central Minor Midget

AAA Coyote team this season and is

enjoying the experience. Jeff Goldman,

a trainer for fi ve years who has been

working with Nick since March of this

year, has also been a very big person

in Nick transformation. Jeff put him on

four different programs and has seen a

vast improvement in Nick’s speed and

the conditioning he developed over the

spring and summer. He has also seen a

change in his mental strength and more

focused than ever. They have also devel-

oped a great friendship and out of this

experience and will continue to grow.


AURORA BARBARIANS WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM WINS ONTARIO CHAMPIONSHIPS||| By Meaghan Sheahan, Senior Women’s Director, Aurora Barbarians rFC

On Saturday August 25th, the

Aurora Barbarians Rugby

Football Club’s (ABRFC) Senior

Women’s team squared off against

the women’s team from Waterloo

County for the right to be crowned the

2012 Ontario Women’s League (OWL)

Champions. After ten long years in the

OWL, the Barbarians Women’s team

fi nally made history winning its fi rst ever

Championship title.

Over the past several years, the wom-

en’s team has been slowly clawing its way

up in the standings, and in 2011 made

it to the OWL championships for the

fi rst time, narrowly losing to the Toronto

Scottish in a heartbreaker of a match.

The women began the 2012 season

with a renewed sense of confi dence,

determined to once and for all capture

the elusive OWL Championship title.

Led by experienced coaches

Paul Loader and Kevin Jones, the

women’s team dominated the league,

defeating every team in the regular

season in convincing fashion (in-

cluding last year’s champions, the

Toronto Scottish). By the end of the

regular season, the Barbarians had

fi nished atop the OWL with a perfect

10-0-0 record.

With a bye in the quarter-fi nals,

and a win in the semis against the

York Yeomen-Lions, the Barbarians

earned their place in the fi nals for the

second year in a row, and this time they

would not be beaten. The women’s

team capped off a perfect season

by beating Waterloo County with a

fi nal score of 39-5, thus earning their

fi rst ever Ontario Women’s League

Championship.

This championship represents ten

years of hard work and determination

on the part of all players and coaches,

but could not have happened without

the support of family, friends, fans and

the Aurora Community.

Join the Lady Barbarians as they

defend their OWL Championship title

in 2013!

Meaghan Sheahan has played with the

Aurora Barbarian’s senior women’s team

for ten years and been the director of

the program since 2009. For informa-

tion regarding the ABRFC please go

to www.aurorabarbarians.com. For

specifi c inquiries about the senior

women’s program, contact Meaghan at

[email protected]

ruGbY


It takes a long time to become really

expert at coaching and Reg Chappell

has been at it a long time. I first met

him while taking our undergrad program

at the University of Windsor over 35

years ago and we have remained friends

and colleagues since.

When I learned of Reg being named

as Summer Mortimer’s coach to the

London Paralympic Games, I was

thrilled for him as he is a talented coach

and no one deserved it more. Not

surprisingly, Summer won two gold

medals, a silver and a bronze medal at

those Games. Being an expert coach is

one thing, being the coach of a multiple

medalist at the world’s highest level of

competition is quite another.

I knew he’d have some stories when he

returned, so I looked forward to a coffee

with him and I wasn’t disappointed.

Coach Chappell completely opened

my eyes to the world of Paralympic

sports and Parasport in general. His

experience in London was one of

those “watershed” moments for him

and I was happy to learn so

much. I learned that almost

as many people visited

the Paralympic Games as spectators at

the Olympics Games that preceded it.

The London Paralympics were judged

the most successful of all the Paralympic

Games thus far. I was struck (as Reg

was) with 17,000 fans jamming the

swimming venue twice each day, just as

during the Olympics. But as Reg stated

calmly, “good racing is good racing, no

wonder spectators loved it”. The “big

moments” he recalls however occurred

when parents brought their physically

reG ChAPPellParalymPic Swimming coach ||| By ron Weese, Sport in Aurora editor

coach Profile

“Don’t give up your dreams!”



SWIMMING

challenged children to have pictures

taken with the Para athletes. The mes-

sage of hope was clear. “Don’t give up

your dreams” was said over and over.

The insight is overwhelming when you

speak to coaches who are really tuned-

in to their craft. As Reg says, “athletes

learn that they are just one accident

away from Paralympic sport,” and that is

a chilling reminder about safety for us

all. But, according to Coach Chappell,

the greater message is what is learned

by everyone who competes along-

side or trains with Parasport athletes.

“First they overcome daily difficulties,

then they take on training” he says.

“Inspiration comes from working in Para

Sport, No one can work or compete

close to these athletes without feeling

the intense devotion and commitment

they have,” he claims. “I think the best

thing any Club can do is encourage

Parasport athletes to join as they can

teach our able-bodied athletes how to

overcome difficulties and build a strong

Parasport Club within,” he concluded.

It is clear that Parasport is growing.

Almost as many countries enter

Paralympics as the Olympics. Parasport

Ontario (www.parasportontario.ca)

is working hard to build inclusion

practices everywhere sport thrives.

Coaches like Reg Chappell are

valuable resources to our sport culture

and we are proud to have him in our

midst. We are also fortunate to have

his Club, the Aurora Ducks, as a

Member of Sport Aurora.



The Master Ducks Official swim-

ming season start date was

Wednesday, September 12 at

6:00 am followed by an orientation

night on September 11th where many

newcomers to the Master Ducks signed

up and were welcomed by Nancy Black

and Adam Porteous and got to know

their new swimming mates.

The Master Ducks have an exciting

year planned ahead and with many

new faces joining the group, both in

the competitive or fitness group and

the triathlon group they have taken to

the water to train together with their

coaches guiding them with Coach

Adam Porteous at the helm.Swimming is a sport for everyone at

any age. It is a full body workout with

cardio-vascular health one of the added

benefits. Not only is swimming good for

your body, and improving your cardio-

vascular health, but it is the perfect

start to the day and end to a stressful

day where you can unwind, get rid of

stress, stay healthy and have some fun

with fellow swimmers and friends. They

are a group that love to have fun, with

fitness in mind. In addition to enhancing

your life, another benefit for the body

is muscle tone, strength and flexibility.

Swimming is a great aerobic exercise

that gets results, and fast. Water is

about twelve times as dense as air and

therefore creates more resistance for

the body when propelling itself through

the pool. Resistance training is the best

kind of training when it comes to build-

ing strength and muscle tone.

All practices are at the Stronach

Aurora Recreation Complex pool this

year at 1400 Wellington Street East.

This year, the swimming season is

in fact two weeks longer than last

year, thus providing better value for

the swimmers.

Morning practice times are:

Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri at 6:00 am

Mid-morning swim times are:

Tues, Thurs, Fri at 10:00 am

Evening practice times are:

Mon, Wed at 7:30 pm

Tues, Thurs at 8:00 pm

For those who like to swim

on the weekend, there is a

Sunday 8:00 am practice.

The Master Ducks offer fitness, com-

petitive or triathlon programs, and look

forward to participating in Ontario

Masters Swimming Championships as

well as the Masters Swimming National

Championships. They are training towards

participating in the 2013 Masters

Swimming Worlds Championships in

Montreal. It is not too late to register if

you are interested in joining in. For more

information email the registrar Tania

Edwards at: [email protected] or

call (905) 726-DUCK (3825)

MASter DuckS 2012-2013 SwIMMIng SeASon off to A SplAShIng StArt ||| By Melony Teague

ADULT SWIMMING | ALL LEVELSStroke Improvement Triathlon ~ Beginner/ProCompetitive SwimmingFitness Training

Weekends | Weekdays Swim times options: Morning | Noon | Night

905-726-DUCK (3825) | [email protected]

FUN FITNESS FRIENDSHIP

Master Duck Swimmers – Casey Jacob; Janet Mitchell; Sandra Bowden; Karina Clark and Melony Teague.

SWIMMING

Photo by Stelios Chrysochou

Juliana Gonzalez Master Ducks 2012


On Friday October 12th, 2012 the

Aurora Special Ducks swim

team kicked off their 6th sea-

son. Since their beginnings they have

grown in many ways. They now have

27 swimmers and over 40 coaches, and

offer 3 practices a week. As the team

has grown, the program has evolved,

and this season one of the most

significant changes made has been

implementing ways to better accommo-

date the growing needs of the Special

Olympics Aurora swimming community.

New head coach, Casey Jacob is

looking forward to working closely

with the athletes, their parents and

the Special Olympics executive to

help move the Special Ducks forward

into their best season yet. “We have a

number of fantastic opportunities for

our competitive swimmers coming up

this year, Casey Jacob said. “The meet

calendar is shaping up nicely, and the

coaches are looking forward to seeing

big improvements from all of our ath-

letes. The focus for our pre-competitive

group will be to improve their skill set

and provide them with individualized

programs to help move them to that

next level. It’s promising to be a very

busy and exciting season for all of

our swimmers.”

Swimmers have been divided into

two groups to focus on their specific

needs; one being the competitive group

and the other being the pre-competitive

group. The competitive group includes

those who are ready for swim meets

and for some competitive fun. The

focus will be placed on improving their

speed, learning to dive and to do flip

turns to be ready to race.

The goal of Special Olympics isn’t

so much instructional, but rather sport

involvement through competitive op-

portunities; therefore the Special Ducks

also have the pre-competitive group

who are not quite ready for swim meets

yet. The plan this year is to help them

prepare for this, with coaching geared

to their specific level and needs.

“We have a wonderful group of athletes,”

said team manager, Sue Deacon, “and we

are excited to get this season going!”

AurorA SpeciAl DuckS off to A GreAt SeASon StArt ||| By Melony Teague

||| Photo by Ice Photo Studio

Special Olympics Ontario Aurora

proudly offered Softball for the

first time this year. The Special

Grand Slams were coached by Rhonda

Wood who was also the team man-

ager, along with four other coaches,

Patti O’Neil, Melissa Tesarski, Perry

Germansky and Dan Banks. The team

started on June 15th, 2012 and ended

their season on September 7th, 2012.

Practices were held on Friday evenings

at “The Shed” which was donated

by York Regional Police Association.

Each practice started with a stretching

workout run by instructor Patti O’Neil,

after which they would break out into

groups to learn a basic skill ending with

at least a two inning game, depend-

ing on how much sunlight was left. The

team is working towards qualifying for

Provincials. During the summer months,

and over such a short period of time,

the team has improved remarkably

and the coaches clearly love coaching

these athletes. There are all levels of

players on the team. “I have done a lot

of coaching all over the world,” Coach

Rhonda said, “But coaching these

athletes is truly amazing. When I leave

practice, no matter what kind of day

I had, I have a smile on my face and

enthusiasm for whatever comes my

way.” The youngest player is Nolan

LeBlanc, who is only 8 years old and

the oldest player is Victor Dudulski,

who is 60 years old, both of them

playing softball for the first time.

“We had a fantastic season with much

being accomplished,” The Grand Slams

are doing all this practicing in the hopes

of participating in the World’s Special

Olympics. Coach Rhonda said, “We

will be back out next season, starting

beginning of May 2013.”

SpecIAl grAnD SlAMS fIrSt SeASon A greAt SucceSS ||| By Melony Teague

Back row – Andrew Robertson, Christopher Ellis,

Gary Freeman, Isaac Charles

Middle row – Theresa Conrad, Jordan Elias,

Douglas Sooley, Aidan MacDonald, Ryan Grant

Front row – Mary Haberer, Victor Dudulski,

Matthew Nighswander

Photo by James Nighswander


GYMNASTICS

After seeing Michael Phelps swim

in the 2008 Olympics, one of

my nephews decided that it

was time to learn how to swim “proper-

ly”. As an 11-yr old competitive gymnast,

he was already very athletic, but he had

always been reluctant to put his head

under water. Well, within a few weeks,

he morphed into a fish.

This past summer, another nephew

was fascinated by the Men’s Artistic

Gymnastics competition on TV. The

five-year-old was so impressed by “the

hairy armpit guy”, that he insisted his

parents enrol him in a gymnastics pro-

gram. And he is not alone. According to

Frank Sahlein of “3rd Level Consulting”,

despite the poor economy, registration

at U.S. gymnastics clubs increased by

about 20% this fall, the typical spike

after a summer Olympics.

What inspired all these kids? Was

it a dream of fame and fortune, or an

appreciation of the pure beauty of

human physical movement? Young

children don’t understand the political &

economical gains awarded to medal-

winning Olympians. They just think that

what the athletes do is “cool”, and, the

Olympians’ athleticism often ignites

their interest in a particular sport.

How do we ride this wave and keep

these children active in sport? If society

continues to idolize just the medal

winners, what message are we giving

our children? If practice/training isn’t

fun or rewarding, children quickly lose

interest. What recognition do we give

the athletes that dedicated just as much

time and effort, but couldn’t compete

at the Olympics, or did, but didn’t win a

medal? Athletes like Canadian gym-

nast Peng-Peng (Christine) Lee, who

fought back from a career-threatening

back injury, and would have been at the

Olympics, but for a knee injury suffered

at National Championships. And there’s

American Jordan Wieber, who many

expected to be the all-around gold

medalist. Both these athletes worked

every bit as hard as Gabby Douglas, but

they won’t get the lucrative endorse-

ment & book deals, or enjoy the same

celebrity status as Gabby. Millions of

boys dream of NHL glory, but there are

only a handful of celebrity players like

Wayne Gretzky and Sydney Crosby.

It’s possible that our “idolization of

winners” is contributing to our grow-

ing obesity epidemic. Why work hard

at practice if you’re just going to be a

bench-warmer? Why spend umpteen

hours training if you’re not going to be

Provincial champion? Isn’t it easier not

to even try, if you’re going to disap-

point your parents, coaches, and/or

team-mates?

To maintain a child’s interest in sport

we need to recognize achievement at

all levels and keep sport fun. Children

will continue to participate if they see

themselves progressing and achieving,

and if they’re having fun. As coaches,

parents and/or managers, we need to

ensure that both of these elements are

emphasized in our sports programs.

olyMpIc InSpIrAtIon ||| By Sarah Smith, Evolution Gymnastics Aurora

226 Industrial Parkway North, Unit 6, Aurora, ON (905) 726-2001www.evolutiongymnastics.ca

Winner of 2011 ERA Banner

Reader’s Choice Award for

Best Gymnastics & Family Fitness!

• Award-winning programs and customer service • Bright, clean, state-of-the-art 11,500 sq. ft. facility • Programs for all ages & abilities. Spacious viewing areas for parents• Full & half day summer, school break, and P.A. day camps• GREAT birthday parties• As a proud member of Gymnastics Ontario, all our coaches are nationally certified


Basketball is a game that requires

quick refl exes, speed and co-

ordination. For anyone who

has played, it becomes obvious that if

you don’t have your wits about you at

all times you could be hurt very easily.

Usually foot, ankle, and knee injuries

are most common but basketball

players are also at risk for sprained/

jammed fi ngers and stress fractures

in the lower extremities. Some injuries

occur by fl uke and cannot be helped

but others can be controlled to some

degree such as:

Environmental – Nets and bound-

ary lines should be far away from walls,

benches, scorer tables etc.

Padding should be used in tight spots

to help limit injury as well. Make sure

courts are free of any debris or liquids

to avoid tripping or slips.

Equipment – Proper, snug fi tting non-

slip court shoes are key, any other style

of shoe is setting you up to roll your

ankle or hurt your knees. Mouthguards

are usually worn nowadays to prevent

dental injuries. If you have a history of

injuring the same area while playing

look into getting a brace that will pro-

vide the support you need and greatly

reduce the likelihood of re-injury.

Overuse Injuries – Many players

(especially younger ones) are often

playing for more than one team when

competing at a higher level which leads

to less time for rest and recovery (both

mental and physical) which increases

the chance of a repetitive strain injury.

Speak with your coach and health care

professional (MD, Chiropractor etc.)

to determine whether or not you are

overdoing it.

Best of luck with your season and if

you do experience any discomfort get

it checked out ASAP by a healthcare

professional. The longer you wait the

longer it will take for you to get better!

Dr. Carey Avery runs St. Andrew’s

Chiropractic and Wellness in Aurora. He

is the team chiropractor/sports injury

consultant for the Aurora Ducks and

Master Ducks swim/triathlon teams.

He also treats several individual high-

performance athletes. Dr. Avery is a

competitive master’s swimmer and a

self-admitted “horrible-but-happy” golfer.

Web: www.standrewschiro.ca

Phone: 905-727-6500

e-mail: [email protected]

BASKETBALL INJUrIES||| By Dr. Carey Avery, B.Kin., D.C.

SPOrT IN AUrOrA

rECrEATIONAL WOMEN’S HOCKEY – FUN AND FITNESS! ||| By Karen MacLeod

It shouldn’t be legal to get this much

fi tness while having this much fun.”

Along with the beautiful colours and

sense of order that fall brings, it delivers

a new season of hockey, well for us rec

players anyway. Aurora’s Kathy Cawaja

Bryden, an ergonomics consultant, part-

time graduate student, and mother of

three, is a perfect example of a recre-

ational player who can’t hide her smile.

Kathy took the plunge into ice hockey

three years ago as a natural extension

from ball hockey and she hasn’t looked

back. Sure, it was hard leaving the com-

fort of her experienced and stable run-

ning shoes to play on ice, but she was

encouraged by her friends, hockey play-

ing family, and dare I add, the female-

friendly hockey town of Aurora.

When asked ‘What do you get from

hockey’, Kathy says “My teammates

laugh when I say it should be illegal to

get this much fi tness while having this

much fun”, she continued. I will never

forget being interested in giving hockey

a go, but trying to muster up the cour-

age to actually begin was another story.

Even though I have been into athletics

my whole life, this hockey thing was a

new sport and the thought of hockey

skates was defi nitely intimidating to me.

At the advice of a hockey mom from

my son’s rep team, I went to watch

a NeverTooLate hockey session

(www.ntlhockey.com) just to see what

it was all about. What I saw was a very

skilled instructor and about 20 women

all geared up, tackling the drills, laugh-

ing, and supporting each other. They

looked like they were having so much

fun and at the same time being

challenged. So, I said to myself, “I can

do that!” And, so I did, and have never

looked back. Whether my hockey

friends hit the ice for personal fi tness

goals or as a challenge to master

certain moves from week to week

to apply to game-night, we spend nine

months with our coach getting better

together in more ways that one.

Kathy has learned from her hockey

playing family and now from personal

experience that skating is key to the

game of hockey. “Having a skilled and

patient coach who is able to teach the

fi ner points of hockey has given me

confi dence to play up in the more com-

petitive women’s recreational division

this year, and I continually get more and

more out of my game.”

Kathy is one of those energetic, smart

players, who soaks in all she can from

her coach and hockey mentors, and

lucky for us, never forgets to have fun

on the ice and off.

Karen MacLeod

Kathy Cawaja Bryden

“


BASEBALL

MInor BAntAM JAyS Are york SIMcoe BASeBAll ASSocIAtIon fInAlIStS ||| By Carol Walthers

The Minor Bantam Aurora Jays played five games to place second in the Region. The team of 14 year olds went 3 and 1

coming into the finals of the double knockout York Region playoff.

After losing a close game 13-11 to Markham on Friday night (Aug. 17th) they came roaring back to beat Barrie 10-5 and

Thornhill 13-7 on Saturday.

A hard fought semi-final on Sunday with Vaughan began a nail biting 1-1 tie for three innings. In the fourth the bats came alive

but Vaughan answered back resulting in another tie of 3 all. It wasn’t until the sixth inning that the Jays pulled ahead with six runs

on a daring squeeze play instigated by Lucas Bulmer and solid hits by Joey Leger, Austin Skelhorn and Markus Hamann. Vaughan

was finally shut down a pop-up and two strikeouts.

It was a game of great pitching by Skelhorn and Hamann, aggressive base running, as well as solid defense by the entire team.

Final score; 9-7 for Aurora.

With four games played it would take another two wins to beat the undefeated Newmarket team to win the championship.

Although the team gave it their all, they lost the final game 14-2.

This weekend saw excellent pitching from Carter Johnson,

Thomas Curley, Markus Hamann, Jamie Finlay, Austin Skelhorn,

Richard Hache, Joey Leger, and Matt Birss. Providing the

pitchers with solid backup were catchers Austin Canham

and Michael Kimmerer. The entire lineup contributed in the

hitting department with special cudos to Leger who went 4

for 4 in the game with Barrie, and Curley who had two triples

against Newmarket.

For the team the highlight was the win in the semi’s. It was

a sweet victory, and their best results ever in the playoffs.

AurorA Peewee JAys KeeP rounding the BAses And tAKe KindcArdine tournAment By storm||| By Ken Lane

The Aurora Peewee Jays went 5-0 over a week-

end Tournament in Kincardine, winning the

Tournament with solid all-round team play.

All 12 players contributed to put forward a determined and spirited effort to win the

Tournament. They came out firing defeating teams from Sarnia, Brantford and the

London area. The coaches combined outstanding pitching and timely hitting that proved all too much for opposing teams.

Friday night, Felipe Navarrez led the squad with a complete game pitching performance topping Corunna 9-4. Saturday after-

noon, after a short rain delay, Filip Grantcharov threw all but one pitch to down OakRidge 7-1.

In the afternoon Tyler Justice started another great performance with Isaiah Hipel coming in to close against Tecumseth win-

ning 9-2. Navarrez started again Sunday morning and did a great job beating Brantford 7-3 in the semi-final. Grantcharov pitched

a tidy game against London Tecumseth in the Final, and the Aurora Jays walked away with a 7-1 win and the trophy.

The Aurora bats were hot all weekend led by Mark Kalmisto hitting for .571 average and 6 runs batted in. Adam Cipollone and

Tyler Justice were each a few feet away from home runs. The Jays delivered timely hits when needed and reached base several

times throughout the 5 game tournament. In addition to solid hitting, the Jays defense was focused and shared an outstanding

performance from Matt Glionna, Troy, Mark, Tyler and Haydn Brown.

Also of mention, we saw outstanding plays in the outfield by Mark Barratt, Connor DeVogel, and Donato Caccamo. To cap it

off, a diving catch by Troy Lane behind the plate and throwing to double up the runner at first base in the championship game

showed the boys were determined to win. Coaches and the players should be commended on their excellent effort.

Aurora Bantam Jays House League 2012 Champs

||| Photos Courtesy of AMBA

Aurora Minor Mosquito Jays House League 2012 Champs

Aurora Peewee Jays

Aurora Minor Bantam Jays YSBA 2012 Finalists


Aurora Senior Jays 2012 OBA Champs

BASEBALL

AurorA MoSquIto JAyS fInISh cloSe SeconD In ySBA chAMpIonShIpS||| By Rob Gray

Rainy weather delayed the YSBA Championships

by one week but it was well worth the wait for the

Aurora Mosquito Jays. After losing the first game

on Friday evening to Thornhill, the remainder of the games

became must win in this double knockout tournament.

First there was a bye in the next round followed by a

game against Georgina. The Jays took a quick 4-0 lead

but saw that lead evaporate and trail 5-4 heading into the

bottom of the 4th. The first two Jays batters were retired

but then the next 8 reached base safely and all scored for

a commanding 12-5 lead and an eventual 16-5 victory. The

next game the Jays faced a hard hitting Bolton team and

got off to a quick 4-0 lead and held on to a 9-3 victory

thank to a dominating pitching performance by Dalton

Greiciunas. With three teams remaining, top seeded Richmond Hill beat Bolton to

face the Jays in the final.

A back and forth game saw the Jays leading 9-4 heading into the fourth. However,

Richmond Hill scored 8 times to take a 3 run lead. The Jays would narrow the lead

to 1 but couldn’t overtake the top seeded team en route to a 15-11 defeat. The Jays

showed a lot of heart and determination with excellent hitting and pitching throughout

the weekend.

Aurora Bantam Jays House League 2012 Champs

Aurora Minor Midget Jays YSBA 2012 Champs

Aurora Minor Mosquito Jays House League 2012 Champs

Aurora Mosquito Jays YSBA Finalists

Aurora Minor Bantam Jays YSBA 2012 Finalists

Photo by Stephen Clements

AurorA DIggerS houSe leAgue celeBrAteS 40 YEArS! ||| By Lee Green, Vice Chairperson, House League

This past summer was the 40th year anniversary of the Aurora Diggers Girls Softball Association. The first Digger team was

coached and founded by the recently deceased Norm Stunden, who will be truly missed.

Also this year we kicked off our 4th season of the Aurora Diggers House-League divisions. The House-League divisions

consisted of three age groups ranging from 5-13 years of age. No matter what the skill level, beginners are always welcome regard-

less of age. Every year we have increased our registration numbers, and this year was no exception. The girls learn the fundamen-

tals of the game taught by our wonderful volunteer coaches,

while using the guidelines of Softball Ontario. Our season

goes from the middle of May to the Middle of August, and

the girls are on the field twice a week. The registration fee

includes a shirt, hat, photo, and a fun final wrap up BBQ.

This summer one of our coaches, Doug Hook, was kind

enough to organize a trip for the girls and their families down

to the Rogers Centre to see a Blue Jays game. Doug ensured

our date landed on a “JR. Jays Day”. The girls enjoyed pre-

game activities put on by the Jays, and also enjoyed some

time on the field including running the bases post-game. We

hope to continue this as a tradition for years to come.

I believe that this is a great and inexpensive summer

sport, and the girls having fun is our number one goal!


rOWING

I first sat down with Ron

Weese of Sport in Aurora

for a piece that ran in the

April issue of this year. The

article came at a time when

I was, quite literally, spend-

ing every waking hour either

training or doing whatever

would best set me up for the

next session on the water, on

the ergometer, or in the gym.

Despite never feeling like

one of the coach’s preferred

athletes, I was cautiously

optimistic about my chances

of making the Canadian

Olympic rowing team.

In late May, when I earned

my spot in the men’s coxless

four for the World Cup in

Switzerland, I was excited to

prove once and for all that

I belonged on the London-

bound team. As this World

Cup regatta served as the

National Team’s last tune-

up before the Games, it

was the perfect chance for

both my crew and I to do

just that. Unfortunately, and

for a variety of reasons, our

boat did not go as fast as it

should have and we ended

up 7th. The coaches decided

to make a change, and after

inserting one of the spares

into the boat uncontested, I

lost out in a trial for the final

seat. I was named as a trav-

elling spare for the Olympic

team rather than as a bona

fide member of the squad as

I had hoped.

It was about six weeks

before the Games, and I was

crushed. This was supposed

to be my time, or at least that

is what I had told myself over

and over again as motiva-

tion to get through the long

winter training months. All

of the endurance and speed

training that I had done over

the past fifteen odd years –

all the running while at

St. Andrew’s, all of the miles

and miles of rowing while

at Western, Cambridge and

on the National Team – had

all been for not. Or, at least

that’s how I felt at the time.

Now a few months later, I

see it all just a bit differently.

I still disagree wholeheart-

edly with how the coaches

handled the situation and

with their ultimate decision to

take me out of the boat (the

Olympic four ended up a dis-

appointing 9th at the Games,

and I went on to compete at

the World Championships

in August in Bulgaria where

I won a bronze medal in the

coxed pair). That all being

said, I have realized that not

only will I likely never be

alright with it, but that it is

human, and even to be ex-

pected to feel this way. When

we don’t achieve something

that we have put our heart

and soul into, it hurts – and

that is ok. It doesn’t mean

that it wasn’t worth the effort

in the first place.

The one other lesson that

I would take away from my

experience is the following:

in whatever particular field

you might find yourself, set

a goal that is within sight yet

out of reach, and then go for

it with absolutely everything

that you have. When I started

rowing all of those years back

at Western, I chose my goal

as making the Olympic team.

Although I didn’t quite reach

that target, I am proud of

what I was able to do along

way: I trained or raced in

twelve countries all over the

world; I rowed for arguably

the top university programs

in both Canada and Great

Britain, and won champion-

ships with each; and most

recently, I had the honour of

competing for my country

over fifteen times and win-

ning five international medals

while doing it. I would never

have thought that any of

this was possible when I left

Aurora for university just over

ten years ago having never

rowed a single stroke.

Such is the power of set-

ting a lofty goal, going for

it with all of your might, and

letting the chips fall where

they may. Whether or not you

reach your objective, what

you accomplish along the

way might just surprise you.

The pursuance of elite

sport is a long, arduous,

and at times very lonely

road. Sometimes personal

relationships and other areas

of an athlete’s life are placed

on the backburner to make

room for the relentless pur-

suit of excellence – some-

thing that I am certainly

guilty of. That being said, I

have always tried to balance

sport and real life to the best

of my ability, and I have no

regrets. As for my future, I’m

not sure if I will make a run at

the 2016 Games in Rio or not

but I will make that decision

in the coming months. In the

meantime, to all my friends

and family, my sponsor

Bäckerhaus Veit bakery, and

of course to all the people of

Aurora: thank you for all of

the support, I couldn’t have

done any of it without you.

No RegRets ||| By Peter McClelland



SAC VArSITY

Above the tranquil lower fields and stately academic and

residential buildings of St. Andrew’s College seen from

Yonge Street in Aurora, you will find significant change.

This spring saw the completion of the new Yuill Family

Athletic Complex, consisting of revitalized upper fields, includ-

ing world-class synthetic turf for football, soccer and lacrosse;

a six-lane running track and field facility; a baseball diamond;

batting cages; two outdoor multi-sport courts as well as grand-

stand seating and additional parking. St. Andrew’s is proud

of this $6.5 M facility but, as important to Sport in Aurora,

is that St. Andrew’s continues to include the Community in

their future.

“The recently approved Strategic Plan has an important

component that involves Community outreach,” states

Headmaster Kevin McHenry. “It confirms our commitment

to include the important role we see in being involved in our

Community,” he explained. “However, Community outreach is

really nothing new,” he continued. “The College has for many

years encouraged the Community to participate on-campus

by using our fields as well as the pool and, of course, we

have offered camps and clinics in various sports to engage

everyone.”

“It really is about striking a balance,” added Assistant

Headmaster Greg Reid. “Of course, the needs of our stu-

dent population are of paramount importance as our object

remains to provide the best academic and co-curricular

program anywhere, but we are eager to continue building

the positive relationships we have developed in Aurora,” he

continued. “For example, our Faculty not only participate on

Campus as coaches and activity leaders but at last count, we

found that, depending on the season, as many as twenty-five

also volunteer their time in various communities, enjoying their

roles helping their kids and Community sport organizations.”

While St. Andrew’s appears to be growing, it is not about

adding students, insists the Headmaster. “We are growing

the student experience here,” he states. “We are not adding

students but rather focusing on continuing our tradition of

providing the best experience for our students that can be

found anywhere in Canada,” he concluded.

There is no question that St. Andrew’s College continues

to be a strong and important Community partner for Sport in

Aurora, and sport in this Community benefits from their plans

to stay connected.

St. Andrew’S College ContinueS Community outreACh with new FieldS||| By Ron Weese ||| Aerial Photo by Paul Mosey ||| Varsity Football Team Photo by Stephen Kimmerer

22 ||| Sport In AurorA MAgAzIneNicholas competed in the first

National Golf Competition held

by Special Olympics.

TrIATHLON

Bruce Schouten outlined his journey: “Four years ago

I decided I needed to try something different on the

fitness front. I’d been going to the gym on a regular

basis, but wasn’t really making any headway.

Both my son, Matt and daughter, Jamie had

competed in a kids triathlon during the summer

before and I was very impressed with their ef-

forts. Only one problem with my plan - I couldn’t

swim to save my soul! My wife is a member of

the Master Ducks and told me about the Stroke

Development course that the Ducks offered. I

gave it a go, and got to the point where I was

comfortable enough to give a try-a-tri a go the

following summer. I finished! And I kept on go-

ing, both with the Master Ducks and with triath-

lon. This summer I completed my first Ironman

which was a 3.8 kilometer swim, 180 kilometer

bike, and 42.2

kilometer run.

An example of

what you can do

with the proper

coaching and motivation!”

Bruce is among many suc-

cess stories to come from

the Master Ducks Triathlon

program. Over the last fifteen

years the Master Ducks have

helped tri-athletes achieve

their full poten-

tial in their per-

sonal events, all

over the world,

by working with

them to make

their front crawl stroke more powerful and ef-

ficient. Coaches encourage swim drills, sculling,

and kicking with fins. All levels of swimmers are

welcome. The team heads for ‘open water’ in

spring for training with coaching and supervi-

sion included.

The Master Ducks congratulate Shannon

Kemp, Paolina Allan, Paul Haffenden, Spencer

Lavis, Brian McGee, Tom Hall, Steve Murray,

Larry Bobbett, to name a few, on qualifying for

the triathlon world championships, held in Kona,

Hawaii on October 13, 2012 and in Auckland,

New Zealand on October 18 -22, 2012.

For more information please contact

Adam Porteous at (905) 726-DUCK (3825),

or email him at [email protected]. For further

information visit our website at www.masterducks.ca.

Special Olympics

Ontario Aurora had

28 athletes participat-

ing in the second season of

golf at Westview Golf Club

this year. Many thanks goes

to Mike Nisbet and his staff

at Westview Golf Club for

providing facilities, carts,

range balls, club rentals and

course access at no charge.

This saved significant funds

to put towards next year’s

budget. The Aurora Special

Eagles Golf team partici-

pated in four events this past

summer supported by 16

coaches. Many coaches were

available every Sunday which

provided quality and conti-

nuity of the program, while

maintaining consistency in

coaching and athlete groups.

This is significant given the

ratio of golfers to coaches

and without their dedication

it would be a challenge to

provide this ideal ratio and

quality program. Coaches

are able to work in a one-

on-one capacity and also

in group format. This year,

several golfers were fitted

with proper golf clubs, which

improved their skill and

enjoyment of the sport im-

mensely. The Special Eagles

are hopeful that coaches will

also return and that we will

be able to recruit more to

assist next season.

The spring golf Tournament

fund-raiser held at Westview

Golf Club was a tremen-

dous success. $6,100 was

raised for Special Olympics

Aurora. Head Coach, Nicola

McGovern and athlete,

Nicholas Chow will be part

of Team Ontario repre-

sented Special Olympics

Ontario – Aurora in the first

national golf competition

held by Special Olympics

on September 27-30th 2012.

“Nicholas is focused in his

practices and has put in

extra training in order to

compete at this level,” Coach

Nicola McGovern said. “He

was extremely excited about

this opportunity.”

AurorA Ducks TriAThlon TeAm… off To A swimming, biking AnD running sTArT! ||| By Melony Teague ||| Photos Courtesy of Master Ducks

SpecIAl eAgleS golf SeASon A SucceSS||| By Melony Teague ||| Photo by Scott Neuman, Ice Photo Studio


Cyclists love the outdoors. But then along comes winter

and the temptation to stop working out hits. Here’s

how to avoid losing the hard-earned fitness gained

during the spring and summer months.

It’s important to keep riding and it’s easy to do with an

indoor trainer; a simple, portable device that supports your

bicycle and lets you pedal in place. The resistance device

simulates the effort of riding outdoors so you can get the

same excellent benefits in the comfort and safety of your

own home. And… you will find you are using your indoor

trainer even during peak cycling season, not just as a supple-

ment for off-season.

Commit to your indoor trainer rides. Here’s how to get the

most out of them to ensure you are in as good (or better)

shape than the previous fall:

• Be prepared to sweat.

You will want a fan to cool you and water or an energy drink

to stay hydrated and make sure a towel is handy to dry off.

• Pump up your workout.

Scenery doesn’t change indoors but you can listen to music or

watch TV as distractions. Why not catch up on reading? Also

it is important to change your workout such as putting the

bike into a larger gear, stand while pedalling to change pace

and position.

• Use “intervals” for an interesting and challenging

workout that improves fitness fast.

Intervals of higher and lower intensity make it possible for

you to push yourself harder, raising the total volume and

intensity of the workout while making the workout more

interesting. Shifting gears to increase and then decrease the

effort while timing the intervals efforts works well. Always

warm-up for about ten minutes before hitting the first of

five intervals and make sure you cool down for 10 minutes

afterwards to help eliminate fatigue. You can soon stretch

the length and number of intervals week-to-week and

improve fitness all winter long.

CYCLING

Bike SportS winter tip! indoor trAinerS keep you Fit!||| By Bike Sports, Aurora and Newmarket

The winter months are an opportunity to stay in shape and progress your fitness for the road with an indoor trainer so don’t miss

this chance to stay on your bike!


Your son. Our mission.

When he opens the door to St. Andrew’s College, he opens his mind to a world of possibilities. Since 1899 we have provided enriched academics, unparalleled athletics, and dynamic arts programs resulting in strong, independent and intelligent young men.

Discover why SAC is the right place for your son.

905.727.3178 • [email protected] boarding and day school for boys grades 5-12.

Open House • Tuesday Nov. 6, 6:30 - 8:30pm

Experience SAC Day • Wednesday Nov. 28, 9:30am - 12:30pm

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sport in aurora vol. 2 issue 4

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