Ron Sutherland is a 12-month-of-the-year fixture on Niagara’s sporting scene. The 60-year-old Montreal native is the convenor for the Niagara Region High School Athletic Association’s boys and girls basketball and...
Fed up with his inability to play basketball, T.J. Hurley decided to head to the United States. “It was right around the time that school went back to being...
All the pieces have fallen into place for Ché Jayawardena. The 18-year-old, St. Francis Secondary School student wasn’t sure what to expect in his final year of high school with...
The Pelham Panthers Basketball Association is on the prowl for applicants to serve as head coach of the group’s Juel and Juel Prep girls basketball teams. The Panthers have been...
Kim Brinker is getting the best of both worlds. The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student at Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf in Welland has committed to Mohawk College where she will study pre-health sciences and...
Cormac McMahon’s comfort level was close to home. The 18-year-old Ridley College student was being pursued by a handful of universities to play basketball next season, but ultimately chose to...
Soccer and hockey competed for Christian Giancola’s loyalties until a soccer milestone occurred in 2018. “Around that time, Canada got to be one of the host countries for the (2026)...
Mike Corcoran’s impetus to start officiating basketball was rooted in his own playing experiences. “I played high school basketball, played at the college level and played men’s league after that,”...
Derek Milne, right, is seen with Jim Craig, left, and Malcolm Corfield, centre. Milne passed away last week in his 75th year. Derek Milne had a passion for soccer. The...
As one of only three of women who regularly officiate games on behalf of the Niagara District Referees Association, Natalie Thomson has obtained a certain degree of celebrity status. “When...
Off the court for more than two months because of the province-wide lockdown to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, Luke Klassen made a joyous return to the Pelham Community Centre...
Chloe Briggs didn’t sit around and wait for her dream to come true. As soon as it was permitted, Briggs began contacting schools to let them know she was interested...
Frank Keltos has spent his entire 18-year teaching career as a coach. His motivation for coaching girls and boys basketball, boys baseball and girls slo-pitch was a desire to give...
In Niagara basketball reffing circles, Azlan Bacchus is affectionately known as Mr. Saturday Night. The moniker attached to the 38-year-old Beamsville resident is in recognition of the fact that over...
The Red Rocket has landed. After narrowing her choices down to Brock and McMaster, Madalyn Weinert had decided to pursue her post secondary basketball career in Hamilton. “She is feisty...
If not for the COVID-19 pandemic, Kaitlyn Brophy would have been in the midst of her second season with Niagara Juel Prep girls basketball team. Like all athletes of all...
The defence rests with Taryn Mitchell. The 17-year-old, Port Colborne resident is bringing a strong commitment to her play without the ball to the Niagara College Knights women’s basketball program....
Sophia Belcastro found her perfect fit at Robert Morris. The 17-year-old, Grade 12 student at Notre Dame has committed to attend the NCAA Division 1 university, located just outside of...
St. Catharines Club Roma rang in 2021 with a new expansion franchise in the League1 Ontario Men’s Premier Division. Roma's Head of Operations for League1 Carmine Provenzano had submitted an...
Throughout his 20 years of officiating basketball, Ron Valente has used a common sense approach. “I like to think that my rule book is still in shrink wrap,” the 61-year-old...
Anthony Haughton enjoyed playing for a who’s who of St. Catharines coaches during his five years of basketball at Governor Simcoe. John Dakin was the point guard’s midget coach, Larry...
As an inaugural winner of the Canadian Basketball Officials Commission’s Executive Award of Merit, Michele O’Keefe is as pleased with the award as she is with the group awarding it....
Kevin Moore had no noble intentions when he decided to become a basketball ref 25 years ago. “A friend of mine (Mike Holmes), who I was teaching with, suggested that...
One look at Owen Dobbie’s face and you could tell the 17-year-old Pelham resident was loving his return to the basketball court. The Grade 12 student at E.L. Crossley was...
Allison Addy has decided to pursue her post secondary hoops dreams close to home. The 5-foot-11 star player with the Governor Simcoe Redcoats has set her sights on earning a...
Maia MacLean finally had something to smile about Thursday after what has been an incredibly trying 2020. The Grade 12 student at Saint Paul celebrated signing her commitment letter to...
Andrea Hebert has yet to decide where she will play university basketball next season. Photo by Eric Labonté. Decision time is approaching for Andrea Hebert. The Grade 12 student at...
A recruiting trip to Missouri in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic convinced Krysten Schuster to join the NCAA Division 2 Drury University Panthers women’s soccer team. “Going down and...
Niagara Basketball United is ready to hit the floor running. After being delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the travel basketball program, spearheaded by Brock University men’s basketball head coach Willy...
Delayed more than two months by the COVID-19 pandemic, non-contact tryouts for the Niagara Juel and Juel Prep teams will begin Nov. 15. “I am excited about getting together with...
