Mr. and Mrs. Falcon
Cathy McConnell figured if you can’t beat them, you might as well join them.
McConnell has been volunteering for the St. Catharines Rankin Construction Falcons for about a decade, following in the footsteps of her husband, Jim McConnell, who began volunteering in 1997.
“Jim would go to meetings and things and I would always tell him ways that I thought things could be done better, even though I wasn’t asked,” Cathy McConnell smiled. “And he kind of just said if you can do it better . . . so in 2016, I submitted a letter and it was accepted by the board.
“I’ve always done volunteerism in all kinds of ways. Schools and churches and the community and stuff. This just became my passion because I love the team.”
Her title with the Falcons is sales and marketing vice-president, but that doesn’t begin to tell the whole story.
“Most weeks are different,” she said. “I’m responsible for making sure we get on with the rink boards and everybody’s paying, and all the advertising for programs. I take care of all the programs, the inserts, lineups and I run the front table for sign-ins.
“I’m really busy at the beginning of the season, because I set up the program and order them and do them on a weekly basis. That keeps me busy.”
Jim McConnell is in his eighth season as president after being cajoled into joining the organization be a fellow TRW Automotive employee.
“We had friends whose kids were playing on the team and just became diehard fans,” he said. “They needed some financial help so I went over in 97.”
Following a break in the early 2000s, Jim McConnell returned and has held every position imaginable with the team.
“I’ve done everything over the years, whether it be running the (Falcons) Nest, the box office, treasurer, 50-50s, IceDogs 50-50s, fundraising.”
Jim McConnell feels it is vital for the organization to have a solid group of volunteers.
“Well, certainly as a community-owned not-for-profit, the most important thing is to have a big and dedicated group of volunteers, which we’ve had,” he said. “We’ve been really lucky because both groups (volunteerism, board of directions) are not compensated in the least.”
Cathy McConnell admits she lives and dies with the team.
“Every year I love our team and it breaks my heart when they do trades,” she said. “January is my least favourite time of the year. I just get involved emotionally with the team and we go to away games when we can. It’s kind of hard sometimes working because we have to do IceDogs (50/50), so there are a lot of away games that we can’t go to.
“We’re just diehard fans. The organization has always been a first class-organization. I’ve heard Tyler (president of hockey operations/head coach Tyler Bielby) say it’s become a destination for some players. It’s rewarding knowing that we’re contributing to that and making it a great place to be for players, for their families. I’ve actually had players send me texts after the season and thank me for everything that we’ve done for the team and for them and that really means something.”
The McConnells, who will celebrate 45 years of marriage in 2025, love the fact they can volunteer together.
“You get similar interests at the rink and in the organization. So it certainly helps and probably is a big reason why I’ve been around as long as I have been,” Jim McConnell said.
Both love their roles with the team but are aware all good things must come to an end.
“I’m getting tired,” Cathy McConnell said. “I think I have an expiration date.”
“I think we’re both kind of getting there, but I think it’s important to leave the make sure the organization is in good shape. We’ve both been talking about how we set that up in the next year or two, for example,” Jim McConnell added. “Get some people in that really want to move the organization forward.”
The Falcons, who defeated Hamilton 4-1 in the first round of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League playoffs, will meet the lowest-seeded team in the second round which will begin next week.
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