Some of Ontario’s top rugby players will vie for the right to lift the McCormick Cup, as the senior men’s provincial rugby championship kicks off at Fletcher’s Field, Oct. 26. Your home team Markham Irish Canadian Rugby Club is in the running for the title, as playoffs commence across the Greater Toronto Area, this month. Irish team technical director Mark Winokur, says this young team has a good chance at taking this year’s title, in front of friends and family, on home soil. At publishing date, the Irish currently sat fourth in the eight-team provincial premier league, with one regular season game remaining. The league’s top seven squads make the playoffs, while the last place team is relegated to the second-tier provincial league. In the playoffs’ opening round, the league’s top team receives a bye, while the remaining six square-off according to their final season standing. The second place team plays seventh, third play sixth and fourth play fifth. The lowest ranked team to advance from that first round will meet the awaiting first placed squad for the second round of playoff games. Last season’s Markham Irish team was one win short of reaching the cup final. Considering the club boasts more than 60 years of tradition, following the merger of the Markham Rugby Club and the Irish Canadian Rugby Club in 2008, it’s not surprising that Winokur proudly claims the local rugby club is the most successful in Ontario. “We have 16 McCormick Cup titles to back it up,” said Winokur, who has been with the club for 30 years as player, coach and now men’s team technical director. Winokur fancies his team’s chances as the playoffs approach and is looking forward to build momentum through the season’s final match against a last place Ajax team. The Irish have won five of their last seven matches and days before publishing, they toppled the team from Balmy Beach, 27-16. “With our remaining games we can finish as high as second in the league, but once you enter the playoffs anyone can win regardless of where you finish,” said Winokur, prior to the Balmy Beach game. “In our history, we have won the cup after finishing the season in first place, and we have won it after finishing fifth. When you’re in a one game knockout format - so much depends on who is healthy, the weather that day, one missed kick; it really comes down to anything,” he added. The Irish feature a young squad, including provincial team representative Jesse Lofthouse and Canadian junior team member Kurt Gibbons to name a few youthful stars. Aside from a couple veterans, most of the team members are in their late teens or early 20s. “For most of these guys, their best years are ahead of them. We are just hoping to ride that wave for a while,” added Winokur.
The good news for local rugby fans or residents curious to watch a playoff game or two, is that not only does Markham Irish use Fletcher’s Fields as its home ground, but so too does the Aurora Barbarians RC and the Toronto Scottish RC. Based on current league standings, each of these teams are likely to have home playoff matches leading to the final, as Toronto and Aurora sit first and second place, respectively. For more information on this season’s playoffs and Fletcher’s Fields, visit rugbyontario.com or fletchersfields.com

York Region’s best high school long distance runners will traverse the rugged terrain of the Boyd Conservation Area, October 17 for the York Region Athletics Association (YRAA) cross country championships. The parcel of land which is located in Vaughan, will host runners from across the region who will compete in distances, ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 metres in length. Individual and team awards will be handed out, as will be two coveted Ontario Federation of Schools Athletics Association (OFSAA) berths to the two top ranked teams, as well as the top three individual runners from each race. This year’s OFSAA championships will be held November 2, at the University of Laurentian campus in Sudbury. While the York Region championships have been held at Boyd for more than 25 years, this year’s races will feature a new wrinkle. Due to severe flooding throughout the Greater Toronto Area this past summer, parts of the existing course were washed away at the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority owned property. Head YRAA cross country convenor and Sacred Heart Catholic High School teacher Chris Deighan is taking on the task of revamping the cross country course. “I have been doing this for the past 25 years at Boyd and changing the route is something new. I’m working on that as we speak,” said Deighan from his school office. Deighan is aiming to have the course done for a warm-up meet he is hosting October 9. According to the Sacred Heart website, that course will feature a 70 per cent grass, 20 per cent trail and five per cent pavement running breakdown. “The course at Boyd is a tough up and down route. It’s always been one of the tougher ones in the area,” added Deighan. He also added that all schools in York Region feature some good individual runners, but typically Markham’s Bill Crothers Secondary School, as well as Newmarket schools Huron Heights Secondary School and Sacred Heart, feature strong overall teams. At last year’s OFSAA championships the junior girls’ team from Bill Crothers placed second in the province, while the senior boys’ team from Huron Heights also took the silver medal. For more information on upcoming meets and the York Region championship, visit www.yraa.com

U10 Girls Markham Lightning Black team were the champions of the 9th Annual Lake Simcoe Soccer Club Championship for Girls Rep held in Georgina. They beat their previous ranking as finalists in 2012 at this same tournament. This year they were the only U10 team to go undefeated in their division of 16 teams. They won the final against Whitby Iroquois Blue by a score of 5-0. Every game they played during this end of the summer tournament was a text book example of working hard towards achieving your goal, never giving up and playing together as one united team.

“The Markham/Stouffville Stars Rep Atom A girl’s hockey team proudly brought home the gold medal in the locally hosted 3rd Annual StarsFest Tournament held September 20-22 with over 50 teams of different ages descending on Markham & Stouffville.  The Atom A Stars proudly went undefeated in the tournament and delivered a dramatic 3-2 shootout win in the championship game over Mississauga, after being down 2-0 with 9 minutes to play.  The Stars delivered 3 shutouts along the way in 5 games beating or tying Aurora, Peterborough, Durham West and Mississauga (twice). 

Following his thrilling ride to the championship match at the Rogers Cup, Milos Raonic became the first Canadian male to ever be ranked in the world’s top-10 men’s singles tennis players. The Thornhill resident captured the hearts of Canadians with his unprecedented run at the tournament last month, which serves as Canada’s national tennis title and features the world’s best players. Following a run which included a win over seventh-ranked Juan Martin Del Potro and fellow Canadian Vasek Pospisil, Raonic met fourth-ranked and 12-time major tournament champion Rafael Nadal in the final. Nadal outclassed the hard-serving Raonic with an easy (6-2, 6-3), straight sets victory, in front of a pro-Raonic crowd in Montreal. Despite the loss, it was Raonic’s best finish in a tournament of this level, and considering he accomplished this showing in Canada, the magnitude of the accomplishment was not lost on the fans, nor Raonic. “The standing ovation when I entered the court today was the best moment of my career. I had goosebumps,” Raonic was quoted as saying, following the match on the Tennis Canada website.
“Thank you for all the support from all around the world! Thank you Montreal and thank you Canada,” Raonic added on his Twitter page, after the match.
The 22-year-old was the first Canadian to reach the final in the tournament formerly known as the Canadian Open, since 1958, when Robert Bedard won the last of his three Canadian Opens. For finishing as runner-up, Raonic took home more than $268,000 in prize money. This month, Raonic hopes to take Canadian tennis to even further heights when he leads the men’s national team against Serbia, in the Davis Cup semi-final. The winner of this series to be played in Belgrade, Serbia is scheduled to meet the winner of the other semi-final, featuring Argentina and Czech Republic. Good showings in the Davis Cup as well as strong performances at Western and Southern Open and the year’s final grand slam tournament, known as the U.S. Open, could lead to even further on-court opportunities for Raonic. At season end, the world’s top eight men’s tennis players will compete in a round-robin tournament, known as the Barclay’s ATP World Tour Final. This tournament will be held over eight days, in November, at London, England’s O2 Arena. There, the top eight players will compete for $6 million in prize money. For more information on Milos Raonic, visit www.milosraonicofficial.com

The Markham  Mariners Jr. Rookie Rep baseball team won the York Simcoe Baseball Association Playoffs in August after 4 straight wins against Stouffville, Vaughan, Barrie and Newmarket.
L-R front row: Jake Bilkas, Ben Hicks , JJ Chung, Parker McLean, Tyson Rozario, Dylan
L-R middle Row: Quinn McCulloch, Ethan Sneek, Niklas Andonovsky, Nathan Aspinall, Damian Chan, BJ Peart, Kyle Bahen
Coaches: Michael Rozario, Paul Hicks, Jeff McLean, absent from photo: Fraser McCulloch, Michael Chung, Jomel B. (Manager)

It’s summer and kids are looking for cool things to do. Over the last 12 years in July, hundreds of kids from six to 11 years old have found a unique way to stay cool, have a ton of fun, meet new friends and develop their skills, in the unlikeliest place – on the ice. As strange as hockey in July sounds, it makes perfect sense to parents looking to enroll their hockey-mad kids in activities that not only benefit their bodies, but their inner self. First conceived by Don Roe, or Coach Don as he is more well known, with the help of Pastor Verna Proctor of the Unionville Alliance Church, they have combined to create a five-day program that sees kids on the ice half the day, with the other half spent on a curriculum of song, crafts, biblically-based storytelling and, naturally enough, a little road hockey. But as much as the kids benefit from the fellowship, fun and hockey skill development, Roe also points out that there are other important elements to the camp. Noting the huge amount of work that goes into organizing and executing a successful week, he explains that the camp is also “an opportunity to develop new leaders in the volunteers, teaching them many new things, including giving back and making a difference. Many of the volunteers come back every year as they enjoy the camp and being with the kids.” He also notes with pride that many of the young leaders were campers themselves and are becoming positive role models for the younger kids. If success can be measured in any degree with participation, KK Shooters ranks high with over 60 volunteers assisting in some way on or off the ice. Family is also not relegated to simply writing a cheque and dropping off the kids each day, Roe adds. “One of the important parts of the camp is the family barbeque on Thursday evening where families come together, meet each other and talk about the week and enjoy a program, including the kids singing the songs they learned throughout the week and seeing the DVD that is prepared on what happens throughout the week.” Many of the parents and the roughly 90 kids at the camp were already looking forward to the 2014 edition.

While synchronized swimming may not have the high profile of other sports, it is a sport demanding superb conditioning, endurance, flexibility, discipline and the ability to synchronize as a team. First performed in the early twentieth century and popularized in various Hollywood productions in the 40s and 50s, it came into its own in 1984 when it was recognized as an Olympic event. Locally the Markham Synchro Club has been promoting the talents of swimmers five years old and up since the 1970s. Serving recreational and competitive swimmers in youth, university and masters streams, the sport is picking up supporters and profile locally. Head Coach Amanda Jackson relates that although a number of swimmers have gone on to compete successfully at the national level, the focus is on “a variety of invitational and qualifying meets” leading up to the Ontario Open Age Group Synchronized Swimming Championships. Performing to music, teams prepare routines that are judged both on artistic impression and technical precision that involve “routine elements” that can include lifts and throws of team members. Routines can be between two and five minutes, and in competitions, usually involve a single person, duets or teams of eight, although other configurations are sometimes used. But in all cases swimmers are never allowed to use the bottom or sides of the pool for support or leverage, and the focus is on the fine details. Certainly, the competitive spirit is alive and well at Markham Synchro but members also seem to put great value in the less formal attributes of the sport. Lesley Smith, whose daughter has been a club member for three years, saw that typical sports just didn’t seem to grab her daughter’s imagination. “We want our children to find that one activity that they can enjoy, excel and call their own,” she says. “My daughter, Regan, took classes in dance, skating, and art, and liked them enough, but when but when a friend told us about a synchronized swimming program our interest was really piqued. She started off in the short recreational program, goggles and swim suit in hand. After one season, we were hooked.” She also feels that costumes, make-up and intricate figures all add to the attraction. “Success comes when you pair natural interest or ability with great coaching and a club that embraces integrity,” she says. “We feel very lucky to be involved in this incredible sport.” Try-outs for competitive and team placements are scheduled for this September 5th, 10th and 12th. More info can be found at the club’s website www.markhamsynchro.com

When John Lam returns to his studies at the University of Waterloo, he will likely be asked how he spent his summer break.
Well, Lam’s summer has been a break in name only, as the young entrepreneur is spending the summer months as boss, director and founder of the Markham Ultimate, the city’s first and only summer camp for the sport of ultimate Frisbee -- a sport which is growing rapidly in popularity. At Waterloo, Lam studies business, recreation and psychology and part of his summer duties is to secure a co-op placement or start his own venture. Rather than take a job, he chose to create one, and teach the game he loves to local youth. Not only is the game a good venue for activity and exercise, Lam also sees the sport as an ideal place to learn life lessons. “Ultimate is relaxing in nature. It’s co-ed, so anybody can play and you make it as competitive as you want,” said Lam. “It’s a great sport to learn because it teaches you sportsmanship and respect for your other players. There are no refs, so players govern the game and enforce rules upon themselves. I think that builds character.” Ultimate is typically played on a field that is 70 yards by 40 yards, and have end zones of 25 yards deep. Two seven-player teams are on the field at a time, with the goal of the game of catching a pass in the opposing team’s end zone. A player cannot run with the disc, though a player is allowed to pivot and pass to any of his or her team mates.
Turnovers can occur when a disc is dropped, an interception takes place, when the disc becomes out of bounds, or when the opposing team is holding the disc for more than ten seconds. One of the most important aspects of the game is ‘spirit’. Players are to respect one another at all times, play fair and continue encouraging sportsmanship. Many leagues have incorporated spirit points into their overall standings and provide trophy or awards to players and teams who play with the best spirit. Local schools appear to believe in the importance of Ultimate as part of physical education and varsity sport.
Lam, 21, learned the game in his Markham District High School gym class and also played on the school’s representative team.
Each June, the York Region Athletics Association holds an Ultimate tournament, where more than a dozen schools compete. The last tournament was won by Newmarket High School and three of the four top teams were Newmarket based. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering a large Ultimate league has long been established in Newmarket. Lam said he would like to foster a Markham based league one day, but remains focused on building his camp, which is geared toward youth aged 10 to 14 years old, but can also accommodate camp sessions or lessons for children aged five to 16. Lam plays intramural ultimate at university and the school also featured a varsity team. While this summer is about getting the camp off the ground, Lam admits he plans to offer the camp next summer too. For more information on Markham Ultimate, visit markhamultimate.com

Even under the blazing sun and with the mercury rising to 35°C, the City of Markham Skatepark is packed with skateboarders of all skills and sizes. Skaters and instructors from the City of Markham’s skateboard camp, as well as the Evolve Skate Camp, grind and twist their way through the rails, ramps and bowls. With 15,000 square feet of skate terrain, the park is sandwiched between Markville Mall and the Centennial Community Centre, and contains stainless steel coping, rails and coloured concrete surfaces, including boxes, pyramid, stairs, flat banks, ledges, walls and more. Inline skating is also permitted within the park. The park became a favourite of local skaters when it opened some five years ago and it still stands up to other York Region parks that have followed. “This place ranks in the top three of all parks in the Greater Toronto Area. This place is money,” said Evolve camp co-director Daniel Rinzler. His sentiment was echoed by fellow co-director Joshua Benoliel. “If you’re an experienced rider, this place is the best in the GTA. Once this place was built, it became my first choice, every time,” added Benoliel. Both co-directors add that the park contains a good ‘flow’; supplying an excellent venue for the beginner boarder to progress. They both say it’s no fluke that the Markham park is one of the best around and they can tell the city has invested money into the site. “You never would have seen something like this 10 years ago,” added Rinzler. And it’s not only the park that gets top marks, but also its central location, the neighbouring community centre, which many of the campers use for a swim to cool off, as well the proximity to the mall for a drink or lunch. With six and seven year olds using the flat top of a neighbouring basketball court to work on balance, Rinzler takes in the surroundings. “This place has everything you would want as a young skateboarder, and its visibility from the street and size make it safer. Just look how many kids are out here today and everyone has room,” said Rinzler. “That doesn’t always happen at the other parks”. For more information on skateboarding in Markham, visit, www.markham.ca or www.evolveskatecamp.com

For many people a few laps of a pool can be a challenge that might leave us a little tired but feeling pretty good about ourselves. But for Unionville resident Rebekah Boscariol the bar is set a little higher. Back in 2011, the then 16 year old member of the Markham Aquatic Club dove into Lake Ontario and conquered its cold waters, completing a 52km crossing in support of the Cardiac Care unit at Sick Kids Hospital. Boscariol’s swim, inspired by her sister Sophia’s challenges after a hole was found in her heart, raised over $41,000. Not content with what most would see as a lifetime achievement, the former student of St. Matthew Catholic Elementary School, St. Augustine High School and current student at Dalhousie University in Halifax, is about to pick another fight with the big lake. Boscariol and four other swimmers, ranging from 18 to 61 years old, will on July 23rd dive into the chilly water at Kingston’s Confederation Park, swim the first kilometre together and then swim relay-style the length of the lake, hopefully arriving at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington on July 27th. The timetable, Rebekah adds, is a bit of a guess as the wind and weather can play havoc with the best schedules. “The only reason the swim would stop is due to thunder and lightning, in which case, coordinates would be taken, and the boats, crew and swimmers would move to safety until conditions are safe” she says. The full swim will clock in at just over 305 kilometres with each swimmer pulling 2 hour shifts followed by 8 hours of recovery and helping the rest of the crew on the boats. The other swimmers in the group are all veterans and include Colleen Shields, who oversaw Rebekah’s 2011 swim, Nicole Harrison, Samantha Whiteside and Mona Sharari. Whiteside, Harrison and Shields have also completed traditional Lake Ontario crossings while Sharari, an 18 year old club mate at Markham Aquatic, completed a successful English Channel crossing last summer. Dubbing their efforts the “Because Girls Can Swim” initiative, the $300,000 in funds the swimmers hope to raise through the end-to-end swim will support Plan International’s “Because I am a Girl” campaign – a global initiative to end gender inequality. Noting that 70% of the world’s 1.4 billion people living in poverty are women and girls, Boscariol notes that, “for every year of schooling a girl’s wage increases by 15-25% which allows her to provide for her family and allow her children to grow up healthy and happy; it’s a cycle.” The $300,000 will help plan projects like scholarships for girls, nutrition support at schools, micro-financing of businesses, job training in post-conflict areas and construction of health centres in needy parts of the world. Long swims mostly in the lake, cold showers, and a good diet have provided a solid base for battle against the waves and elements in late July. But while the team may not be short of emotional resources, they welcome financial help and sponsors as the funds being used to start the swim are coming from their own pockets. To learn more or pledge support visit www.becausegirlscan.ca.

The popularity of cricket is growing across Canada, particularly in Markham.
With numerous cricket clubs, a municipal cricket pitch built in 2010 and Markham-based teams taking part in the competitive Toronto Markham Cricket League, the sport is well represented in the city. With the amount of local youth involved in playing cricket, not only with clubs, but also representing their respective high schools, it appears the sport will only grow with each generation.
Markham’s Bur Oak Secondary School won its second straight York Region Athletics Association boys cricket championship last fall; in a league where 75 per cent of the schools participating were from Markham. The popularity of the sport in Markham at the high school level was recognized throughout the Greater Toronto Area and York Region was granted representation in the GTA’s Mayors Schools Cricket Championship. The playdowns to represent York Region were held in May with one school each from Vaughan and Richmond Hill, while Markham featured three high schools. Similar to what played out in the fall, the Bur Oak Bulldogs were crowned as winners. This victory earned them a spot in the Mayors Cricket Championship where they would be up against similar winners and other teams from Toronto, Mississauga and Brampton. Once in the mayor’s tournament, the Bulldogs narrowly missed out on advancing to the final game. Supported in the local schools, cricket also appears to be well supported at the municipal level, with Richmond Hill Mayor Frank Scarpitti declaring his support. Scarpitti told the Markham Review, “one of his reasons for supporting the development of a cricket field is to offer the youth from so many backgrounds and from around the world, with the opportunity to play this great sport.” He would like to see the development of more cricket grounds to better serve the growing need. Such an addition could come in approaching years with the development of a future 101-acre sports park on Warden Avenue, north of Elgin Mills Road.

Local basketball players and fans alike can be proud to know that Markham will host the 2013 National Basketball League of Canada draft. The draft, taking place at the Hilton Suites Conference Centre and Spa in Markham, on Monday, August 19, will have a round dedicated to Canadian players. The draft is streamed live on the internet and players are selected from a live two day combine over the weekend. Founded in 2011, the National Basketball League of Canada is the first professional Canadian basketball league. Beginning with seven teams in 2011, the league has since expanded to a total of 10 teams. Not only has the league been dedicated to providing fans with basketball, it also provides fans an opportunity to watch Canadian content. Stated in their values, The NBL is “dedicated to providing the opportunity for young up-and-coming Canadian basketball players to develop their professional careers within their home country.” In attendance at the press conference announcement were Mayor Frank Scarpitti; Ward 8 Councilor, Alex Chiu; Ward 2 Councilor, Howard Shore; Ward 7 Councilor, Logan Kanapathi; CEO of GTA Sports and Entertainment, Graeme Roustan, as well as NBL’s CEO and President, Andre Livingston. Councilor Logan Kanapathi called this announcement, “great news for our children in our backyard, taking our next generation to another quality of life, leadership, and discipline.” Tom Oliveri, head coach of the York University Lion’s basketball program and Head Coach of Basketball Development for the York South Silver Knights said, “I think it’s great – great for the young people who play the game.” Asked if this announcement can increase the league’s exposure to young players in the community, Oliveri told the Markham Review, “It can open the eyes to the young kids who are playing the game, not only giving them the exposure to the professional level, but give them an idea of what basketball is like at that level.”
Interested players should visit www.nblcanada.ca for more about the draft.

Known as the high-tech capital of Canada, Markham’s place in the sports landscape could soon be known as the tennis capital of Canada. 
Not only are professionals Milos Raonic and Peter Polansky from Thornhill, but it’s at the grassroots and community level where the amount of tennis available in the city, stands out.  Markham is home to a remarkable seven community tennis clubs and a total of 64 courts on city owned land. The Armadale, Box Grove,  German Mills, Highgate, Markham, Pomona and Unionville Tennis Clubs account for 34 of the city’s 64 inventory courts. The Unionville Tennis Club houses nine of those courts, including three with a clay surface. The Unionville club was founded in 1971 and like the other clubs, a membership fee to play has always been required to help supplement maintenance and construction fees for the volunteer operated clubs. 
However, changes could soon be served toward Markham’s tennis clubs, as the city has presented a club policy presentation that could see an amendment permitting daily public play at these community clubs. According to the policy, which will be further debated in the fall, one court at each of these clubs would be required to permit public play on a daily basis. Public access would last for two consecutive prime-time hours and two consecutive non prime-time hours each day. 
The revised policy would also bring additional city help to these clubs in the form of potential court and clubhouse repair funding. 
Mike Gannon, a Unionville Tennis club member of 10 years, said his club has always enjoyed a good relationship with the city and while some balk at the increased access to the public, he admits such amendments are all part of the annual negotiations between club and city. 
At present, Unionville offers public play on Saturdays between 2 and 6 pm. Presently all the other clubs offer varying degrees of public days and hours. The new potential policy would streamline this access city-wide. Gannon said the Unionville club features roughly 1,000 members and that number remains steady, boasting a healthy future with 300 junior members. With the amount of tennis courts in the city, Gannon points not to the successes of Raonic and Polansky as factors, but rather the demographic found in Markham as the key to the game’s popularity. “The city has an enormous Chinese-Canadian population and racquet sports tend to be quite popular in that demographic,” said Gannon. The city itself completed an integrated leisure plan where tennis was identified as a growing activity and as a result, the Angus Glen Tennis Centre was completed. The centre features four indoor courts - four busy indoor courts, for that matter. “Trying to get a game in there in the winter months is next to impossible,” said Gannon of the centre. 
“But the city continues to do a good job addressing the popularity of the sport here.”

Before departing from Boston in the aftermath of April’s marathon terrorist attack, Markham resident Murray Cass made certain to make hotel reservations for his return, next year. Cass was one of nine Markham residents who took part in this year’s marathon. Many of these nine residents know each other well, as most of them belong to the same running club. Luckily, none of these nine were seriously injured, including Cass who finished the race and passed by the finish line area 30 minutes before the two bombs detonated and sent shrapnel through the air, killing three people and wounding more than 250. Also lucky for the Cass family was the fact that Murray’s wife Deb was one block away when the bombs went off. Murray said his wife heard the first blast and witnessed the second. “I could see the cloud of smoke from where I was. A young girl ran up to me, crying, asking what it was. I said I didn’t know. It was very surreal and people were just frozen, not knowing what to do or where to go that might be safe. Lots of others were crying and hugging each other,” recalled Deb. The aftermath of the bombings was a whirlwind for the Cass family as they tried to reach loved ones and let all know that they were safe. The raw emotion of it all didn’t hit Murray until he returned home and went back to work.  “My first day back at work, I was asked how I was by a colleague and I unexpectedly broke down.  It was very odd.  I was quite upset for several days,” said Cass. “I think what moved me most was the thought of all the spectators generously cheering me - a total stranger - as I ran to the finish line and then minutes later they were blown up.  I was wearing running shoes I bought at Marathon Sports, the store that was blown up.  I ate at Vloro, the restaurant that was blown up the day before.  I was standing taking pictures of the 5k race the day before, exactly where the bomb went off. It was all just too close,” he added. Cass expects that these emotions will return next year when he returns to Boston to run the marathon again. “I will run next year. I am not the least bit afraid. I am just afraid that I will be emotionally overcome by all the commemorations. Running to the finish line will be particularly upsetting.  You are pretty drained physically in a marathon at that point… I cannot imagine what it will be like next year,” he said. Also determined to run again is Cass’ fellow Markham resident and running group teammate Paul Bourbonniere. This past marathon was his seventh in Boston and he expects even more people to take part and rally behind the event, next year. “A defiant response to this form of terrorism is the right response,” said Bourbonniere, who reflected that it’s hard to believe he passed within 10 feet of the bombs only minutes before they were detonated. “You have to assume that the safest place to be next year during the marathon will be near the finish line,” said Bourbonniere, who was waiting in a nearby transit station during the blasts.

Now that the snow has melted and the grass is getting green, it’s time to dig out the irons from your garage and enjoy golf season in Markham. A long, harsh winter meant that many local golfers were stuck indoors, and now it’s time to enjoy the nearby four public and four private courses. Remington Parkview Golf and Country Club (www.remingtonparkview.com), on Steeles Avenue, east of Markham Road, offers regular green fees of $52 Monday to Friday, and $62 on weekends and holidays, before noon. There are also a variety of twilight rates, early bird and frequent golfer deals. Remington offers two 18-hole courses, the shorter 5629 yard Valley Course and the longer 6225 yard Upper course. The 36-hole course is more than 50 years old, and Remington event coordinator Rob McGariggle said it’s the contrast between the two courses which makes Remington unique, as the upper course is very flat, while the valley has many elevation changes and is more scenic. “Our signature hole is number 2 Valley. It’s a very long par 5 with a great vista from the tee, hitting down into the Rouge Valley. The green is also severely sloped causing many golfers some pleasurable grief,” said McGarrigle. Bushwood Golf Club (www.bushwoodgolf.com) on Reesor Road, north of Elgin Mills Road, offers weekday green fees of $47 and weekends at $57 on its championship course. The course has a variety of twilight and junior rates, while you can also play the club’s executive par-3 course for as little as $12. Bushwood, established in 1952, has a course stretching 6400 yards, which is known as Bubba Watson’s unofficial Canadian home course. Watson, the 2012 Masters tournament champion, holds the Bushwood record; shooting 61 there in 2005, while warming up for the Canadian Open. His wife Heather hails from the area. Bushwood managing director Mary Evelyn said it’s the fun atmosphere that makes her course unique from others in Markham. “The relaxed atmosphere makes all calibre of golfers enjoy their experiences more than some of the other clubs that have more rules and a pretentious environment,” said Evelyn. She also lists the 7th hole on the championship course, which is a par 4 over 400 yards with an elevated tee, as the course’s signature hole. “It’s a tight fairway, and then 130 yards from the green it’s downhill with a meandering river. Golfers must position their drive and then their second shot is all carry over the water to an elevated green,” added Evelyn. For golfers willing to spend a little more green on the greens, there’s Angus Glen Golf Club (www.angusglen.com), located on Kennedy Road, north of Major Mackenzie Drive. From May 13 to October 4, 18 holes at Angus Glen will run you $185 during the week and $135 on weekends, but that cost includes use of practice facilities one hour prior to your round and a golf cart with GPS. You will feel like a PGA pro when teeing up at Angus Glen because the club has twice played host to the PGA tour’s Canadian Open. The south course hosted the Open in 2002, and the north course hosted in 2007. Both courses are outfitted with Canadian Open tee blocks so you can play from a professional length, which extend both courses to 7400 yards. On property managed by Angus Glen, located east of Markham Road and just north of 14th Avenue, you will find the 9-hole Markham Green Golf Course (www.markhamgreengolfclub.ca). A weekday nine at Markham Green will cost you $37; weekends are $41 and the twilight rate is $30 on all days. The course was originally opened as Box Grove Golf Course in the 1940s. The current course features a 9-hole, par 35, 3008 yard layout. York Downs Golf and Country Club (www.yorkdowns.com) was founded in Toronto in 1922, and moved to its current location on 16th Avenue, east of Warden Avenue, in 1971. The 27-hole facility offers a trial membership, which gives potential new members and their families an opportunity to experience York Downs before they purchase a full membership. The course layout was updated by Canadian golf course architect Thomas McBroom in 1996. Mandarin Golf and Country Club (www.golfmandarin.com) is located on Kennedy Road, south of 19th Avenue. Its 18-hole course was designed by Canadian course architect Doug Carrick. Individual and spousal memberships are available.
Ladies Golf Club (www.ladiesgolfclub.com), located on Yonge Street, south of Highway 7, was established in 1924 and is the only private golf club in North American owned and operated by women. The course was founded by Canadian golf hall-of-famer Ada McKenzie and designed by legendary course architect Stanley Thompson. While the course and club is designed for ladies, men are welcome to play, as a limited number of guest memberships are annually made available to men. Bayview Golf and Country Club (www.bayviewclub.com), located just north of Steeles Avenue, east of Bayview Avenue, also offers trial memberships for its 18-hole championship course, designed in 1960 by Canadian golf architect Robbie Robinson.

For Unionville resident Coleton Haywood, the winter months tend to race by at 60km/h.
That is the average speed at which the 26-year-old skates down twisting tracks of ice, around the world, as a Red Bull Crashed Ice competitor. The Crashed Ice tour consists of five races in North America and Europe, where athletes looking like hockey players without sticks, race four at a time, down an ice track of drops, hills, hairpin turns and jumps. Haywood and his colleagues just finished the latest Crashed Ice season with last month’s race in Quebec City. The St. Augustine Catholic High School graduate, who does web design, marketing and sales for a local energy efficient lighting company finished 14 overall in the world standings – his best season. It was also a season of firsts for Haywood, who said he was finally able to earn enough money through prizes and sponsorship to cover his travel and lodging costs. This year, those costs included trips to Holland and Switzerland for races. Thanks to a new race in Niagara Falls last season, it was the first time many of Haywood’s friends and family were able to watch him participate in a live event. “For years, my buddies would watch the races on TV and they would say ‘that doesn’t look so hard, I bet I could do that’,” Haywood said with a laugh. “In Niagara, they were able to see just how fast we get going down the track – TV doesn’t do it justice. After Niagara they changed their tunes a bit,” added Haywood, who grew up playing hockey with the Unionville Jets and Markham Islanders. With track speeds normally reaching 60 km/h, danger is an undeniable reality of the sport and it’s a reality Haywood knows well.
This season he badly bruised his hip, suffered a knee injury and previously has even been body checked through the track boards during a race.
Still it’s that speed, physicality and danger that keeps Haywood’s interest in the sport that has kept him on the track as one of the world’s best ice cross competitors. “There is always a danger and guys do get hurt. We are competitors, but you don’t want to hurt anyone, because there is a great camaraderie amongst the guys,” he relayed. “That said, I remember my mom wasn’t too enthused to hear that I would be racing down these tracks. But over the years I’ve proven to her that I make it back in one piece, even if sometimes I’m bumped and bruised a bit.”
He was introduced to the sport while as a student at University of Western Ontario. Red Bull was on campus, hosting skating try-outs for the Quebec City race. From that moment, he was hooked. Now, during the off-season and in between races, he endures dry-land training, balance exercises as well as in-line skating sessions. He often skates with former Markham resident and fellow Crashed Ice competitor Jeff Fisher, who finished 13th in last season’s standings. Having the sensation of downhill and uphill skating with in-line skating is important practice, said Haywood, because while he and many other Canadian competitors come from a hockey background, many international competitors come from backgrounds in cross-country or downhill skiing, ski jumping or inline skating. With interest and participation in the sport growing, Haywood said he would one day like to work as an ice cross coach. Still, only 26-years-old, the eight-year ice cross veteran has his fair share of seasons in the chute left. “It’s the most exhilarating sport I’ve ever competed in,” said Haywood. “Even though this season just ended, I can’t wait for the first race next year.”

Anyone who doubts the value of volunteers need only remember that the Titanic was the work of professionals and Noah’s Ark was the work of volunteers. In that spirit, from April 21 to 27, Canada is observing the 71st annual National Volunteer Week, a week that celebrates the efforts of Canada’s 13.3 million volunteers. In Markham, and York Region as a whole, there is no shortage of organizations that operate on donated time. One of those is the Unionville Minor Hockey Association, which is now in its sixtieth year. The UMHA’s mission statement is a simple one: Hockey is for kids. However, a mission alone doesn’t run the association that involves 900 children and teens from the ages of four to 21. Volunteers do. Upwards of 200 parent volunteers assist with games and practices for the various divisions within the association, but it is a team of three women who run the association from behind the scenes. The queen bees of Markham’s hockey moms are Marzia Del Bianco, Lisa McConnell and Karie McDougall. Del Bianco, the president of the association, has been involved with the group for 12 years, and has spent much of that time on the board. Both of her sons are alumni of the association, but her dedication to the sport and the community has kept her at the helm even though her children are no longer involved. “Karie, Lisa and I agreed that we’re going to work together as a group of leaders as opposed to one leader only,” said Del Bianco, who works as a librarian for the Toronto Public Library system. “Ideally the president should be delegating, but there aren’t enough people willing to take on bigger administrative jobs.” The referee-in-chief and treasurer have also sat on the board for several years. In her decade-plus-long involvement with the UMHA, Del Bianco has not only overseen the administration of the organization, but she has also contributed to the group’s highly successful fundraising efforts for both the association itself and the Minor Hockey Foundation Ontario (MHFO), to which the UMHA has donated over $23,000 and countless volunteer hours in the last four years.
“Unionville Minor has been our most supportive organization,” said Jim Kinkley of the MHFO. The MHFO runs the province-wide Let’s Learn Hockey program that sets up camp in a different part of the province each year to fund hockey programs for children who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity to join up with a league. Last year, Lisa McConnell spearheaded the UMHA’s effort to host Let’s Learn Hockey in Markham. In addition to refusing to take credit for each of their own contributions, McConnell, Del Bianco and McDougall are connected by a love of the sport. When McDougall’s family relocated to Markham from Michigan several years ago, her and her children’s involvement in the UMHA made the adjustment to the move easier. “[The UMHA] needed people and it was something I thought would be interesting,” she said. “I love the game and the opportunity to meet lots of people and give back to a sport I love. Like all of the association’s volunteers, McDougall wears many hats, but her primary responsibilities are coordinating programming, mentoring conveners and liaising with the organization’s various stakeholders. “Some days I wonder why I do it,” she joked. “I know that this is a really important part of the community and I like being a part of that.” For more information about the Unionville Minor Hockey Association, www.umhahockey.org.

After achieving York Region championships, three Brother Andre High School teams participated in provincial championship tournaments, last month.
While they were unable to repeat their regional performance with a provincial championship, Cardinals teams in senior boys and girls hockey and senior boys basketball, competed well. The senior boys hockey team advanced to the provincial tournament for the fourth time in five seasons, having also made the provincial championship game the previous two years. The cardinals started this year’s provincial tournament in Mississauga with a 4-1 over Ottawa’s Sacred Heart before finishing their round robin play with two one goal losses to Courtice school Holy Trinity and Kingston’s Holy Cross.
Despite the losses the Cardinals advanced to the quarter-final round as the second seed in their round robin group.In the quarter finals, the Cardinals were drawn against Toronto’s St. Michael’s Catholic School. The teams played to a scoreless draw, before St. Mike’s were able to nab an overtime winner and advance. The Cardinals girls hockey team tested their skill against the province’s best that same week, but in Orillia. They finished their round robin play with a record of one win, one tie and a loss after playing teams from Orillia, Guelph and Whitby. Unfortunately, that record saw them finished third in their group and destined for the tourney’s consolation round, and there the Cardinals lost 5-3 to Saint Paul High School from Niagara Falls. Earlier last month the Cardinals senior boys basketball team won the right to a provincial entry, following their first York Region title in more than a decade. The Cardinals received a tough provincial draw in the double knockout tournament. They lost their first match 81-53 to eventual finalist and Toronto school Father Henry Carr and were eliminated in their next match against eventual bronze medalist Cardinal Newman of Hamilton, 73-52.

Mayor Frank Scarpitti was on hand at Crosby Arena recently to celebrate a team of young hockey players who are learning that hockey, as much as it is about fitness, fun and teamwork on the ice, is about building character that can translate into being a positive part of the community outside the rink too. The Huawei “Green Vipers”, a novice team of the Unionville Minor Hockey Association, is led by team manager Rosy Holosko. Along with her husband and coach John with coaches Andrea Blair and John Varao, and make every game a treat and song filled party. But they also got involved with several causes outside the rink, organizing family skates and outings, raising money for the Let’s Learn Hockey program and collecting food and money for the Markham Food Bank. Rosy Holosko explains that, “the three coaches and myself feel it’s important to lead by example”. John Holosko adds that, “true sportsmanship embodies many aspects of one’s character”.

There will be a new look to soccer this summer. It’s not the referees, and no, players are still not allowed to pick up the ball. As a part of the Ontario Soccer Association’s initiative to long-term player development, they have introduced scoreless soccer to be fully enforced in 2014. This scoreless soccer initiative will be introduced along with the removal of standings to the under eight to twelve age divisions in Ontario. This initiative was created because of the, “focus so much on wins and losses and medals and standings that we don’t help to develop skill in all our players.” The OSA describes this Long Term Player Development initiative for, “both recreational and elite pathway players.” Although many might believe that this initiative is only for the “elite” player, The Ontario Soccer Association seems to think otherwise. “LTPD will enhance this experience because more kids will now have the ability to play the game at a skill level that will make the experience fun.” Brandon Frith, a member of the technical staff for the Unionville Milliken Soccer Club, agrees. When describing his experiences playing competitive soccer at a younger age, he says, “every game was about the win, winning trophies and getting promoted to the next division.” Although he found the competitive spirit great, “there was little to no focus on development.” When discussing the idea of LTPD, Frith welcomes it with open arms. “It all starts with the youth today,” Frith says, “there are windows of opportunity that has to be capitalized on to develop players as individuals before you can develop a strong team.” Many notable Canadian soccer players have already thrown their support for long term player development. Players like Dwayne DeRosario, Diana Matheson, and most recently, David Edgar. Similarly, the Markham Soccer Club is already supporting this initiative. They have already embraced the idea of scoreless soccer a couple years ago. “The Markham Soccer Club Board of Directors is fully committed to the principles behind Long Term Player Development, a philosophy of focus on the development of players without the pressures on trophies or results,” says Kent Green, Operations Manager at the Markham Soccer Club. This new innovation has also led to a change of focus on the soccer field, “to ensure that the coaches and the parents accept the fact that the development of the player and their skill levels is the number one priority.”

Before a packed and raucous Mount Joy arena, the Brother Andre Cardinals senior boys hockey team claimed its third straight York Region Athletics Association hockey title, with a hard fought, 2-1 win over the Jean Vanier Jaguars, Feb. 26.
By advancing to the York Region final, both teams had already qualified for Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations provincial tournaments. Brother Andre will compete in the AAA/AAAA championship which will be held in Brampton and Mississauga from March 19 to 22. Due to its smaller student population, Vanier will compete in the A/AA championship in Oakville, from March 20 to 23. Still, the game was a physical affair, as the Cardinals made it clear, the team had no intention to give up its York title. The game also served a true test in determining the best high school hockey team in York Region, as both teams finished tied atop the regular season standings and played to a 1-1 draw when they first met in November. The teams also met in the semi-finals at a Stouffville tournament, with Vanier edging the Cardinals 1-0. Adding to the already electric atmosphere on the ice were the hundreds of students and parents, that had packed themselves into the arena’s stands to cheer on their friends and family. A Jean Vanier school band, complete with brass section and drum set, made its way from Richmond Hill for the game and many Brother Andre students rattled the rink glass throughout the match, displaying homemade signs and painted torsos. The first goal came just a few minutes into the game after some slick passing lead grade 12 student, Adam Drexler to open scoring, with a wrist shot from the slot. The Cardinals second goal came after a wild scramble in the goal crease, before the puck was poked in by grade 12 student Mark Davidson. Desperately looking to get back in the game, Vanier were the more aggressive team during the third period and used their size to pin a slick-skating Cardinals team in their own end. Strong work down low lead to a Vanier blast from the point beating Cardinals goalie and grade 12 student Trent Kestin, but the Markham team - with many of its players sporting bleached blonde hair as a sign of camaraderie - held on to the final whistle and streamed over the boards, mobbing Kestin and collecting their championship trophy.
Saints head coach Dave Turner credited his disciplined team, his core of grade 12 players and his goalie, for keeping the Cardinals in front through the third period. “They are really classy kids who have lead by example all season. It’s their attitudes and the way they carry themselves on the ice, by putting the team first - that makes them champions. It’s that champion mentality that leads them to winning the actual championships,” said Turner of Kestin, Drexler, Davidson and grade 12 defenceman, Taolo Ferriols. Now with three straight regional titles, the Cardinals will look to continue recent success at the provincial level. Last year, the Cardinals lost in the provincial final. The year before that, they won the Ontario crown. Turner admits that expectations for those Cardinals teams were high and while expectations around Brother Andre hockey are always high, this season’s provincial tournament is more of question mark, as the Cardinals have had limited play against opposition from outside York Region, when compared to other seasons.

Markham-area figure skating clubs are developing ways to bring a sense of camaraderie and teamwork to their primarily individual sport. Skaters from in and aroundMarkham can skate locally at the Markham Skating Club or the Unionville Skating Club, both of which offer lessons, training and opportunities to compete. The Markham Skating Club has over 500 members, and while competition coordinator Jackie Macdonald-Bartkiw notes that “we are a skating club for everybody,” she says that Markham has been streamlining its participation in figure skating competitions with positive results. “There are lots of opportunities for kids who don’t want to be competing,” Macdonald-Bartkiw explains. Still, those who wish to pursue tournaments can set their sights on the national and world competition. Five Markham skaters this year qualified to compete, an increase from one to two students going in previous year. To accomplish their goal of “streamlining” competitive skating, Markham Skating Club created a Grand Prix. At one such Grand Prix event, the Winter Glitters competition held in January in Ajax, 63 skaters competed where 25 might have competed a few years ago. Skaters who finish in the top five of four events earn points towards the Grand Prix, which is awarded at the Club’s April banquet. “Part of the reason that we’re doing that (streamlining) is showing that Markham Skating Club is here and a force to be reckoned with, but also it gives everybody a great chance to be cheering each other on,” Macdonald-Bartkiw says. “When it’s an individual sport like skating, a big open ice surface can be a daunting place for an individual skater, and to have some warm, smiling faces and some cheering fans in the stands can make all the difference for a kid and their confidence.” Macdonald-Bartkiw says this initiative is increasing participation among young skaters, who are eligible to compete and taking opportunities, but also stoking interest in kids who have not chosen to compete in the past. “Now, because they’re seeing so many kids out there competing and having a great time, they’re trying their hand at it, and seeing some amazing results.” The Skating Club reports that of the 34 medals their skaters won at Winter Glitters, a substantial number were earned by first-time competitors.

Skaters in the Unionville Skating Club are preparing for their biannual Ice Fantasia, to be held the weekend of April 19-21 at the Crosby Arena in Unionville. 510 skaters from the club as well as some guest skaters will be skating four shows that weekend in a circus-themed show produced by skating instructor Sandra Osbaldston. Unionville Skating Club’s three synchronized skating teams and many of their other skaters will be among the record number of skaters participating in the event, entitled “Under the Big Top: Ice Fantasia 2013,” explains Kim Griffin, a Unionville Skating Club parent who is also the ice show’s publicity representative. “It’s a show that really brings the community together,” says Griffin. This year’s show, the club’s 47th, will feature soloists as well as groups of up to 30 skaters, who begin practicing for the show right after March break. The skaters who will be performing include children of all ages and skill levels, who skate recreationally, competitively and on synchronized teams.
“This ice show brings all of those different elements together,” she says, explaining that one of the best features of the show is that “it gives everyone an opportunity to be in the spotlight.” The show itself will be performed four times over the course of the weekend. “The excitement really starts to build in mid-March when they start practicing, hearing the music, and they start to get together in their groups,” says Griffin, who explains that skaters often make new friends as a result of the ice show. Tickets for the shows, running Friday, April 19 at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 20 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday, April 21 at 1 p.m., go on sale March 27. Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased at the Crosby Memorial Arena. For more information, visit www.unionvilleskatingclub.com.

There is never a shortage of inspiration for young hockey players in Markham with three of today’s NHL young stars hailing from Markham, two of them who came up through the Waxers minor hockey association. Steven Stamkos, Jeff Skinner and Cody Hodgson represent the latest wave of Markham content to take the NHL by storm, following in the footsteps of current players Raffi Torres, Stephen Weiss and legends Adam Oates and Steve Thomas, before them. It seems that the trio save some of their best performances when playing against their hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Earlier last month Skinner and his Carolina Hurricanes skated to a 4-1 win at the Air Canada Centre thanks in part to his three assists and remarkable skating speed. Two weeks later, he again dinged the Leafs for two more assists, during his club’s 3-1 victory in Carolina. Skinner boasts impressive career stats against the Leafs, with three goals and six assists, from eight games. Hodgson and the Buffalo Sabres toppled the Leafs 2-1, in January, with Hodgson tallying the first Sabres goal and seeing more than 20 minutes of ice time. Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Leafs 4-2 on Feb. 19. It was a typical night for Stamkos, who tallied a goal, taking his career numbers against the Leafs to nine goals and 11 assists, in 17 games. As Hodgson gains more ice and power play time with the Sabres, he too seems likely to appear more on the score sheet and improve on his two points in seven career contests versus the Leafs. Hodgson is enjoying a career year in Buffalo; sitting amongst the top 30 in league scoring. Skinner is at a point per game pace and Stamkos is in the league’s top five for most offensive categories. Less than one year away from the Winter Olympic Games in Russia, both Stamkos and Skinner find their names on many hypothetical Team Canada rosters, compiled by hockey experts. Should Hodgson continue his break-out season and have a solid start next year, Markham residents may be watching three of their own, from local rinks, skating for Canada and Olympic gold on the other side of the world.

UMHA novice team Cutting Edge twins Duncan and Matthew Fletcher celebrate Duncan’s hat trick, solidifying his team’s final win in an undefeated regular season.

Luck didn’t make Milos Raonic the man he is today. Opportunity has helped, but it has been his own hard work and striving for improvement that have taken him to the upper echelon of tennis competition. In his own words, on his Twitter page, he focuses on, “Working hard…aiming to be the best…this is my dream…this is my journey.” Ranked 13th by the World Tennis Association, 22-year-old Thornhill resident Raonic led Canada to a historic Davis Cup triumph this month over a highly touted Spanish team. He personally won two of the necessary three tennis matches for victory, including the series’ fifth and deciding match. The win propelled Canada into the world tournament’s quarter-final round, where they will play Italy, in April. Raonic demonstrated that his winning streak was not limited to the court - two days after his victory, he was in Toronto to donate $70,000 to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. The donation was the first major one from the recently established Milos Raonic Foundation, which helps children reach their full potential by removing both economic and physical barriers. The foundation is currently focusing on children in need of prosthetics. The funds donated to the rehabilitation centre will establish the Milos Raonic Kids Agility Clinic, helping kids who have amputations lead active lives, as well as supporting the development of a low-cost prosthetic knee. While Raonic knows the money will make a big difference in the lives of kids, he concedes on his website that he gets something from it as well saying “I get to fulfill my dream by being at the tournaments and the stadiums I looked up to and being one of the best in the world. As well as I get to make a difference in peoples’ lives. So all these things coming together make me a much happier person.” Back on the court, Raonic will play tournaments in California and Tennessee this month, as preparation for the next round of Davis Cup matches. Following the tie versus Italy in April, Raonic will likely have his sights set on the French Open – the season’s second major tournament. The French Open starts in May and is played on clay; a surface that many tennis experts consider Raonic’s game is best suited. For more information on Milos Raonic and the Milos Raonic Foundation, visit www.milosraonicofficial.com