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Sarnia - Lambton County January 2011 1
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Sarniasports Magazine Editor / Publisher Andrew Brethauer Sales and Marketing Pat Brethauer Writers Dan McCaffery James Grant Dr. Mike Anning Andrew Brethauer Photograhpy Pat Brethauer Canadian Chiropractic Association
CONTENTS 4
Eight in Eight
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Before the Ice
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Year in Review
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An Expert Shot
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The Brock Street Barn
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Retrofitting The Russ
By Andrew Brethauer By Dr. Mike Anning
By Andrew Brethauer Sarnia Sports Hall of Fame By Dan McCaffery By James Grant
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EIGHT IN EIGHT
Eight championships were awarded in Sarnia in eight days, and Sarniasports was there to cover them all. BY ANDREW BRETHAUER
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n athlete will raise a trophy once per year in their sport. They will taste the sweetness of victory while handing out the bitterness of defeat. They have an hour, maybe two, to showcase their talents one last time in front of fans, family and media. One final game before they hang’em up for another season. And while each athlete sweated for their team, and stood tall besides their teammates in moments of triumph or adversary, Sarniasports was there to watch them succeed.
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Between November 6th and 13th, eight championships were decided in the city of Sarnia. In eight days, eight teams raised their hands in victory one last time, and hoisted banners and trophies over their heads, while eight others looked on in what could have been. Three football teams pounded the gridiron, while two volleyball squads and two basketball teams became kings
and queens of their court. And one hockey team skated to glory after a day long tournament, all celebrating with cheers and a group photo with their trophy in the middle. The Razor Claws become SMAA Tyke Football Champions on a fresh field of snow. On their two opening drives they would find the end zone, and never look back. The Inferno would give chase as the Razor Claws punched in touchdowns, and extra points sailed over the uprights on route to victory. Their coach presents them with their trophy and congratulations on a terrific season. Razor Claws 42 – Inferno 8 Keyshawn Jordan would juke through defenders, on his way to three touchdowns in the Atom Football finals. His Storm would find wide open field, and leave the Avengers pumping their legs to try and catch up before the goal line was crossed. But the Storm engulfed the field, striking the end zone with thunder-
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ous cheers from fans in the stands. Jamie Campbell would scramble for touchdowns and throw to wide open receivers for the Avengers, but a big lead is a hard thing to break. Storm 44 – Avengers 16 The raging Toro’s put their heads down and crashed into the defensive line as they moved the ball down field in the second half of the Peewee finals. Ramone Bustillo found his gaps, lowered his shoulder and pounded through the Sabre Cats defence on his way to the end zone. But Koby Lundy would keep things close, diving for the end zone, crossing the plain with outstretched arms But the Toro’s would enjoy wide open field as they stamped for touchdowns. Toro’s 46 – Sabre Cats 22
The Gridiron could finally rest. SMAA Football was done for a season. Equipment would be returned, and team names would be inscribed on trophies. Three championships were awarded with five still unclaimed. Tasting defeat once in hard, but tasting it twice can be a long lasting feeling. The Northern Vikings gave St. Thomas of Villanova that taste after their victory in Shamrock Invitational Tournament, handing Villanova their second loss in two years for the Shamrock championship. Each team held a period for their own, and by the third, there was a tension in the player’s movements. One mistake could cost a championship. Each pass, each shot was made with an extra second of awareness. Goalies held on tight to pucks slapped into their padding, and defensemen checked back to make sure no one got behind them. Nic Sansom would get his chance. A rebound comes to his stick, and as Nick Switoschick tries to slide across for a save, Sansom sends the disc between his legs. Northern would hold on to raise the plaque. Northern 2 – St. Thomas of Villanova 1 Indoors at Lambton College, St. Clair and St. Christopher’s do battle in junior and senior volleyball.
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The junior St. Clair Colts played extend the Colts lead in the third. for their undefeated record; the Doug Kee would stay on serve, getCyclones to defend their champi- ting helps with blocks at the net. The Cyclones would try a comeback, but the lead was to strong. Perfection was obtained. St. Clair 3 – St. Christopher 1
onship. Over the net the ball was smashed into waiting arms that reached over from the other side. A second set lead of eight by St. Clair falls to one, and then a loss of set, as the Cyclones even things at one each. But perfection would rein supreme. The Colts take control of the match. Joel Leckie with a smash to
“This is an epic match,” says a fan in the stands as St. Clair and St. Chris rest before the final set of the Senior Volleyball game. “It’s a shame they only play to fifteen.” The back and forth match would be tied 2-2 heading into the fifth set. Tensions were high, the boy’s faces were drenched in sweat, but the animal instinct still remained as Seth Hellinga smashes the ball to the floor and lets out a roar as his body tenses as he clenches his fists. But Martin Popiel would send a hush over the Colt crowd as he reaches his arms above the tape on the net and blocks two smash attempts to bring his team back into the lead. They switch courts with the Cyclones ahead. No give or take, as
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each team brought a new level of intensity to the final minutes of the match. Kalen Hellinga with a kill and the Colts get their first match point. Every touch the ball makes on the hands of the Cyclones puts a heavy hand of tension on the court. Joe Clancy with a chance to tie, but his kill goes wide. St. Clair’s win echo’s throughout the gymnasium, as fists pump for victory, and index fingers reach high. St. Clair 3 – St. Christopher 2 Perfection is not always a sure sign for a win. A championship has to be earned down to the final point. As the Lady St. Christopher Cyclone basketball team showed, sometimes being at the big game before, helps in the end. The Northern Vikings were undefeated coming into the finals, but their perfect season would be interrupted by the Cyclones, who at the half held a four point lead. The Vikings would put
up a run of points to take the lead, but holding the lead proved difficult. The Cyclones stormed the net, hitting free throws and jump shots to put them up comfortably. As the final minutes ticked away, the Cyclones pushed the ball around the perimeter. They would keep their plaque for another year. St. Christopher 42 – Northern 28 But Northern would get a plaque. The Senior Vikings found success in their championship through continued shooting. Amanda Orr would send three pointers through the
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air and swish into the net. Rachel Green would drive hard into the valley of Colt defenders with their arms up high for a block. But a put off the glass would continue a Viking push for a championship. St. Clair would clang of the rim with their shots, hitting the back board and the ball would fall wide. Their shooting had gone silent. The Vikings pressed and clock would run out on any chances of a comeback. Northern 51 – St. Clair 31
And after their time in the spotlight, all that remains is a memory of the glory they shared together, and a team photo with one finger raised.
There was a little of everything in eight days. Comebacks, perfection, blow outs, close games, and upsets. But all eight shared intensity; a desire to win and a will to succeed.
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BEFORE THE ICE
Hockey Preparation: Proper Warm up and Stretching Routine
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BY DR. MIKE ANNING t is an exciting time of year in Lambton County- a time when individuals, young and old, head to the ice rink to enjoy our national pastime, hockey. As with any high intensity sport, injuries are common and can occur with participation. A proper warmup and cool down should be utilized to ensure that every player can optimize performance and prepare against unwarranted injury.
know that sometimes “real life� gets in the way of being able to complete a full warm-up before every practice and game. There are outside distractions that are sometimes unavoidable. The rigors of travel and time commitments, sometimes not being able to get into your dressing room right away, and shortened on-ice warm up times are all inconveniences that can negatively affect your proper game time preparation. However, to ensure As a hockey player myself, I you have the best chance to play
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to your peak performance and remain injury free, a proper warm-up and stretching routine should be included in every player’s regime.
GENERAL WARM UP
muscle temperature, respiration rate and decreases viscosity of the joint fluids, also helping to increase flexibility. All of these things help prepare the body for the demands of sport.
PRE GAME STRETCHING A warm-up is important before any ROUTINE athletic activity, hockey included. A hockey warm up is a little different from other sports, as it should be divided into two separate entities, a general warm up that can be done in the dressing room, at the rink, or in the parking lot, as well as a specific warm up that is done on the ice before the start of the game. The key aspect of the specific warm up is that it needs to be done on the ice. Getting a proper warm up is most important for road games, when you may be stuck sitting in a car for up to 2-3 hours before the game. Simply getting to the rink 10-15 minutes earlier and walking around the arena, and getting the body warm, could drastically decrease your potential for injury. The general warm-up, which can be done in the dressing room, parking lot or arena stairs, should last 5-10 minutes and should consist of fast walking, jogging, skipping or any activity that increases the heart rate. A general warm-up increases blood flow to muscles, deep
A pre-game stretching routine is beneficial as part of your pre game preparation. It is important to make sure that you do your “general” warm up first, to ensure that your muscles are warm and prepared to do stretches. Never stretch a cold muscle. Stretches should be comfortable, make sure that you don’t over stretch or bounce when stretching. Some examples of hockey specific stretches that may be utilized at the rink are: 1. Hamstring Stretch Lay on your back and bend one knee towards the ceiling. Hold the back of the thigh with both hands and straighten the knee as much as you can by raising your foot towards the ceiling. Hold the stretch for at least ten seconds, then bend the knee and straighten again. You should feel the stretch along the back of the thigh. Repeat two to three times on each leg. January 2011
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2. Groin Stretch Stand with your feet slightly wider apart than your shoulders. Bend your knees. Shift your weight to the right l e g . Slowly reach down a n d across your body with your left hand to touch y o u r right foot. P o i n t y o u r right hand up to the ceiling. Keep your back parallel to the ground. Shift your weight to the left leg. You should feel the stretch in the groin area. Repeat 10 times on each side.
ing pelvis and hips stationary. You should feel the stretch in the front of the hip. Hold for ten seconds and repeat five to ten times on each side.
ON-ICE WARM-UP
Once a general warm up and stretches are completed, it is time for the on ice warm up. It is important to use the on ice component of the warm up to practice your hockey specific skills. Sometimes the on ice warm up can be as little as 3 minutes before the start of the game. Due to high ice time costs, this aspect of the game is almost always sacrificed in order to maximize playing time. It’s very important that every player is ready to warm-up as soon as the buzzer sounds and no on ice contact is wasted. As a hockey player, y o u 3. Hip Flexor Stretch should a l Stand with your feet shoulder-width ready b e apart. Step forward with your right foot into a lunge position. Your right knee should be directly over the toes of your right foot. Keep your left leg and your back straight. Extend your arms straight in front of you and bring your palms together. Turn your upper torso to the right keep-
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“warm� and have the body ready to play from the general warm-up and stretches. The on ice specific warm up should be used to test your skate blade edges, practice turning, stopping, stick handling and to take some practice shots. If you are trying to use your on-ice warm up to get warm you are going to be losing valuable contact time with the ice and are losing an opportunity to practice skills while your trying to warm your body.
ing in a proper warm up and stretching routine, you will be helping to prevent injury and making sure you are prepared to play your best.
Dr. Michael Anning, is a Chiropractor/Kinesiologist, practicing at the Sarnia Chiropractic and Performance Centre. Dr. Anning is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA, and is a certified acupuncture provider through the Acupuncture FoundaBy simply taking the extra 10-15 tion of Canada Institute. Dr. Anning minutes to prepare your body for the is the Chiropractor for the Sarnia demands of the sport, by participat- Legionnaires Junior Hockey team.
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2010 YEAR IN REVIEW A look back at the accomplishments in Sarnia - Lambton
January Michael
Marinaro (Point Edward) Margaret Purdy (Strathroy) win Gold Medal at 2010 BMO Skate Canada Junior Nationals after finishing first place in both the short program and their free skate.
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held and competed in the annual Silver Stick tournaments. Sarnia Midget A Lady Sting finished second in their tournament.
Sarnia Lady Midget AA come second in Sarnia Silver Stick Tournament Dominique Pegg of Sarnia Ontario, a member of the Bluewater Gymnastics Club Inc., won the all-around silver medal in the Senior F.I.G. category at the 2010 WOGA Classic in Frisco Texas. Northern Vikings defeat the LCCVI Lancers 2-0 for back-to-back
24 Lambton Cup titles. This is the 5th year in a row the two teams have met in the finals.
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March LCCVI defeats Northern 2-0 in Girls LSSAA Hockey finals.
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Northern Vikings win SWOSSAA Senior Girls ‘AAAA’ volleyball final against Massey (Windsor) in 5 sets.
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St. Christopher Cyclones defeated the General Amherst Bulldogs by a score of 5-3 in the SWOSSAA “A/AA” boy’s hockey final
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North Vikings defeat Villanova 3-0 in 3A/4A SWOSSAA boys hockey final
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Sarnia Jr Sting Major Bantam MD and Atom A/AA hockey teams win Alliance Playoff Championship and head to provincials
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April Huron Lakers Atom Girls #1 Basketball team capped their season with a second straight gold medal by winning the AA Ontario Provincial Championships Sarnia Lady Junior Sting Bantam A team competed in the Ontario Women’s Hockey League Provincial Championships and Gold medal. St. Clair Girls’ Rugby team captured the Ohio Rugby Classic Championship in Columbus Ohio
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May The Northern Vikings girls and boys Senior Soccer teams shut out St. Christopher’s in LSSAA finals. Sarnia Sturgeon Bantams play first game in franchise history, as the Sarnia adds three new teams to the Sturgeon franchise.
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June 1
1 The SCITS Blue Bombers defeat the LCCVI Lancers 2-1 in a best of three series to capture the Boys LSSAA Baseball Championship.
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Sarnia native and former Sarnia Bee’s player Dino Ciccarelli is named to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
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Sarnia Fury U14 Girls soccer was tournament champions at the Cambridge Heritage Soccer Tournament.
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Sarnia Pacers Tyke and PeeWee teams won Zone Championships and head to provincials.
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Sarnia Spirit U-15 Girls Soccer team captured the championship at the St. Thomas Soccerfest tournament.
2010 Royale Cup Canadian Junior Girl’s Golf Championship held at Saw Mill Creek Golf Course in Camlachie. Sarnia Produce win their first Subway Cup in Sarnia Men’s Industrial Soccer league over 35 division.
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September The Sarnia Jr Rookie Braves won the first ever AAA Ontario Baseball championship.
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Sarnia Fury Girls U-12 District team capped off an undefeated League Season by defeating the Wallaceburg Sting in the Finals of the Lambton Kent District league.
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October Sarnia Hockey unveils their new logo for House League to be worn on all jerseys. Northern Vikings Jr Girls and St. Christopher Cyclones Jr Boys take Jr Soccer titles in LSSAA Finals. The Northern Vikings won both the junior and senior boys LSSAA football championships over the St. Christopher Cyclones.
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November
Huron Lakers Atom Girls #1 Basketball team capped their season with a second straight gold medal by winning the AA Ontario Provincial Championships. Sarnia Lady Junior Sting Bantam A team competed in the Ontario Women’s Hockey League Provincial Championships and Gold medal. St. Clair Girls’ Rugby team captured the Ohio Rugby Classic Championship in Columbus Ohio.
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December Sarnia ‘Green Machine’ Sabers capture Gold at the Tim Horton’s Christmas Tournament.
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An Expert Shot
years Canadian Champions in the late 1940’s and in the 1940’s and 1950’s the Wyoming Rifle Club nearly dominated .22 caliber target rifle shooting in Canada.
Merle resided in Wyoming and died at the age of 91 in October 2008, a year after she received her award. The memories of her accomplishments have been shared with grandchildren and great grandchildren who are amazed at the feats In October of 2007 Merle Scott was of this recipient of the 2007 Earl inducted into the Sarnia Lambton MacKenzie Award. Sports Hall of Fame. The Earl MacKenzie Award recognizes those people involved in sports at least 30 years prior to the year of induction who are worthy of enshrinement.
Merle Scott was an expert shot and also a National Champion with a .22 caliber rifle. In fact the straight shooter was a 1947 Dominion Marksman and Expert Gold Shield winner for a perfect score of 6,000 points (on 60 targets ) after shooting indoors at fifty yards. At the time, the Gold Shield had previously been won by very few women and comparatively few men. The Gold Shield was awarded for all-around proficiency with a sporting rifle and Merle was Canada’s Ladies Champion Rifle Shot in 1947. Merle Scott joined the Wyoming Rifle Club in 1946 competing on a mixed team and a women’s team that were very successful in National Competitions. The Wyoming ladies were for three straight
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The Sarnia-Lambton Sports Hall of Fame is located at Sarnia’s Clearwater Arena. The public can browse through the Sports Hall of Fame, with its many pictures of Sarnia/Lambton’s great athletes, Admission is free.
THE BROCK STREET BARN BY DAN MCCAFFERY
134 Brock Street South is the home of hockey in Sarnia, as thousands of fans have witnessed the history of Sarnia hockey in this historic local arena. nless someone invents a of local fans, it has a high-arched Time Machine, there’s no- roof that really does give it the where left in Ontario where appearance of an old-fashioned you can see hockey the way it used farm building. to be played. From the moment you walk Except, perhaps, at historic Sarnia through the front doors your Arena. senses are awakened to the vivid sights, sounds and smells of yesFor fans accustomed to the sterile, teryear; a whiff of popcorn; young fabricated environments found in fans blowing horns; long, narrow most modern facilities, a visit to this hallways under the stands leadgrand old community rink can be a ing to the dressing rooms; faded delightful surprise. photos on the walls of local legends who went on to perform in Even from the outside you know the National Hockey League. there’s something special about the place. Affectionately dubbed the The town’s colourful hockey his‘Brock Street Barn’ by generations tory literally oozes from the walls
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of this venerable old shrine. Once you cast your eyes on that message, you get an inkling as to why Sarnia has won 16 championships in six decades. You understand, too, why our Jr. ‘B’ teams have been able to send 25 players on to the big leagues, including two who have been enshrined in the Down in the bowels of the rink, the Hockey Hall of Fame. Legionnaires dressing room is a little cramped, but it’s a tidy place, It is, by far, the best record in Westwith each player sitting in his own ern Jr. ‘B’ hockey. This is a team that red-painted wooden stall. Behind expects to win every night. There these young athletes, almost all are off years, of course, but the club of whom are local kids, hang what cares about winning, and everyone the London Free Press has aptly knows it. described as a “terrific” looking uniform. It’s small wonder why, on game nights, you have to wade through On the dressing room door there’s a a sea of fans to get to the stairs. hint as to why this team has been so The modest lobby is almost always successful for so long. A sign reads: crowded, giving the impression that there’s a large gathering even when If you are not willing to give attendance is a little sparse. it everything you’ve got, stop, turn around, go home” Kevin Jordan, author of a respected In the lobby, volunteers sit behind souvenir tables loaded down with everything from jerseys to programmes that celebrate the city’s beloved Jr. ‘B’ hockey club – the fabled Sarnia Legionnaires.
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Ontario arena guide, captured the atmosphere well. “You walk upstairs and into the top of the arena bowl, and a grand old rink opens in front of you,” he wrote. “The whole arena is painted in shades of blue, with sky-blue walls and navy blue trim. The ceiling is high and the seats are comfortable.”
Above centre ice there’s an old clock that was installed not too many years after such fabled heroes as Phil Esposito and Pat Stapleton were toiling for the Legion crew. Around the top of the rink there’s a rail (painted light blue of course!) on which hockey fans have leaned for 62 years, analyzing the action, which unfolds just seven rows below. Standing on the rail is a unique Sarnia tradition. Go to most other arenas around the province and you won’t find rails.
The 2,000 seats, which are made of blue plastic, are not only comfortable, they all have excellent sight lines. The rafters, which arch high into the air, are made of steel. Hanging from them are a whole slew of banners celebrating the multiple championships won by the Legion- The atmosphere once the puck is naires. dropped is electrifying, just as you
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imagine it must have been like back in 1949 when the place first opened. And you’re close enough to the action to hear the crunch of skates cutting through the ice, to detect the boom of pucks bouncing off the goalie’s pads and – in the bottom rows at least– to feel the chill coming from the ice surface. Nor is it loud in the trumped up way you find in modern, antiseptic rinks. Here, the fans aren’t drowned out by the constant blaring of rock music, although a noisy air horn does
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help spectators celebrate Sarnia goals. And there’s seldom a need for the public address announcer to beg people to “make some noise!” It takes you a few moments before you realize something else is different. There are no advertisements plastered on the boards. None painted on the ice, either. Instead, there’s a gigantic Royal Canadian Legion crest adorning centre ice. Like the rink itself, there’s something old-fashioned and classy about that symbol.
Once the puck is dropped you understand straight away why city council opted in 2009 to renovate this magnificent old lady rather than to tear her down. In all, this wonderfully antiquated building has undergone a $400,000 facelift. The improvements include new boards, higher glass, new seats and a new roof.
Writing in his hockey guide, Jordan said when the Sting played in the Sarnia Arena in the mid-1990s, it “had a reputation as being one of the hardest rinks in which to play in the league due to the small ice, the closeness of the fans and the raucous, rowdy atmosphere.”
Anyone attending a Legionnaires game today will tell you that deLegionnaires president Tom Knight scription still applies. believes the Sarnia Arena is one of the reasons why his club leads all 26 of Ontario’s Jr. ‘B’ hockey clubs in attendance year after year. “You can’t take away the charm it has and you can’t duplicate it,” he says. “There aren’t too many of these gems left.” Rob Harwood, Sarnia’s manager of arenas, also speaks of it with a tone bordering on reverence. “People enjoy coming to games here,” he said. “It’s exciting. People are just pumped when they come in here.”
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Errol Russell Park is still the place for Sarnia Braves Baseball, and after countless hours from local support and new funding, it will continue to be for generations.
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hen the Ontario Trillium Foundation announced a grant of $81,100 to the Sarnia Braves Baseball Association this past November, there were more people than one might imagine pulling up fond memories of the past. The money, after all, will be a blessing for maintaining one of Lambton County’s most historic, and age worn, sporting sites. It was a rain soaked weekend back in the year 2000 as we laced up our cleats for game two of Ontario’s ‘AA’ midget baseball championships at Errol Russell Park in Sarnia.
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Retrofitting The Russ BY JAMES GRANT
The aged home of Sarnia Braves baseball was still buzzing even after our first game loss to Peterborough in the opening night rematch of the 1999 final. We had lost that final thanks in part to a poorly placed sprinkler head on the infield of ‘The Russ’.
I remember how proud we were to win at home and just how important Errol Russell had become as it was our home away from home from April to September of the past two years.
We would go on to win an Ontario Junior title in 2002 but the park’s But, 2000 was a different year and decline had begun long before then. in front of hundreds of fans we defeated the Aurora Blue Jays 6-5 af- For all of its history, the field at ter scoring a miracle four runs in our the corner of Devine and Ontario last trip to the plate. Streets has been worn down. No January 2011
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one knows this better than Jim Bigras. He was our midget coach a decade ago and remains in that post today, adding to it the title of President of the Sarnia Braves Baseball Association. If it wasn’t for his work, our park may have well gone the route of so many others in Canada.
outs, a triplex machine and infield groomer. The mesh screening will be redone down the outfield and the Braves organization will be adding foul polls. Steps to improve irrigation will also be looked at. Blackwell Park will also be receiving a boost for 2011 as it’s outfield will be irrigated and the City of Sarnia will be “It was great news when the word adding a flagpole. came through that we would be receiving the Trillium grant. There is a “The Braves organization is looking lot of work at Errol Russell Park that forward to working with the City of this money will allow for that previ- Sarnia on these park projects,” says ously would have not been pos- Bigras. “This money, and co-opersible,” Bigras said. ation, helps improve facilities and systems. It is going to help young The upgrades to Errol will be very kids consider staying in the sport or visible. It will be receiving new dug- convince new parents and children
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The foreseeable future looks very bright as well with the Ontario Champion rookie ball club (5-7 year olds) injecting talent into the very foundation of baseball in Sarnia.
Errol Russell has been the home of Sarnia Baseball for well over half a century. Here the 1962 Sarnia Braves pose for their team photograph.
to give it a shot. This is an ongoing process for us and don’t be surprised to see Tecumseh and Germain Park on the agenda in coming years for upgrades. We have a lot of talented ballplayers currently playing on many strong teams so it’s a great time to move forward.”
The Trillium money is not the only good thing going on with regards to our parks either. Over the past two seasons, Eric Mackenzie has been retrofitting both Errol and Blackwell. The man who I have known for many years likes to go about his work without much fan fare, but as someone who has experienced his ability to turn a regular ball park into something spectacular, he can only be regarded as a local treasure. Bigras estimates the work Mackenzie has accomplished for this community to be worth nearly $50,000 which has been completed all on his own time.
Bigras is right. The Braves will be fielding a strong lineup which in- It has been a perfect storm of posicludes Rookie, Mosqiuto, PeeWee, tivity, so to speak, for baseball in Bantam, Midget and Senior teams. our city recently. It is a great time January 2011
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to see Errol Russell on the mend. Many people forcasted the death of baseball in Sarnia, but, as it was with the players who laced up a decade ago against Aurora, ‘The Russ’ has staged her own miracle comeback in her last trip to the plate. 2011 will be an exciting year. For more information on attending games this summer, visit www.sarniabaseball.ca. Photo’s courtesy of Sarnia Braves
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