I hand't interviewed in a while but I thought that I performed well, but unfortunately, Michelle phoned to say that they had chosen to go with an BB buddy, John Grace. Considering John's CIS and Basketball Canada experience, I wasn't really all that upset about them choosing him. Well, as luck would have it, the experience wasn't what John had in mind and his tenure as head coach was short lived. Michelle came calling again, and this time I was successful. I must confess that most of the experience was enjoyable, fulfilling and uplifting ... most. One of the challenges of coaching in the OCAA at Georgian College is that prospective athletes are looking for a break on the high cost of post-secondary education ... Something that I had no $$$ to operate with. I was blessed with some really talented players but the vast majority were local or would have chosen GC anyway.
I would have to confess that my win-loss record at the helm of the good ship Georgian was fraught with many a stormy sea. Part of that is solely on me as head coach; part lies at the feet of the players; a small part was some bad luck. Regardless of "dubs", I still managed to smile, chuckle and feel I was making a difference. I was privileged be assisted with some really talented young coaches like Scott Seeley and Matt Coulson, and the learning was a two-way benefit. Matt eventually succeeded me as head coach and has enjoyed considerably more success than I, a credit to his abilities. In the end, despite actively seeking the opportunity, my basketball heart lay in coaching high school athletes. I would like to thank all of the young men who chose to be a part of those years because I really felt that we had a positive relationship. To that end, I remain in contact with a number of them through social media and I'm thrilled to see them march headlong into adulthood, family life and the pursuit of career goals. I would list them all but I feel like I would forget someone, hurt their feelings and regret it forever so I'll collectively give 'em all props. I would be remiss if I didn't offer a prayer for the untimely passing of one of them, Mychal Gilles, a Barrie North grad and long-time Barrie Royals athlete.
As luck would have it, shortly after my basketball time, John Daggett (GC State men's rugby Head Coach) was looking to "restock the stable" and he came calling. That began a 4multi-year escapade into OCAA rugby and more Trials + Tribulations of the college athlete. Looking back, it was an experience that I do not regret taking a chance on but the big difference was that I came aboard as Devil's Advocate, allowing me to investigate a role I had not previously held. My high school team, The Barrie Central RFC, had not enjoyed a great relationship with GC rugby over the years. We had enjoyed great success locally and at OFSAA, so naturally, some of our players were interested in using Georgian to further their education AND were interested in continuing to play some rugby. Since so many returned with messages of disappointment, we were leery of recommending the program as a "good" choice. When John took over in 2013, I begin to hear rumours that things were changing as the result of a large shake-up. I soon found out that John was forged in the same fire as Ron Andrews and we quickly created a great friendship through our mutually beneficial thoughts and ideals with coaching rugby. It didn't hurt that John had amassed a formidable group of rugby minds with the likes of Brandon Kirkwood, Josh Morgan, Mike Sabourin, and Paul Lemmon.
Rugby in Canada is a fringe sport, at best, and with apologies to many parts of Ontario, there aren't a lot of great high school programs that funnel well trained, tough, highly skilled rugby players to the Barrie area. Many of the players that have chosen GC State are from the quality high school programs in this area; programs that have been consistently in the hunt for OFSAA medals. Coupled with that, the Barrie Rugby Club has the poster-child for building success over the past few years ... Years where the management group for the club looked very similar to the group at GC ... Go Figure? When you add all of that into the bowl, blend in some occasional luck recruiting, and spice it up with some OCAA medals, you get a pretty awesome product. It has been a bit of a wild ride that has resulted in a 2014 Bronze, a 2015 Silver, a 2016 Gold, a 2017 Bronze and a 2018 Silver. Winning never gets old and, although I feel very proud to have made a small contribution, the bulk of the credit goes to John Daggett for his amazing leadership, commitment, passion and talent!
I have decided that the time to hang up the whistle for good is nigh. I have already made that tough decision at the high school level and, in my soul, I feel it is appropriate to complete the loop and step aside at the end of this season. I can't thank Georgian enough for letting me be involved. I'd love to take the opportunity to thank Michelle, Varsity Coordinator Jeff Harris, Athletic Therapists Carly and Darcy, the coaches I've been blessed to work with and all of the other people who played a role in making it memorable. I'll walk away with zero regrets ... How many people get to say that?
SIDE NOTE: Of course, it never hurt that some of my former Central and North players chose GC as their post-secondary stop and they have had a hand in the success that GC has enjoyed over the past few years.
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