List of 3 news stories.

• Coaches' Notes - CAIS Tournament Day 2 Update

  2/3/2018
  
  

  Day 2 is now in the books. It has been a long and amusing affair for our boys to say the least!

   

  Our three-game schedule for the day resulted in three big victories for our group, earning us a berth in the Division 2 semifinals tomorrow morning. While our games against St. John's Ravenscourt (Winnipeg), Hillfield Strathallen College (Hamilton) and Sterling Hall School (our local Toronto billets!) were all fairly close on the scoreboard, they were never really in doubt for us and we were able to play everyone extensively in all three games.

   

  Our day shifted from midtown to downtown Toronto as we went for dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant - Badali's - not far from the Air Canada Centre. From dinner, we went to the game, where our team was represented on the court by our biggest big man, Daniel Héroux, and boys from the other CAIS schools during the singing of the national anthems. Dan stood right next to Raptors star DeMar DeRozan, who put on a show for us tonight as the Raptors blew out Portland.

   

  We have handled this tournament really well so far. Although we lost our third game yesterday to an incredibly competitive and gifted group from The York School (a team that is almost exclusively made up of grade 6's!), the experience primed us for an energetic and positive day overall. We've taken care of business off the court as well, consistently acting in really considerate ways toward the people and places around us. All of our boys have lived through their own unique highs and lows, and when we talk about the value of experiential education, this trip is as good of an example as you can find at Selwyn.

   

  I will sign off now, and catch you all soon. We tip off early tomorrow at 8:30 AM at the Mattamy Athletic Centre against Ashbury College from Ottawa. Win that game, and a 12:30 PM showdown for the Div.2 banner awaits!

   

  Have a great night, and thank you for all the support you have shown your sons this season.

• Coaches' Notes - CAIS Tournament Day 0/Day 1 Update

  2/1/2018
  Day 0, our travel day to Toronto, was a relatively smooth one for the group. Our boys were exceptional coming through Pearson airport, going through security and then settling in at our gate. Our flight, delayed by about 35 minutes, was short and fast and featured a bumpy landing that got our boys applauding the pilots. All the energy that our team often brings to the court showed up once again!

   

  A short bus ride after our arrival brought us to Sterling Hall School, an all-boys K-8 school located in North York. Our hosts have been very organized and promptly connected our boys with their billeting families. With our group off to their new abodes, Coach Maurovich and I settled in and took care of business at the annual Coaches' Meeting.

   

  The CAIS athletics scene is a unique one. There is a great camaraderie among the staffs of all the schools, and it is something that shows up on game days in the way in which we lead our teams through this event. Creating a positive, special experience for all of the boys, regardless of the team outcome on the scoreboard, is the real objective at the heart of all our efforts. I know that our group will walk away with incredible memories, some new friends, and a lot of great stories that will be told and retold for years to come.

   

  We are two games into the tournament so far. We got off to a roaring start against St.-Andrew's College, winning 33-14 against our all-boys rival from Aurora, Ontario. Our bench was quickly emptied and everyone enjoy some quality minutes on the court.

   

  Game #2 saw us play a perennial power, St.-George's School from Vancouver, in a fierce and competitive battle. Down by two at the half, we ended up losing by seven points, but walked away with our heads held high. St.-George's would be one of the top teams in our GMAA league back in Montreal, so we have no hard feelings losing to a great group such as theirs.

   

  We will play game #3 in about 15 minutes, against The York School, another GTA team. Win the game and we will go into the "Championship" bracket of the tournament, lose it and we will compete on the "Division Two" side of the draw. Both roads will offer up their share of challenges and opportunities, but we sense that our group is up to the task!

   

  We will keep you posted on how the days go. So far, the boys have been outstanding citizens - more than any game result, we are proud of how we are "scoring" in the game of life.

• Great team effort powers Gryphons over Riverdale!

  1/11/2018