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

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.