Why are Sports so Important to Me?

“I firmly believe that sports saved my life….”
~Kate~

As a little girl, I was experiencing a lot of difficulty in school. Nothing seemed to be keeping me focused on my studies and certainly nothing seemed to be making me happy. All avenues had been explored and it was a critical time for me as a student. It took the intuition and care of one Grade 4 teacher, Mr. Ricuitto, to ask my parents’ permission to have me join the school basketball team. I was a grade too young, but the school made an exception. I excelled beyond everyone’s expectations, and was almost instantly, a different child. I grasped onto sports with all of my heart and have enjoyed a life of being a competitive athlete, both locally and provincially for the past 3 decades.

Through elementary school and high school, I played any sport that would have me.  My passion was competitive basketball and track and field (sprinting and javelin). At a young age, I was travelling all through the United States with my travel basketball team. An abrupt injury terminated my basketball career in high school and devastated me.  I turned to the try-outs of other teams,  to find another sport. Who knew that badminton and volleyball would be the sports that carried me through at the University and Provincial circuit.

I have played competitive indoor and beach volleyball for over a decade, having competed in the OVA and provincial club circuit.  I was also a member and captain of the McMaster Marauder Badminton team for 4 years as I was earning my degree in Kinesiology. My most prized award was the Athletic Scholar Award – which was given to varsity athletes who achieved a high grade point average.

Throughout my life, I have coached hundreds of children in dozens of sports. I have coached a Special Olympics Bowling team in the Hamilton region and also worked for the Easter Seal’s community in their summer programming.

I have seen the positive effect of sports in my own life, and have been a witness to its changing forces in the lives of the students I have taught and coached over the years.

I am so very proud to be endorsing KidSport Ontario.