Holy Trinity Catholic High School has been named the host of the 2022 Girls OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) AA Soccer Championship, happening later this spring.
The event will be hosted at Henderson Memorial Park from June 2-4, welcoming 20 school teams and 600 players from across Ontario.
Holy Trinity volunteered to host the event that has been dormant since the start of the pandemic. The school has a seven-medal history participating in the OFSAA tournaments.
“We are honoured to welcome (the student-athletes, their friends and families). This is a tremendous achievement for both Holy Trinity and our community – marking the first time this tournament has been held in the town of BWG," Bradford West Gwillimbury Mayor Rob Keffer said at the school's announcement on Wednesday. “Thank you to our devoted educators for their commitment to our young athletes, ever instilling the skills of sport, perseverance and dedication into our future leaders."
Heinrich Bebie, principal of Holy Trinity, says that after two years of COVID, the students need to “get back into sports, clubs and activities” in school. He says that OFSAA, a not-for-profit organization, is instrumental in promoting mental health and well-being among students and that it’s the volunteer coaches who need to be thanked for their dedication to the sport.
Jayme Davis, Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) athletic lead, says more than 1,000 people will be expected to attend the event – and that even if Ontario’s health restrictions change, the event being held outdoors offers an advantage. She says OFSAA typically has a three-year calendar of hosts, giving schools plenty of time to plan, but Holy Trinity doesn't seem phased by the three-month timeline.
Denny De Oliveira, Holy Trinity's co-curricular chairperson, soccer coach and OFSAA championship convener, says he always thought it would be amazing to host an OFSAA tournament in Bradford. Once COVID hit, this dream was put on the back burner, until the opportunity presented itself this year.
“We are going to celebrate Bradford, our kids, and our community,” De Oliveira said. “We are going to celebrate who we are now, and who we were in the past.”
De Oliveira says that while their championship design logo is not completed yet, it will embrace the Holland River and hopefully the migrant and immigrant community.
“This will be one of the best OFSAAs ever,” De Oliveira says, “because it will involve everybody – it’s a community thing.”
Holy Trinity teacher Craig McLaughlin’s media students will be at the tournament broadcasting some of the games, which McLaughlin says is a good opportunity and experience.
Holy Trinity alumnus Ashley Campbell attended the event announcement on Wednesday. She played on Holy Trinity’s soccer team. She went on to play for Dayton University’s team, breaking a squad record with 63 career goals. De Oliveira showed immense pride when introducing Campbell.
“This is what it's all about," he said.
David Miguel, technical director at Union FC, a soccer club in Bradford, says this is a great opportunity, especially for young female athletes.
“They have had their own struggles with dropout rates, beyond what we have dealt with in the last two years," he said, "It would create an opportunity for girls in the community to see higher-level soccer and be inspired to not give up.”
Scot Gorecki, SMCDSB superintendent, thanked De Oliveira, Bebie and Davis for the hard work they are doing to make the OFSAA tournament the best possible.
Keffer closed with words of motivation, encouraging community members and local businesses to attend the tournament and to help cheer on the Holy Trinity Tigers and other competitors, and to consider further involvement by sponsoring the local team and the tournament.
