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Windsor Aces Hockey Club Windsor Express Basketball Shane Topalovic - Elite Trainer www.nxlathletics.com • 519-984-6607 • shane@nxlathletics.com
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sportsfiles
Valiants Announce Travel Teams Photos courtesy of Nicole Brush
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NOVICE U10
We look forward to another exciting season of Valiants Basketball!
BANTAM U13
MAJOR BANTAM U14
JUEL 19
The club will also be hosting our annual Invitational Tournament on Saturday, December 9th at the University of Windsor Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse
and at Forster Community Hub. If your team is interested in participating, please contact Josh at joshhleeman@outlook.com or Wren at wregidos@sympatico.ca
JUEL PREP U16
ATOM U11
2017-18
For more information on each
team and to check out the rosters, please visit our website at www.windsorvaliants.ca
MAJOR ATOM U12
Windsor Valiants are pleased to announce the travel teams for the 2017-18 season. Teams will consist of Novice, Atom, Major Atom, Bantam, Major Bantam, Midget development team, Juel Prep and Juel.
Windsor.SportsXpress.ca
thelineup
November/December 2017 Windsor/Essex Edition
sportfiles
health&fitness
Entertaining, informative and engaging articles on local athletes, sports and teams.
Informative articles on sports health & fitness.
02 | Valiants Announce Travel Teams
06 | Massage Therapy and Sport Recovery Centre
04 | Border City AC-Indoor Registration
10 | The Health Benefits of Exercise
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06 | WMHA Upcoming Events 09 | Community Sports Spotlight – Peter Cusumano 12 | Learn to play while getting educated 14 | Windsor Essex Football League
teamprofiles Profiling community sports in words and photographs. 05 | Windsor welcomes the Windsor Aces Hockey Club
editor’s note Welcome to SportsXpress, a magazine all about local sports — the players, teams, families, volunteers and fans. We publish real life stories on the full range of community sports and include all ages and skill levels. Every fan, parent, and sports enthusiast can participate by sharing his/her experiences with other fans. We want to make SportsXpress your magazine and www.Windsor.SportsXpress.ca your website, by sending in your comments, story ideas, opinions, articles and photos. Get in the game with us and be connected with your local community sports! Give us a call at (519) 972-3999 or 1 (877) 588-8856 or email us at linda@windsorsportsxpress.ca - from the SportsXpress team
sportsfiles
Border City AC-Indoor Registration 2017-2018 Membership year: 2018 Starts: November 13th 2017 Ends: February 28th 2018 Monday & Wednesday 6:00pm - 7:30pm Sunday - 12:00pm - 1:30pm Location: St. Denis Centre, Dennis Fairall Fieldhouse
Check out our website at www.windsor.sportsxpress.ca
November/December 2017 PUBLISHERS Linda Miklas
linda@windsorsportsxpress.ca 519-972-3999
EDITOR Linda Miklas GRAPHIC DESIGN Chris Lemieux
Indoor Fees: Bantam 13 & Under - $275 Midget 15 & Under - $365 Youth 17 & Under - $365 Junior/Senior/Masters 18 & Older - $400
CONTRIBUTORS
Dean Lapierre, Windsor Minor Hockey Association, Josh Leeman, Windsor Valiants, Shane Topalovic, Next Level Athletics, Laura Ryan, Pursuit Sport Recovery Centre, Pete Cusumano, Tyrone Crawford, Richard Hallett, Mike McKittrick, Dr. Chris Kawala, Keak Biel, Nick Husbands, Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board, Windsor Essex Football League, Joe Byrne, Windsor Aces Hockey Club, Ken Girard, Kurt Downes, Border City Athletic Club and various local sports enthusiasts.
PHOTO CONTRIBUTORS
Windsor Minor Hockey Association, Nicole Brush, Windsor Valiants, Shane Topalovic, Next Level Athletics, Laura Ryan, Pursuit Sport Recovery Centre, Pete Cusumano, Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board, Windsor Express, Smith Physiotherapy, Windsor Pre-Owned Auto Sales Inc., Dr. P.X. Smith Medical Cosmetics, Nick Husbands, Windsor Essex Football League, Courtney Spoiala, Sevillano Legal Services, Maria Klundert, Tim Jarrold, Casey Purdie, Windsor’s Bestseller, Windsor Aces Hockey Club, Bill Chapman, Kurt Downes, Border City Athletic Club and members & fans of the local sports organizations.
Full Year Fees: Bantam 13 & Under - $575 Midget 15 & Under - $610 Youth 17 & Under - $615 Junior / Senior / Masters 18 & Older - $640 * NOTE * The first 50 athletes to register will receive a Border City AC Adidas Knapsack & Name Tag!
Competition Schedule:
US Meet Schedule & Canadian Meet Schedule TBA in December Registration: www.trackiereg.com/BCACIndoor2018 Web Site: www.bordercityac.com Contact: coaches@bordercityac.com
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Windsor SportsXpress is independently owned and operated and is member of the sportsxpress networkmt
Editorial Contributions: Submissions are welcome from writers, photographers, athletes, coaches and individuals. Please contact the publisher. We assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. Contributors are responsible for obtaining all approvals for publication of photos and content prior to submission. All submissions may not be used. We may edit, publish, reproduce, distribute and archive submissions in any form or medium without any compensation. We are not responsible for lost or damaged submissions. Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. Reproduction or transmission of any article, photograph or artwork in any form or by any means without permission from the publisher is prohibited. Windsor SportsXpress is published six times per year. Windsor SportsXpress is committed to protecting your privacy as our customer. We may collect personal information only if it is required for the proper functioning of our business and only share this information with our business partners. The editors and contributors who write for Windsor SportsXpress attempt to provide accurate and useful information and commentary. However the editors, contributors and Windsor SportsXpress cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy of this information. We assume no responsibility for any actions or decisions taken by any readers based on the information provided.
teamprofiles
Windsor welcomes the Windsor Aces Hockey Club
The Windsor Aces are the newest franchise to enter the Greater Metro Hockey League and began their inaugural season this September. The Aces bring a competitive Jr. A hockey program to Windsor-Essex while creating an exciting and positive, community-based environment for young hockey players and fans to enjoy. Their mission is to provide a team environment focused on hockey skill and player development along with education, citizenship and community involvement. They vow to guide the young men representing them to become better hockey players and outstanding members of our community. ’We’re putting a lot of effort into this program. We are here for the long run and want to make a statement from day one. We are
committed to developing and getting the best out of our athletes. Quality coaching and recruiting good kids from good families is a must for us’’ says Joe Byrne, head coach. Ken Girard, Commissioner of the GMHL (Greater Metro Jr. A Hockey League) commented, “We are very happy to have the Windsor Aces join the league. They have a great ownership group, are in it for the right reasons and have big plans ahead.” The team has a nice mix of local players, including junior B graduates, and European players from such countries as Ukraine, Serbia, Germany, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. There are also three American players on the team.
For more information, please visit www.windsoraces.com or contact us at windsoracessocialmedia@gmail.com
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Aces will play a 42 game schedule vs divisional rivals including the Kingsville Kings, the London Lakers, the Tillsonburg Hurricanes, the St. George Ravens and the Niagara Whalers.
11/18
HOME
7:30PM
KINGSVILLE
11/19
HOME
7:30PM
NIAGARA
11/25
HOME
7:30PM
TILLSONBURG
11/26
AWAY
3:00PM
KINGSVILLE
12/02
HOME
7:30PM
NIAGARA
12/09
HOME
7:30PM
KINGSVILLE
12/17
HOME
7:30PM
LONDON
01/06
HOME
7:30PM
TILLSONBURG
01/14
HOME
2:00PM
TORONTO
01/20
HOME
7:30PM
ST. GEORGE
01/27
HOME
7:30PM
NIAGARA
HOME GAMES PLAYED AT ADIE KNOX ARENA – WINDSOR TICKETS 2 FOR 1 WITH COPY OF THIS AD TICKET PRICES ADULT
$8.00
STUDENTS/SENIORS
$5.00
KIDS UNDER 6
$3.00
THE WINDSOR ACES ARE YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD JR. A HOCKEY TEAM
Essex Diesel & Auto
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sportsfiles
WMHA Upcoming Events the Hiatus House were on hand selling things and helping with the day. December 3rd in Novice will be the Kids Christmas party at Adie Knox arena.
Well, we hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and are ready for some hockey. The season has now been in effect for a couple of months and there is a lot happening in the league. November 12 House Minor had ‘Shed the Light’ day, where all the players used purple tape on their sticks and members of
December 16th & 17th is the 8th annual Bob Probert Novice Christmas tournament at South Windsor Arena.
Alumni include: • • • • • • • •
Finally, the NHL All-Stars will be back on Saturday December 16th at 7pm at the Forest Glade Arena to play some of the WMHA Alumni in Support of Diabetes. This fantastic community event will include lots of skill and a lot of laughs and promises to be fun and memorable for all ages.
Larry Murphy Ric Nattress John Ogrodnick Bernie Nicholls Gary Leeman Tom Fergus Tommy Williams Dave Hutchison
For ticket info and all other info for events mentioned above, please visit www.wmha.net Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
health&fitness
Massage Therapy and Sport Recovery Centre * * * *
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Massage Therapy Sport Massage Deep Tissue Myofascial Release Acupuncture Manual Therapy
Fall Special
1695 Manning Rd, Tecumseh 519 979 6422 www.pursuitcentre.com
Two weeks unlimited use in the Sports Recovery Centre for only $25 (massage excluded). Hurry in, there are a limited number of spots available. Act now!
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FUNDRAISING BENEFITS
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WINDSOR’S BESTSELLER
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WINDSORSBESTSELLER.CA (519) 790-8791 Windsor.SportsXpress.ca
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sportsfiles
Community Sports Spotlight – Peter Cusumano Cus’s coaching career began in 1980 at Brennan before heading to Catholic Central in 1987. In addition to basketball, he has coached cross country, track and field, football and baseball.
As in many facets in life, nothing is done in solus. Sport is no different. Without the efforts of volunteers, family, referees, players, spectators and most importantly, coaches, meets would not be held and games would not be played. Coach – Mentor – Friend - Father figure – these are all words to describe a man who has spent decades and countless hours giving to the local basketball community. Peter Cusumano or Coach Cus, grew up admiring the strong work ethic and honest nature of his father. He feels fortunate to have been coached by many greats such as Mike Balo, Ron Innocente and Bruce Patterson.
His decorated career has led to a host of championships including: 7 WECSSAA, 10 SWOSSAA, 3 OFSAA Golds, 2 OFSAA Silvers and 2 OFSAA Bronze. Coach Cus was WECSSAA convenor for 16 years and OFSAA convenor 8 times. Coach also boasts multiple awards including: Coach of the Year Award for WECSSAA, 6 times, OFSAA Leadership in Sport Award, Ken Jaggs Youth Volunteer Award, Queen Elizabeth 50th Anniversary Jubilee Medallion, Father Armstrong Award and Community Volunteerism in Sport Award for Southwestern Ontario. He is also the co-founder of Core City Hoops, established in 1998. As a coach, Cus feels, “we use basketball as the vehicle to empower our players to grow and learn how to be responsible adults and leaders,” and believes his greatest strength is the combination of being able to connect with his players and his desire to win. The greatest impact
Coach hoped to have on his players was to be a good role model, not just as a coach and teacher, but as a father and husband. He claims, “My proudest moments are when I go to their weddings or they return and show me their family pictures with their wife and children and I see that they are good fathers and
husbands with great families.” Cus recalls, “My athletic director, Mike McKittrick, had a line “Never a dull winter”. “There was always something that came up that we had to overcome and every one of those situations was a life learning lesson for me.” As for what the future of Pete Cusumano holds, Cus is currently the Assistant Coach of the Windsor Express and beyond that, he says he is taking things one step, one day at a time. Cus’s impact within the basketball community and community in whole cannot be denied. His legacy will be one to be admired and difficult to replicate. Congratulations Coach on your induction to the Windsor/Essex County Sports Hall of Fame as Builder for the sport of Basketball.
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sportsfiles “You’ve always pushed me to do better on the court. Back then, little did I know, all the small things you taught me would be carried forward throughout my life. You’re always there for those who learned from you, on and off the court. All the achievements we’ve made would not have happened without your priceless guidance. Thank you for everything.”
Richard Hallett, former player “Spent 28 years together. ‘Extremely dedicated and loyal’ to all players and kids he taught. He was a father figure at CCH. Pete was concerned about athletics and academics, and always went above and beyond. 1-800-CALL-CUS was the motto.”
Mike McKittrick, former Athletic Director “Get on the Line! You’ll thank me later!” Coach Cusumano emphasized hard work, team work and unselfishness. He’s the ultimate teacher and his impact on the youth in the community stretches beyond the hardwood.”
Keak Biel, former player “Coach Cus wasn’t just a mentor to us he was like another father figure; he coached us to be great men and then coached us on the court. He led by great example and made sure we were always on the right track. He always went out of his way to take care of us even if that included dipping into his own funds so we could eat or go on a team trip. He taught me a lot about leadership and team work amongst many other things that helped me get to where I am today. My family and I have much love for Cus for the man he is and how he made such a great impact in our city. Congratulations to Cus for all his success and honors. He is a true living legend in the city of Windsor.”
Tyrone Crawford, former player
“Coach Cus is without a doubt the most selfless person I have ever met. There are countless examples of Coach acting as a positive role model for his players. For as amazing as a coach that he is, he is an even better person and has demonstrated that numerous times. I can’t say enough good things about him and he definitely has made a huge contribution to me becoming the person that I am today.” Dr. Chris Kawala, former player
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health&fitness
The Health Benefits of Exercise It is common place for people who are gym rats to be passionate about progress in the gym for many reasons; weight loss, muscle gain, and new personal records to name a few. One thing that really surprises me is that many people forget that exercising is great for your overall health. We, in society, get so caught up with the aesthetic side of
things we overlook the fact that exercising and moving is the front line of keeping us healthy. Our bodies are complex to say the least, and we all have different chemistry when it comes to how our bodies react to the stress we place upon it. Some of us will naturally have the genetics to look aesthetically pleasing on the outside, while on the inside
there may be a whole different story going on. I will try to give you a little bit of insight into the health benefits of exercise. I will emphasis only five points in this article but keep in mind there are many many more benefits that could be placed here as well.
Five benefits you might not realize you are getting when you exercise 1. Exercise makes you happier While it might not thrill you at the moment when you are doing it, a study from Penn State University says people who work out from just a little to a lot experience more pleasant feelings afterwards. When the endorphins (actually a protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) gets released, it helps to kind of reset the brain to feel more at ease, thus reducing stress levels that may have been built up over time.
2. Exercise helps to protect against disease There have been multiple studies showing how exercise helps to strengthen our immune systems and protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, cancer and arthritis along with many other types of illness. As we get older, we face these problems more and more. It is recommended that adults between the ages of 18-64 get 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week. 2.5 hours a week doesn’t seem like a lot when it comes to protecting yourself against these potentially very harmful diseases.
3. Exercising boosts metabolism An increase in muscle mass leads to an increased metabolism because muscle is metabolically active tissue. This means that when you are resting, your body is still having the chemical reactions to either break down or fix the muscle tissue. Muscle tissue accounts for up to one fifth of our resting metabolic rate. In the simplest of terms, this basically means that when you are not working out you are still burning calories.
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health&fitness
4. Exercise increases brain power When we exercise we increase the flow of oxygen to our brains which helps to improve our cognitive functions. Researchers have proven that sedentary people who began a workout regimen improved test scores on memory, quantitative skills, reaction times, and spatial tasks. All this in addition to getting in better overall shape.
5. Exercising gives you more energy I know the myth that you’re thinking; “if I work out, it will make me tired”. Well contrary to what many people think, working out will actually help you get over that fatigue you may be feeling. Studies indicate that one reason for energy increase is oxygen flow to the muscles and more work being done on the chemical side of the equation inside the body. A University of Georgia research study showed you would get a greater energy benefit from working out rather using supplements such as caffeine with sustained activity.
Summary As you can see, working out or exercising gives us so much more than just a pleasing look. I am by no means trying to suggest that having the goal to look good is not important, I am simply trying to show why we all need to be active in our lives. If we look at the big picture and realize that we only need less than 2% of our time during the week to be active, we can help prevent disease, age gracefully, become happier, smarter and overall become much healthier! So if you aren’t already active what are you waiting for? Put the excuses away and just get after it. You’ll thank yourself later!
Meet Shane Topalovic
Shane Topalovic is the owner of Next Level Athletics and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Windsor Express. Shane has also been appointed Director of Health and
Fitness for the National Basketball League of Canada. For more information, call 519-984-6607 or email shane@nxlathletics.com
from Next Level Athletics
Beginning in January 2018, Next Level Athletics will introduce a new 3 month small group training program.
• Comfortable atmosphere • Limit of 6 people per group. • Session times TBD.
The program will include: • A three phase plan • 2 workouts per week in the gym • Nutritional support
Sign up by December 15, to ensure your spot!
For more information, call 519-984-6607 or email shane@nxlathletics.com
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sportsfiles
Learn to play while getting educated Students across Windsor-Essex now have the chance to pursue their passion by devoting their attention to their sport of choice while earning their education. Launched in the fall of 2014, the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board operates sports academies in Windsor at the state-of-the-art Central Park Athletics facility and in Leamington at the Kinsmen Recreation Complex. We offer students from grades 7 through 12 the opportunity to develop their skills in hockey, soccer, baseball, gymnastics and volleyball. This issue we focus on soccer; featuring our skills expert, Nick Husbands. Meet Coach Husbands
Coach Husbands began coaching at the Cardinal Carter Academy, in Leamington, in September 2016. Until 2010, he lived in the UK where he witnessed success achieved from the union of sport and academics. Soccer has been a major part of his life as coach recalls, “we were never far from a soccer ball; apparently I was kicking a ball before I could walk.” He credits much of his passion for the sport to his father, who played in the
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UK at a semiprofessional level. “My wife, Karen, also influences and pushes me to become a better coach; she understands my desire to develop myself further and to help develop the kids I am lucky to work with.” Nick has played at various levels and has gained coaching qualifications through the F.A., working with Chelsea and Southampton FC in their coach development programs. Locally, Husbands headed up UK Soccer, a year round soccer program for children. Coach Husbands works alongside two teacher coaches, John Murracas and Chris Mazar, whom he feels really compliment the program. “I am excited to work with these guys and that reflects on the sessions. Because if we enjoy it, so will the kids.” A typical session starts with dynamic warm up, working on key muscle areas, then a goofy game to get the kids engaged. We then move on to some ball manipulation; a drill focusing on a certain topic (passing/ receiving, 1v1, 2v2, shoot/finishing
etc.). We usually try to end with a small sided game before a final cool down. When asked about his role as a coach, Husbands replied, “certainly to be knowledgeable, professional and inspiring, but also fun. There needs to be a
balance; coach is a coach and not their friend. We want them to know that they are in a safe place to fail; we learn and move on. I truly love the sport and get a real satisfaction from helping a player grow and develop.” In regards to his greatest challenge at the Academy, Coach Husbands claims it is to plan a structured program working with various ability levels and to keep all those kids engaged, while still keeping it fun. On completion of the Academy program, coach reveals that he would really like the kids to develop their core skills in
soccer. Although, he claims, “How amazing is it that we get the opportunity not only to pass down our years of knowledge, but also to help these young people on their pathway through core and life skills that can be learned and developed by playing the game they love.” Coach sums it all up by stating that parents come to him saying, “I have a different child since the Academy started; they are doing homework, are not so tired and are up early for school.” “How exciting to be a part of this amazing program Cardinal Carter has in place.”
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sportsfiles
Thank you from the Windsor Essex Football League Photos by Courtney Spoiala
On October 21st, based on an idea by one of our newest family members, Caranda Alkehani, the WEFL held our first annual parents appreciation day. Our parents lined up across the field opposite their players and after a few words from league vice president, Chad Szorvas, the players presented their parents with a carnation provided to the league by Janette Florists. It was an emotional ceremony and the message was loud and clear - the league does not exist without the time and commitment of our member families.
As this is read, we will have crowned our 2017 champions, and begun planning for next years activities. We look forward to the New Year with optimism and a re-affirmed dedication to the families that compose our league.
Look for new fun from the WEFL in 2018 at www.facebook.com/WindsorEssexFootballLeague See you in 2018!
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226-246-4482 • www.sevillanolegal.ca
20 MIN FREE CONSULTATION Offering practical and cost-effective solutions in: • Traffic Violations (Highway Traffic Act: Speeding, Going through red lights, Failure to wear a seatbelt, Careless Driving, Driving without insurance, Driving under suspension) • Commercial Motor Vehicle - MTO Charges (Helping you save CVOR points) • Municipal By-Law Charges (Licensing charges, Animal control, Snow Removal & Yard maintenance charges) • Slip & Fall Accidents (minor injuries) • Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (financial compensation for victims of violent crimes committed in Ontario) • Commissioning of Affidavits or administering other legal oaths, affirmations or declarations
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info@sevillanolegal.ca