CSCNO coach evokes a new era of sports enthusiasts

Just a couple of years into his teaching career, Martin Nadeau was disappointed to find out, upon returning to Sudbury, that his new placement — École St-Denis — did not field elementary basketball teams.

A graduate of the Laurentian University physical education program, Nadeau had enjoyed years of involvement in school sports. So, rather than accept the status quo at St-Denis, Nadeau set the wheels in motion for change. “My passion is basketball,” he said. “If I show my passion, then the kids will get passionate about it, too.”

Nadeau quickly joined forces with an equally driven and energetic group of young Phys. Ed. teachers within the Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO). He had little, if any trouble, finding like-minded allies.

Jamie Lamontagne, Yann Archambault, Denis Castonguay, Alain Mallette, Francine Belanger-St. Jean were among a handful of dedicated educators anxious to create a resurgence of sport within their particular board.

“We wanted to open opportunities for students to participate in leagues similar to high school,” Nadeau said. “At the same time, it would make for an easier transition for students once they want to compete in high school sports.”

Over the past few years, a golf tournament has hit the scene, along with full fledged basketball and volleyball leagues for both boys and girls. Throw in a couple of spring track meets, a softball tournament and the occasional out-of-town trip for Franco competitions, and it’s easy to see the kind of commitment that is needed to facilitate much of this extra-curricular activity.

But Nadeau, like others, had role models to follow. Pursuing his secondary school studies at Heritage and subsequently Sacré-Coeur, Nadeau was immersed in the high school sports scene. “One of my biggest mentors was Ron Dubuc. I had Ron as coach and as teacher — he had a passion for everything he did and that grew on me.”

That enthusiasm is now being passed on to another generation of young athletes. While there were growing pains along the way — Nadeau’s first basketball team won only three games all year long — his efforts are paying dividends.

The St-Denis Tigres girls volleyball team have just capped off a near-perfect season. The young ladies in Grades 7 and 8 posted an impressive record of 29-0, capturing four tournament titles along the way. “This year, it was a little bit of a surprise to go undefeated,” Nadeau said. “I said the road might be tougher this year because I had no club players on my team.”

In the end, Nadeau said he believes that fact may have proven to be the biggest single benefit, forcing each and every player to raise the level of their game. “It’s always about trying to make every individual better,” he said. “If each one of them becomes better, then as a team, we become better.”

The part-time basketball official was also blessed with a group of highly motivated young ladies. “They really wanted to win the Marymount Tournament this year. We lost in the finals to C.R. Judd — a great team — last year.”

This time around, St-Denis bested the Northeastern Cougars to win gold at a local competition that draws a number of the most elite teams from all of the local school boards.

The 2010 edition of the St Denis girls volleyball team is just the latest in a string of groups from the school which have featured high-end athletes. And like other teachers, both in the CSCNO and countless other boards across the province, Nadeau appreciates all too well that he is simply one step along the road of life for his students.

“Now I go and ref high school basketball games and I see them. They’re still active, they’re still playing and it’s great to see.”

Randy Pascal is the founder of SudburySports.com and a contributing sports editor for Northern Life.