Angus Roy, a native of Mississauga, was a promising young baseball pitcher in the late 1990’s. He played for four years at the Valparaiso University in Indiana. Roy returned to Canada to attend the University of Toronto in 2002. In 2003, the Boston Red Sox organization invited him to play for their Class A affiliate in Augusta GA.
In 2004, Roy returned to Canada to play for the Barrie Baycats. This began an 11-year association with Barrie’s entry in Intercounty Baseball League (IBL). In his second year, Roy helped Barrie capture their first IBL Championship. Over the years, Roy has been one of the IBL’s top pitchers. He has also been an IBL all star on several occasions. In 2007, Roy took on the added position of Field Manager for the Baycats. Barrie has reached the IBL finals in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013, each time losing to the Brantford Red Sox.
In January of 2014, the Baycats announced that Roy was chosen to be the team’s next General Manager and would also continue as Field Manager. The team responded to his leadership by finishing in first place in the 2014 regular season with a 30-6 record. In the playoffs, Barrie faced off with their nemesis, the Brantford Red Sox. The series went the full seven games. In the sixth game, Barrie came away with a decisive 14-4 win. In the series final game, in Barrie, Roy’s Baycats finally ended the Brantford Red Sox’s Championship streak with a 5-3 victory. The Baycats then took on the London Majors. London had finished the regular season in second place with a 23-13 record. The Baycats swept London in four games to capture the Dominico Trophy for the IBL championship. In his first year as General Manager, Roy was successful in guiding his team to a first place finish and to the first IBL championship since 2005. In September the Intercounty Baseball League announced Angus Roy was chosen as the First All-Star Team Manager.
Other nominees for 2014 Coach/Official of the year included:
Brad MacArthur a former National Lacrosse League defender who played for Rochester, Montreal, Calgary, and Toronto in a 7 year pro career, is giving back to his sport in a big way. Since retiring he has spent many years coaching and developing minor lacrosse players in Barrie. MacArthur was also the head coach of the 2002 Clarington Green Gaels Junior “B” Founders Cup champions. In 2013, he co-coached the Team Ontario Midget lacrosse team to a Canadian National Championship. He also coached the Barrie Colts Midget AAA OMHA hockey team for a number of years.
MacArthur had a very busy 2014-15 lacrosse season. In November of 2013, after two years as Assistant Coach, he accepted the Head Coach position for the Junior B Clarington Green Gaels. In 2014 The Gaels topped their division with a 17-3 record but bowed out in the quarter finals of the playoffs. In early 2015, after a poor start, the Barrie Blizzards of the Canadian Lacrosse League (CLAX) asked MacArthur to take over as head coach. The team went on to take first place. In the “Creator’s Cup,” symbolic of the CLAX Championship, his team defeated Southwest Cyclops and the Ohsweken Demons to capture the championship.
MacArthur has also been named Associate head coach of the Israel men’s national team that will compete in the 2015 world indoor lacrosse championships in New York.
Kyle Sweezey is a Wrestling Coach at Barrie Central Collegiate Institute (Barrie Central). Under the outstanding tutelage of Sweezey, the Barrie Central Wrestling Team has developed into one of the best high school wrestling programmes in the province as is evident by continually placing in the top 10 schools at OFSSA every year. The 2014 season at Barrie Central, was no exception.
Successful Coaches can often be judge by the accomplishments of their athletes. Sweezey has been extremely successful in producing numerous amateur wrestling competitors at the Provincial, National, and International Levels. In 2014 one of his Barrie Central athletes, Taylor Cartwright, attained: 1st at 2014 Canadian Juvenile (17-18yrs) Championships. 2nd at the “Pan-Am Cadet Championships” in Racife, Brazil. 1st at OFSAA High School Championships” in Brampton. 2nd at “Canadian Junior (18-19yrs) Championships”. Two 2nds at “Austrian Grand Prix” in Gotzis, Austriai. One in (18-19yrs Division) and one in (Senior Division) .3rd at International “Canada Cup” (18-19yrs) in Guelph. 12th at“2014 World Cadet Championships” in Snina, Slovakia. Another Canadian ranked wrestler, Amanie MacLaren won OFSSA this year (2nd in 2014) and has medaled at both provincial and national competitions. Aiden Rambaren another OFSSA Medalist has also achieved provincial and national podium finishes. Canadian Rugby player, Emily Belchos also wrestled, very successfully, for Sweezey. During her years at Barrie Central she had numerous OFSSA, provincial and national podium appearances.
Since 2007 Sweezey has also coached with the Mariposa Wrestlng Club. Other athletes who were coached by Sweezey: Jessica Brouillette (Current Canadian Univ. Champion [2yrs], Can. Junior Champion, International competitor. Raj Gill was Gold medalist at last Canada Summer Games, OFSSA Medalist, provincial and National Medalist. Queens University Rugby Sisters Gillian and Clairaigh Peg, also won numerous OFSSA and provincial wrestling medals during their time at Barrie Central.
Coach Sweezey devotes many volunteer hours preparing each of his athletes physically, technically and mentally. Sweezey also organized the Georgian Bay Wrestling Championships held at Barrie Central in 2014. More than 130 wrestlers from high schools around Simcoe County competed at this event.