Scott Jackson has been an active volunteer and successful coach for a number of organizations. He has coached numerous championship teams beginning with the Georgian Grizzlies OCCA champions in 1990. In 1991 his Creemore Senior team were OHA Champions. In 2003 the Orillia Novice A under his guidance were OMHA champions . He has also taken four other minor Hockey teams to the OMHA finals. In 2009, Jackson’s Barrie Minor Hockey Bantam A team won the OMHA championship. Jackson was appointed coach of the 2009/2010 BMHA Minor Midget A team and immediately faced a difficult situation. One of the players, Adam Fedosoff, had a relapse and began anew his battle with leukemia. Jackson organized the BMHA equipment swap at the NTR rink. With the assistance of his team players and their families, they money raised went to assist the Fedosoff family in a difficult time. With Jackson’s guidance, the players of the team rallied to support their teammate by organizing a team visitation schedule, pre-game chalk talks with Adam by cell phone, photo galleries with game up dates and numerous tournament championships in Adams honour. All of this was to ensure that Adam was surrounded by team support. The coach, of course, took his turns at visiting Adam in Sick Kids. Jackson has offered to continue to organize the BMHA‘s annual equipment exchange. Jackson’s 2009/2010 Minor Midget A team went on to win the York Simcoe league championship. Through his businesses, Jackson also regularly donates gifts either in kind or financially to the BMHA community efforts. Jackson is well respected within amateur hockey communities and players gravitate to him always eager to meet his coaching expectations.
Other nominees for the 2009 Coach/Team Official of the Year were:
Denis Kavaritzis’ nomination is for his recent successes with soccer teams in the Barrie area. However, he has been a respected soccer coach for over 15 years in Barrie. He has coached at various levels, from House League, All-Star, Representative, high school soccer teams. Kavaritzis also holds his level 1, 2, 3, Sr. and community Refereeing certification. Coaching is his passion but he has also had the opportunity to referee at a number of high-level soccer games. During Kavaritzis’ coaching career, his teams have won the Ontario Cup and taken the divisional title for Boys Soccer. Although he is not a teacher, Kavaritzis is so passionate about the sport of soccer, he volunteers his time to coach at Eastview High School. He has coached the Junior and Senior Boys Eastview Wildcats for 5 years. His Eastview teams have won the Georgian Bay Secondary School Association divisional title twice giving them the opportunity to represent this area at the Ontario Federation of Secondary School (OFSSA) provincial championships. For the last two years, Kavaritzis has also coached the Eastview Junior Girls Soccer team with hopes of eventually bringing the GBSSA and OFFSA girls titles to Barrie. Last year Kavaritzis also coached the Under-11 Boys Barrie Representative Soccer Team as well as an Under-13 Barrie Girls All-Star Soccer Team. The U13 Girls team participated in four competitive tournaments winning three of the four tournaments. In the three tournaments that they won, not a single goal was scored against the team. The U13 girl’s soccer team had the best record of all the Barrie All-star teams in the 2009 Season. In 2010, Kavaritzis will again be coaching a Barrie Girls All-star team and a Barrie Boys Representative Soccer Team. You can also bet when high school soccer begins, he will be guiding the Eastview Soccer teams. Kavaritzis dedication and commitment to soccer in Barrie goes well beyond what anyone expects of a volunteer. He is well respected by players, parents and members of the Barrie Soccer community.
