TFS - Canada's International School

The coaches behind TFS teams bring energy, expertise and dedication to the aspiring athletes. All the coaches receive regular training and Mr. Turner is pursuing a master's degree in coaching. The coaches' belief in the importance of sports can be seen schoolwide. Simon Fecteau-Boutin, volleyball coach, brings his experience on the national beach volleyball team to each practice. "It's great for me to coach," he shares. "I'm training and competing on the national team, and I can pass along everything that I learn. My goal when I'm playing is to improve and so it's even more fun for me to see how the boys and girls improve when I coach them." The work paid off for the Boys' Under 16 volleyball team this year; they enjoyed an undefeated season and won the championship 14 TFS - Canada's International School for TFS, the first in our history for the boys. M. Fecteau-Boutin is hoping for great things for the Senior Girls' team this winter as well. "The competitive program is well-organized for the students and the facilities are great, too." An added benefit for the teams? "I coach the boys and girls almost completely in French, so they're living French in a highly competitive environment." A TFS athlete herself, Chantal Malcolm, now a physical education teacher and coach, sees how students become more interested in playing when the environment is right. Ms. Malcolm notes that TFS students are attracted to the new, well-maintained and accessible facilities. "Many students come out just to play during lunches now," she says. "With more recreational time, more students Photography: Rob Waymen " ore students are developing their skills, M and that leads to more students trying out for teams." – Chantal Malcolm are developing their skills and that leads to more students trying out for teams." The pure numbers have a real impact on the breadth of teams a school can offer. "We try to get as many students to try out as possible, so that we can compete at more age levels," explains Ms. Malcolm. "In volleyball this year we have six teams and you can see real progress as students can compete at a higher level, and against better teams." For the U14 volleyball team last year, the numbers translated into a championship win in CISAA. "It was the first team I coached to the win, and it was so exciting for me and the girls!" Gilles Galipeau, who teaches physical education and organizes the Junior School's co-curriculars, agrees that the new facilities built in 2002 and 2003 are pivotal to today's sports successes. The school's FIFAregulation size artificial turf Play & Sports Field was added in 2008. "With such a big physical overhaul, we were able to grow our number of teams substantially," he explains. "With that growth, we could strengthen our traditional sports, such as gymnastics and soccer, but expand into new sports as well, such as curling, rhythmic gymnastics, flag rugby and road hockey." Additional time on the field and the courts has also made a difference: "When athletes have more time to train, the natural result is that the play becomes stronger." A real testament to TFS' athletics program is the number of alumni who are competing at a high level in university and beyond. Robyn Pearson '12, who was recruited from TFS to Queen's University's women's basketball team, was named Queen's female athlete of the week in fall 2012. While at TFS she was an outstanding athlete, receiving the Ivar Luksep Memorial Sportsman's Award and The Steve William Karrys Family Scholarship for excellence in academics and athletics. She also served on TFS' athletics council, setting a foundation for leadership. Other notable recent alumni include Marc McGuire '12, who runs for the University of Toronto track team; Mark Gera '11, who played ultimate frisbee for Western University, and Michelle Cook '03, originally from the Mississauga campus, who played volleyball for both Laurier and Ryerson universities. A quick look at the past year alone is enough to make the TFS community cheer on its teams; with such a strong foundation for the future, it's exciting to imagine how far TFS sports can go.

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