2011 Alumni Magazine - Sault College

Steve McLeod
is right where
he wants to be
Athletics, and a great overall student experience,
among primary goals for Sault College
There has been no shortage of growth at Sault College
in the past several years. Everything from student
enrollment, program offerings, to classroom space and
a whole new academic wing, the school is soaring to
unprecedented heights.
Steve McLeod, an athletic assistant and personal
trainer at the college, has had a bird’s-eye view of this
progress. At the College for the past 15 years – first as
a student in the mid ‘90s and now as a
key staff member – he’s witnessed the
development first-hand.
“The biggest change I’ve seen is the
general direction the college is going in,”
said McLeod, who also teaches part-time in
the fitness and health promotion program.
“We’ve always been student-focused, but I
see it becoming more so every year.”
On this front, he chalks the progress up
to the mandate established by the leadership
team at Sault College, particularly its
President, Dr. Ron Common, whose
goal is to create the best overall student
environment possible.
“We have a lot of staff that are here for
the students,” said McLeod, a graduate of
the college’s first Massage Therapy class in
1999. “Everyone’s on board.”
Not only has he bore witness to the
growth in recent years, he has also been directly involved
in a major part of it. McLeod’s role with the Sault College
athletic department sees him, among other things,
facilitating varsity and intramural sports. In recent years,
under new leadership, both have grown considerably.
Next year, for instance, the women’s varsity basketball
program will commence following a six-year hiatus. It
will join the other varsity sports already in progress,
including men’s basketball and curling.
On the intramural side, students now have a number
of options to take part in – everything from soccer,
dodge ball and touch football, men’s and women’s ice
hockey and ball hockey.
Having those sports available for students is
“important when it comes to recruiting,” said McLeod,
who’s also an assistant coach with the men’s basketball
team. What will make Sault College an even bigger draw,
while also providing an increasing quality of life – or
quality of learning – is the proposed Student Health and
Wellness Centre.
When realized, the new facility will replace the current
gymnasium and workout area, both of which are limited
in size and use, not to mention the fact that they were
built more than 30 years ago. The centre will also feature
additional learning space, particularly for health-related
classes like those in the Occupational Therapist Assistant
and Physiotherapist Assistant (OTA/PTA) program and
the new fitness and health promotion program, as well.
Photo courtesy of Tyra MacDonald
The goal is to make the facility a college
hub, a place that helps attract students and
faculty from around the world.
“We feel like the field of dreams. If you
build it, they will come,” said McLeod,
who’s more than happy to be working at his
alma mater. “I stayed because of the great
atmosphere,” he added. “And now I have the
best of both worlds.”
Speaking of sticking around, Greg Mapp,
a 2009 graduate in the Aviation Technology
- Flight program, is another prime example
of the magnetic draw emanating from Sault
College. Not only did he stay to teach in
the program, something he loves doing,
Mapp also used his lifelong zeal and skill
in basketball to become head coach of the
men’s varsity team.
“I get to fulfill two of my passions,” said
Mapp, who was born in Barbados and
grew up in Toronto. “You don’t get that
opportunity too often.”
The men’s varsity team is on the rise.
A big part of the success centres on rookiesensation
Randy Frimpong, a first-year
general arts and sciences student from
Rexdale, Ontario.
Averaging 17 points per game, Frimpong
took home the rookie of the year award from
the Ontario Colleges Athletics Association.
He was also named the OCAA West rookie
of the year, along with a member of the
OCAA West second-team all-stars and the
division all-rookie team.
“He’s a great building block for the
future,” said Mapp, who hopes the publicity
generated around the province from the
awards leads to a buzz that will help attract
more great players to Sault College. “You can
build a program around someone like that.”
Mapp has aspirations of a playoff birth –
the first in the team’s history – next year. The
coach has a number of key members to draw
from. Including Frimpong, the Cougars had
three players nominated for the OCAA allrookie
team this season- the others being
Terell Carr and Danny McDonald.
“I recruited guys who I thought could
play well at this level,” said Mapp. “The sky’s
the limit.”
“We’re adding pieces one at a time,” said
Mapp. “I’d like to see more local guys come
play with our team.”
Recruiting Sault Ste. Marie players is also
a focus for the women’s varsity basketball
program, set to take the court next season
for the first time in six years. “We have the
right demographics to start up again,” said
head coach Katie Hamilton.
Here’s what she means: The popularity of
basketball is rising in the Sault. For instance,
when Hamilton played local high school
ball in the early-2000s, she had to travel to
Sudbury, and lace up for a team there, to
compete during the off-season. Today, with
the Sault Titans and Sault Sharks – both clubs
starting up a few years back – rep basketball
is now available in Sault Ste. Marie.
“It’s great to have the luxury of being able
to play here year-round,” said Hamilton,
who was an assistant coach with the Sault
College men’s team this past season. The rise
of club basketball in the city should provide
VARSITY BASKETBALL GAME SCHEDULE 2011-2012
Women’s basketball is earlier timeslot, followed by men’s at the later time. Home games appear in bold. We hope to see you there!
November 4, 2011 Sault @ Redeemer 6&8pm
November 5, 2011 Sault @ Niagara 1&3pm
November 12, 2011 Lambton @ Sault 6&8pm
November 13, 2011 St. Clair @ Sault 1&3pm
November 19, 2011 Humber @ Sault 6&8pm
November 20, 2011 Sheridan @ Sault 1&3pm
November 25, 2011 Sault @ Fanshawe 6&8pm
November 26, 2011 Sault @ Mohawk 2&4pm
November 30, 2011 Sault @ Algoma 6&8pm
a great recruiting ground for the Cougars to
draw from.
“There’s a ton of interest in the
community,” said Hamilton, a former player
and coach for the varsity women’s team at
the University of Prince Edward Island.
“Among girls’ sports in the Sault, it has
become one of the most popular.”
Hamilton hopes to build a solid women’s
varsity program, using a healthy mix of
local and out-of-town talent. This is just one
of many examples of recent growth at Sault
College, growth that’s bringing the school to
new heights in a variety of ways.
Women’s
basketball
head coach
Katie Hamilton
By Marc Capancioni
January 20, 2012 Redeemer @ Sault 6&8pm
January 21, 2012 Niagara @ Sault 6&8pm
January 28, 2012 Sault @ St. Clair 6&8pm
January 29, 2012 Sault @ Lambton 1&3pm
February 3, 2012 Mohawk @ Sault 6&8pm
February 4, 2012 Fanshawe @ Sault 1&3pm
February 11, 2012 Sault @ Humber 6&8pm
February 12, 2012 Sault @ Sheridan 2&4pm
February 17, 2012 Algoma @ Sault 6&8pm
Photo courtesy of Adriana Roque
10 Sault College Alumni 2011/2012 Sault College Alumni 2011/2012 11