Chris Coyle honoured with OFSAA Leadership in School Sport Award

Chris (left) Coyle shows off his OFSAA Leadership in School ring under the appreciative eye of his greatest supporter, wife Tami. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Post Correspondent

Example and environment both played pivotal roles as Chris Coyle was honoured with an Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Leadership in School Sport Award during the recent A boys’ basketball championship in Woodstock.

“Pretty cool,” the Tillsonburg native summed up succinctly. “Very humbling - very special.”

The award is presented annually at each OFSAA final to a teacher-coach who has made a significant contribution to the educational athletic program. Recipients exemplify fair play and sportsmanship, while promoting enjoyment, personal growth and educational achievement through school sports.

While honoured as a member of the Woodstock CI Red Devils program, Coyle’s athletic roots are anchored firmly within his home community. He played for the Glendale Griffins during his Grade 9 season before amalgamation with the Annandale Marauders created the Gemini program the following school year. In all, Coyle played six high school seasons including a victory lap, sporting the number 14 his basketball hero David Coulthard had worn. It was an era when the Griffins, and subsequently Gemini, competed at the AAA level, at the time the highest in the province.

“The best of the best,” said Coyle, who gained an intimate firsthand knowledge of Tillsonburg’s tradition of basketball excellence. “Being part of that program, I grew up watching.”

Beyond WOSAA and OFSAA appearances and medals, fun facts about his playing career include a perfect 11-11 MVP shooting performance during the inaugural captains/veterans game (with one free throw for 23 points) and a season with Memorial University of Newfoundland at St. John’s, where he led the Atlantic Universities Athletics Association (AUAA) in free throw percentage, and was second overall in Canada.

“No one was guarding me,” he laughed. “I was all right.”

Coyle played for his late father Wayne all but one high school season, a person who remains an inspiration to this day.

“Dad was the largest influence in my life in every way, especially in basketball,” Chris credited. “He always has been my go-to guy for information.

“Some of what we still do is what he taught me.”

The elder Coyle was a member of a boys’ basketball coaching partnership including Dave Quarrie and Brian O’Rourke. Their decades of commitment in building and maintaining a consistently competitive program stayed with Chris throughout his working and coaching life.

“You have to put in the time and effort, have a plan,” he explained, supporting athletes in being successful both on the court and off. “A little bit of that rubbed off on me.”

Coyle began his teaching career with nine years in the elementary system before joining Woodstock CI in 1998/99. He came in with the intention of contributing to an existing program built by individuals including Peter Ewing, Lance Elliott and Dave Alexander.

“The place had some basketball pedigree, I just brought my own twist,” said Coyle. “It was a nice combination of what I learned in Tillsonburg and saw here.”

His initial coaching experience mirrored the process of step-by-step program building. Coyle’s first group of players won one game in Grade 9, ‘a couple’ in Grade 10.

“By Grade 13, they were one of the best teams around.”

In all, Coyle has nine OFSAA appearances on his coaching resume - to date - which naturally rank as highlights.

“Some girls, some boys,” he said. “I was lucky enough to coach both.

“Getting there is such a big goal,” Coyle continued. “It’s the best in the province, right? And such an awesome experience for everyone.”

Coyle also has four provincial medals, an antique bronze, two bronze and a silver from this year’s event in Woodstock. The OFSAA leadership award will fit nicely into his collection, representing what he appreciatively views as recognition for lifetime achievement.

In gratefully accepting it, Coyle wished to thank OFSAA A convenor and nominator Eric Molinaro, given both the direct relationship between hosting OFSAA and in general, recognizing a local individual for the leadership award, as well as their long-standing coaching relationship. Coyle also mentioned previous fellow WCI program coaches Jag Rai, Brian Does and Christian Madamba, as well as the contemporary Jason Poole, previously an elite-level soccer coach who has developed into an excellent Red Devils basketball bench boss within the WCI program. And last, but certainly not least, Chris expressed appreciation for his wife Tami’s support, without which “none of this would be possible.”

In summing up, Coyle didn’t focus on winning, medals or awards related to a program he helped form, shape and develop, rather a shared coaching journey, ‘all the little things’ that happen in practices, games or on the road.

“It’s about the people, relationships with kids and other coaches,” he concluded “That’s the fun of it, build a program and watch the kids flow through Grade 9 to 12 and create some memories along the way.”