LOCAL Sports Heroes: Built on championships and community sport: The athletic journey of Matt Kopp

Championship team with all its many sponsors on display

Scoop Stewart

Paris Independent Sports Reporter

Matt Kopp’s athletic career is defined by long-term success in baseball and hockey, highlighted by numerous tournament victories and provincial and national championships. His accomplishments were built through years of commitment, strong leadership, and a family deeply involved in sport.

From his earliest seasons in T-ball, Kopp showed a natural ability for baseball. By the early 1990s, that talent quickly translated into results. He was part of the Tri-Mite championship team in 1990 and earned a Gold Glove at the 1993 Mite Tournament. Success continued through Squirt and Peewee levels, including tournament championships in New Hamburg in 1994, Great Lakes Squirt in 1995, Waterford in 1996, and multiple Great Lakes Peewee titles. In 1996, Kopp also captured a silver medal at the Eastern Canadian Peewee Championships.

As he advanced to Bantam, Kopp’s teams continued to excel. The 1998 season included tournament championships in Lorne Ford and Oshawa, an Ontario Summer Games championship, and an Ontario finalist finish. In 1999, he earned the Ontario Bantam Championship, establishing himself among the top players in the province.

Kopp’s Midget years marked the peak of his competitive career. In 2000, he earned a silver medal at the Ontario Midget eliminations. The following season became the defining moment. In 2001, Kopp won both the Ontario Championship and the Canadian Midget Championship, a national title achieved after more than a decade of development. He followed that success with an Ontario silver medal in 2002 and was selected as a pickup player for the 2003 Canadian Midget Championship, where the team finished fourth overall. He later played with the Ayr Vics during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

While baseball was his favorite sport, hockey also played a significant role. Kopp reached the Triple A level at a young age and competed at the highest minor hockey level for several years. Beginning in 2000, he spent five seasons with the Paris Mounties, forming lifelong friendships through the game.

Leadership was a constant throughout his athletic career. Kopp was regularly named captain or assistant captain, learning early the importance of teamwork, accountability, and preparation. Those lessons have carried into his professional life, where he now works as an Estimating Manager with Aecon Utilities.

Athletics ran deep in the Kopp family. Both parents, Steve and Caroline, were gifted athletes and played an active role in Matt’s development. Steve not only supported his son from the sidelines, but also coached at the highest levels, including the Ontario and Canadian championship teams. Caroline was equally involved, spending countless hours helping with training and even stepping in as a goalie during practices. Together with Matt’s grandparents, the family provided unwavering support through years of practices, games, and tournaments across the province and country.

Looking back, Kopp credits his parents, grandparents, and the many coaches who guided him along the way for shaping both his athletic success and personal character. The friendships formed through sport remain strong, with former teammates still staying in touch and reconnecting easily years later.

At its core, Matt Kopp’s story reflects the best of community sport. It is a story built on family, teamwork, and dedication. The championships stand as milestones, but the relationships and lessons gained along the way are the lasting legacy. 

Matt you made all your family proud thank you for making Paris proud also!

Always a pleasure, 

Scoop Stewart