Sports success breeds success for Niagara
OK, I’ve officially jumped on the Niagara Sports Commission bandwagon. And I’m waving pom-poms. True, I’m a little late to the parade.
After all, the non-profit group has initiated bids that have already resulted in a couple of high profile events coming to St. Catharines/ Niagara.
We’re talking the 2021 Canada Summer Games and Under-18 World Women’s Hockey Championship.
But I go back to last November when commission CEO Bram Cotton appeared before St. Catharines city council to pitch the idea of bringing a major international junior basketball tournament to the city.
Earlier in 2016, St. Catharines had enjoyed great success with the world hockey tournament. But that game is bred in our bone, and Canadian female hockey teams have a long record of international success.
While it was a very impressive get for St. Catharines, world hockey federations are drawn to Canada like deranged moths to a roaring flame, knowing support for tournaments will be there.
It’s not the same story for basketball. Indeed, the biennial FIBA Americas Under-18 Men’s Basketball Championship has been held six times, but never in Canada (three times in the United States, once each in Argentina, Brazil and Chile.)
And make no mistake about it, this is a prestige event, featuring future top college and professional basketball players.
FIBA had let it be known Canada could host the 2018 tournament, and municipalities aspiring to do so were short-listed candidates Vancouver, Winnipeg, Brampton and our seemingly undersized selves.
In his appearance at last November’s city council meeting, Cotton sought certain freebies from the city — primarily the waiving of $64,000 in Meridian Centre rental fees — to strengthen the local bid.
I remember thinking at the time there wasn’t much of a downside for granting this request because the likelihood of St. Catharines’ bid succeeding was extremely low.
Turns out my pessimism was unwarranted.
That’s because Canada Basketball officials, the arbiters in the host municipality decision, had already developed warm and fuzzy feelings about St. Catharines.
Cotton said he had invited a number of people from various national sports organizations to St. Catharines to watch the hockey gold-medal game between Canada and the U.S.
Among the invited was Michele O’Keefe, the head of Canada Basketball.
O’Keefe, a Welland native, told Cotton she was “blown away” by what she saw.
It was an understandable response.
The Meridian Centre was packed to the rafters, the crowd was beyond enthusiastic, the atmosphere was electric.
This kind of support for teenage girls’ hockey was unheard of.
Fast forward a bit and Canada Basketball released a Request for Proposal document seeking hosts for a couple of FIBA tournaments.
O’Keefe contacted Cotton and encouraged him to organize a bid.
One of the events was the Under-19 World Men’s Basketball Championship.
Cotton said a key to the Niagara Sports Commission’s success is recognizing what’s doable and what isn’t.
The Under-19 world event involved 32 teams and required three venues.
“We looked at it and decided it was too big for us,” said Cotton.
A much better fit was the Americas Under-18 men’s tournament, which seemed similar in scope — eight teams competing in 20 games over a week — to the successfully hosted women’s hockey championship. And so the bid was launched. “I had a good feeling,” said Cotton of St. Catharines’ chances, an optimism fuelled by O’Keefe’s glowing experience at the hockey gold-medal game and the positive vibes detected during a site visit by Canada Basketball officials as part of the selection process.
Cotton’s feelings proved prescient when he was informed last month St. Catharines had been chosen as Canada’s choice for host city. A few days later — the Monday of the week Niagara was revealed as the Canada Summer Games winner — FIBA signed off on the basketball tournament site.
The public announcement was delayed, in part, to allow Niagara a few more days to bask in its Summer Games glory.
Dividing up time to celebrate achievements. Not a bad problem to have, eh?
Given the impact that hosting the Under-18 hockey tournament had on winning the basketball bid, it’s clear success in these matters breeds more success.
With that in mind, Cotton noted the sports commission is involved in attempting to bring another prestige international athletic event to the area.
He’s doesn’t want to reveal the sport, yet, but has another good feeling about Niagara’s chances.
Those of us on the bandwagon believe him.