Teacher gets an apple for coaching basketball
Pat Sullivan honoured as 2023 St. Catharines sportsperson of the year
The St. Catharines sportsperson of the year for 2023 would give teams from “The Amazing Race Canada” a run for their money if trips to Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) boys basketball championships were eligible for Air Miles.
Over a 30-year teaching career, all but three of them spent on the faculty at Saint Francis Catholic Secondary School in St. Catharines, Pat Sullivan made 17 trips to the provincial championships and earned 10 medals, including two golds and four silvers.
With Sullivan on the sideline, either as a head coach or an assistant, the Phoenix also took 19 Zone 4 titles, 17 Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association (SOSSA) championships and were a perennial threat to win it all on the final night of the Standard Boys High School Basketball Tournament.
However, the recently retired educator’s record teaching — yes, teaching — basketball is impressive and his many accomplishments worthy of accolades, winning was never the be-all and end-all for boys basketball at Saint Francis under his watch. Over the years, Sullivan and his coaching staff never lost sight of using the game as teaching moments to underscore the importance of work ethic and teamwork.
“It was critical for us. Our goals were never related to OFSAA, we never talked about OFSAA, we never talked about SOSSA, we just talked about being the hardestworking team,” he said.
“We talked about being selfless, we talked about having collective responsibility, we talked about how important it was to trust one another.
“We really stressed how important it was to be mentally tough, to be able to persevere.”
Sullivan, who retired last year, emphasized an even-keel approach to the game and, as an extension, to day-to-day living for his players.
“We did not want to be someone who would be one way when they’re successful and completely the other way when we failed,” Sullivan, 56, said.
“It’s paramount to my way of thinking that you have to be able to persevere, and if you’re not successful, making sure you lose with class, you lose with dignity.
“You go back to the drawing board and you try and better yourself, and it’s a long process.”
Sullivan regards the sportsperson of the year honour for 2023 as a “longtime achievement or legacy award.”
“Last year, I probably wasn’t as active as I have been in the past,” he said. “It’s nice to be recognized.
“It’s not my goal — it’s not essential — but it’s always nice to be recognized.”
Sullivan was born in Hamilton and was about three or four years old when his family moved to the Niagara region.
“All my schooling was in St. Catharines. I started in JK at St. Alfred.”
After graduating from Denis Morris Catholic High School, Sullivan spent two years playing at University of Guelph before transferring to Brock for the final three years of his eligibility at the post-secondary level.
He was part of the Badgers team that captured a Canadian men’s championship under then-head coach Ken Murray in 1992.
Sullivan was still in teachers’ college at Brock he when coached the senior girls basketball team at Denis Morris, the first team he coached by himself. After two years coaching the girls team at his alma mater, Sullivan assisted then-head coach Kevin McKenna in running the senior boys team at Denis Morris for two or three years.
While Sullivan coached at Denis Morris, he never taught there. His first job with Niagara Catholic District School Board was teaching grades 6 and 7 at Assumption Catholic Elementary School in St. Catharines.
“Which was kind of ironic because that’s where I went to school as a kid growing up on Lakeshore Road.”
Basketball wasn’t necessarily Sullivan’s go-to sport growing up. He played triple-A hockey and knew what to do on the soccer pitch.
“I was a pretty good soccer player, too. I played on some travel teams,” he recalled. “Basketball was kind of my third love, but then I just caught the bug and started to specialize in that.
“Basketball wasn’t what it is today. There was no minor basketball, so I probably really started playing in my first year at P.K. Kerwin.”
He remembered playing for coach Mike McInnis “who was an incredible coach and an incredible role model for me.”
“I really caught the bug.” Sullivan, a longtime resident of Thorold, never drew a line between teaching and coaching.
“I think coaching is easier in the sense that the kids are excited about the sport and playing,” he said. “When you’re teaching, the content is not always something that resonates with them so it’s more difficult to make that connection.
“Certainly, coaching helps you as a teacher because the kids recognize that you are someone who truly cares and is giving of their time.
“It’s just a different subject. I find the best coaches have some background in education because it really is managing people more than X’s and O’s in my opinion.”
As he reflects on his career as an educator, in the classroom and on the court, what does he consider the highlight? Sullivan was asked if the inscription on his sportsperson of the year plaque was limited to one line, what would it say?
“I don’t know how well it would fit on a plaque, but I just feel I had the ability to reach kids and communicate in that environment.”
That’s all the more remarkable, given that Sullivan considers himself to be a shy person by nature.
“I’m a more reserved person. I’m not always the most comfortable in public settings, but something about the coaching dynamic brings out the best in me and I find I’m able to bring out the best in kids,” he said. “For whatever reason, I seem to be able to connect and motivate and reach kids, which isn’t always easy.”
The thing Sullivan is most proud of is the connections he made with his players.
“I feel the vast majority of the kids I coached I got the best out of them. I got the best out of the team and I got the best out of those kids,” he said. “We were able to recognize how importance of having values and having a good attitude.
“That’s what I hope I am recognized for. The people that I coached and the people that I coached with; I hope that they see me as, someone who truly cared and someone who made a difference in their lives.”
Since retiring from teaching, Sullivan has remained involved in the game by helping some friends who have teams with training and working with Niagara Ignite.
After a 36-year absence, he also has returned to officiating basketball games.
“I did it for a year in my 20s. I’m really enjoying being a part of the game, much more than I thought I would.”
How does the longtime coach find himself now that he’s on the other side of the official’s whistle?
“It’s pretty funny, I kind of chuckle to myself because I remember saying that and recognizing how different it is from the other side,” he said. “We have some pretty good laughs with some officials I’ve had some spirited debates with over the years.
“I did feel I didn’t cross the line very often and that I did maintain their respect, and I certainly respected the officials.”
He never allowed his players to disrespect the game officials.
“That was just a complete no-no — not that they didn’t at times — but they understood that dealing with the officials was something that either myself or someone else on the staff was going to do.”
Sullivan and his wife Denise have two children: Michael, 21; daughter Rachel, 19.
He received his award in a ceremony held in council chambers before Monday night’s city council meeting at St. Catharines city hall.