REAL lIFE. REAL SPORT. www.wheelchairbasketball.ca 2012 ANNUAL REPORT WHO WE ARE Wheelchair Basketball Canada is the national sport governing body responsible for the organization of wheelchair basketball in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization and the Canadian member to the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). Wheelchair Basketball Canada delivers programs and services that strengthen the sport from the grassroots level to high performance athletes competing in the Paralympic Games. Representatives from the provinces elect the Board of Directors which establishes policy and lends guidance to the development of wheelchair basketball in Canada. OUR MISSION OUR PARTNERS We are committed to excellence in the development, support and promotion of wheelchair basketball programs and services for all Canadians. WE DREAM WORLDOur vision for 2020 is to be the world leader in wheelchair LEADER basketball. CANADIAN INSTITUT SPORT CA NADIEN INSTITUTE DU SPORT Left: Head Coach Bill Johnson discusses strategy with the Senior Women’s National Team. Right: A pair of junior athletes take part in a wheelchair basketball festival. FOLLOW US www.wheelchairbasketball.ca 01 WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL CANADA REAL LIFE. REAL SPORT. OUR PEOPLE OUR STAFF BOARD OF DIRECTORS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - WENDY GITTENS PRESIDENT - STEVE BACH HIGH PERFORMANCE DIRECTOR - PAUL ZACHAU VP MARKETING - KATHY NEWMAN HIGH PERFORMANCE COORDINATOR - RYAN LAUZON VP TECHNICAL - TREVOR KERR INTERIM PROGRAM COORDINATOR - CHRISTINA SWETT VP FINANCE - DONALD ROYER COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER - JODY KINGSBURY VP DOMESTIC - CHRISTINA JONES COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR - COURTNEY POLLOCK VP HIGH PERFORMANCE - SHARRON ST. CROIX SENIOR MEN’S NATIONAL COACH - JERRY TONELLO VP ATHLETE REP - ROSS NORTON SENIOR WOMEN’S NATIONAL COACH - BILL JOHNSON MEN’S U23 NATIONAL COACH / CENTRE FOR PERFORMANCE COORDINATOR - STEVE BIALOWAS WOMEN’S U25 NATIONAL COACH - MICHAEL BROUGHTON Jerry Tonello - Head Coach of the Senior Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team. OUR MEMBERS TEAMWORK • ASSOCIATION QUÉBECOISE DES SPORTS EN FAUTEUIL ROULANT • BRITISH COLUMBIA WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL SOCIETY • MANITOBA WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ASSOCIATION • NEW BRUNSWICK WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ASSOCIATION • NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ASSOCIATION • NOVA SCOTIA WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ASSOCIATION • ONTARIO WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ASSOCIATION • PARASPORT AND RECREATION PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND • SASKATCHEWAN WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ASSOCIATION • WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ALBERTA 2012 ANNUAL REPORT 02 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE The glow remains as this past year will long be remembered as the year Wheelchair Basketball Canada and its Men’s National Team returned to worldwide prominence with their golden success at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. We reconfirmed our long standing tradition of international achievement, and we demonstrated again, why ours remains one of the finest high performance programs in the sport. While we have enjoyed savouring our recent accomplishments, we remain all too aware of the commitment required to maintain and build upon those accomplishments, and not just within our National Team Programs, but at every stage of our athlete development pathway. We are excited about new strategic initiatives being undertaken by Wheelchair Basketball Canada that will bring to realization the recently adopted IWBF 3 on 3 game as a dynamic approach to increasing the participation, the enjoyment and the exposure of the game throughout Canada. And we are thrilled at the very near prospect of rolling out Wheelchair Basketball Canada’s first Academy Program, one which will ensure that our current and next generation national team athletes and coaches are exposed to a high performance training environment on a daily basis, year around. These bold new initiatives have driven our organization to look closely at how we support and sustain enhanced programming objectives for the long-term. In response, Wheelchair Basketball Canada has developed a new four year strategic plan that, among other initiatives, dedicates significant resources to a fund development program, one that will realize an in-house fund development team to oversee new growth and advancement in our donations, grants, sponsorships and special events operations. 2012 has been a remarkable year of basketball success on our international courts, in our program growth, and in our forging of new operational foundations. We are overwhelmed by the wonderful efforts of our staff, our Board, our Members, our athletes, and our ever growing base of partners in basketball. We are excited at the prospect of what we have yet to accomplish together. We extend our many thanks and congratulations to all who have shared, and who continue to share, in our vision to be the world leader in the sport of wheelchair basketball. Steve Bach - President, Wheelchair Basketball Canada Team Canada’s David Eng (right) celebrates the gold medal victory at London 2012 with the Honourable EXCELLENCE Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport). 03 WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL CANADA REAL LIFE. REAL SPORT. HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAM CANADA 2012 marked the final year of the quadrennial plans for both of the senior national team programs, culminating in the flagship event on the high performance calendar – the Summer Paralympic Games. The Senior Men’s National Team captured the gold medal at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London, England to re-establish Team Canada as the top ranked men’s wheelchair basketball club in the world. The Senior Women’s National Team placed sixth at the Paralympic Games. Despite missing the podium in London, Team Canada made innovative strides in its preparations for the Games by fully centralizing for the first time in program history. The Canadian women spent more than two months in Winnipeg for a dynamic phase of mental preparation, team-building exercises and daily physical training. CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAMS Following the 2012 season, iconic Canadian wheelchair basketball stars Kendra Ohama and Richard Peter officially announced their retirements from the National Team. The pair finished their exceptional careers with a • Senior Men’s National Team wins gold medal combined six Paralympic and five World Championship gold medals. at the 2012 Paralympic Games After a series of training camps in 2012, 12 athletes were selected to the Men’s U23 National Team that • Senior Women’s National Team places sixth at the 2012 Paralympic Games competed at the Americas Zone Qualification Tournament in Mexico City in March 2013. Team Canada qualified • Men’s U23 National Team selected for the for the 2013 Men’s U23 World Championship in Turkey in September. 2013 Americas Zone Qualification Tournament ACADEMY PROGRAM Wheelchair Basketball Canada will launch an Academy Program in the summer of 2013 INNOVATION in partnership with Own The Podium, the Canadian Paralympic Committee, the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario and the University of Toronto Scarborough. The year-round training program is designed to ensure the ongoing success of Canada’s national wheelchair basketball teams at future World Championships and Paralympic The Senior Women’s National Team huddles up during a Games. By accelerating the development of elite male and female wheelchair basketball match at the London 2012 players that have shown national team potential, the Academy will increase the quality Paralympic Games. and quantity of athletes within the high performance pool. 2012 ANNUAL REPORT 04 LONDON 2012 PARALYMPIC GAMES The Canadian Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team captured its third gold medal in the last four Paralympic Games by defeating the defending champions from Australia 64-58 in the championship game at London 2012. Team Canada concluded the tournament with a flawless 8-0 record and avenged its loss to the rival Australians in the Paralympic gold medal match in Beijing four years earlier. Dave Durepos, Joey Johnson and Richard Peter all competed in a record-tying fifth Paralympic Games for the Canadian men’s side. Top left to right: London 2012 Paralympic gold medal, Canada’s Joey Johnson (left) and Patrick Anderson delivered a career-best performance as he finished first overall Patrick Anderson celebrate the gold medal victory, Paralympic rookie Chad Jassman in tournament scoring and amassed the most rebounds while posting a pair of poses with his first-ever Paralympic gold triple-doubles en route to the gold medal. medal. Right: Canada’s Bo Hedges moves in for a shot against Australia during the London 2012 Paralympic Games gold medal match. SUCCESS The Canadian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team completed its Paralympic journey at London 2012 with a sixth place finish after a 73-70 loss to China in the placement round. Despite falling shy of its goal of reaching the podium, Team Canada showed great promise for the future as it posted a 4-3 record at the tournament and proved it can contend with the top teams in the world. London 2012 marked the sixth Paralympic Games for Canadian veterans Tracey Ferguson and Kendra Ohama. Top left to right: Janet McLachlan shoots while under pressure by the Netherlands, Cindy Janet McLachlan was a dominant offensive force for Canada as she posted the Ouellet moves in for a layup, Kendra Ohama most points and rebounds in the tournament. drives toward the basket. Left: Katie Harnock looks for an outlet against Australia at London 2012. 05 WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL CANADA REAL LIFE. REAL SPORT. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENT DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS In partnership with ParaSport and Recreation PEI, the