Tuesday's With Dave

The University of Olympia   There is a yarn around Olympia that some staff have been at Olympia for so long that it feels like they attended the “University of Olympia,” where life lessons carry them to their future.   Meet  Simon Bernardi . He may have his masters and Ph.D. from this place of higher education.   Simon owes his beginnings at Olympia to his high school basketball coach, Pat Dooley. Coach Dooley encouraged his students at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Tottenham to attend Olympia as a camper or counsellor as he believed in the value, and values, of the camp so much.    “When I was in grade 11, I was one of those kids whose work ethic was bigger than his talent and was a team-first guy. Pat told me I would be team captain in grade 12 and said I should go to Olympia to develop my leadership and to work on my game. My family couldn’t afford for me to pay for camp, so Pat made a few calls and got me an interview. I aced the interview and then got the job. That was 2008.”

Olympia in one Picture.   This picture encapsulates life at Olympia Sports Camp in so many ways. It shows pure fun, athleticism, the beautiful sun in Interlaken, the friendship forged through working together, and the ability to meet and interact with world-class athletes like Harlem Globetrotter Curly Neal. This fantastic photo, from left to right, has Kevin O’Reilly, Brian McMahon, Curly Neal, Ted Connors, and Ken Muir. These counsellors had the opportunity to hang out with Curly and they had a blast learning to do some tricks that Curly taught them.  This picture is more poignant than ever as these friends say goodbye to Ted Connors who passed away last week after a                         long battle with cancer.   I turn the remainder of this week’s blog to long time Olympia staffer and coach Rob Simmons, who delivered the eulogy last Saturday in London.     Thanks for allowing me to share Rob.   Olympia played a big role in Ted’s life, and I wanted to share with you some of the m

One of the chapters in  “A Hero’s Journey: Beyond Little Norway and Olympia Sports Camp”  involves the Four Pillars of Olympia. All four pillars; Summer camp, Outdoor education, Fall and Spring Basketball Tournaments, and Heroship, are vehicles for people to have fun, grow, and learn about themselves on their personal journey. The fall and spring basketball tournaments have a multitude of schools that fall into the category of regulars from all across Ontario. Some go every year because of the coaches having an Olympia connection, while others are told about the Olympia tournaments, decide to take their team there, and then are hooked.    People like  Tina D’Orsay .   Tina’s got her start at the Olympia tournaments was when she was a teacher/coach at Cardinal Carter Catholic High School in York region. A friend told her about the tournaments, and she decided to take her team. Her girls loved the experience, so Tina has continued to go back every year…. For 20 years… at two different sc

One degree of separation   The greatest thing that happens in a week at Olympia is that you meet some amazing people and you can't believe the inter-connectedness of your separate journeys. The six degrees of separation in which we are all connected make for great stories. One story of human connection involves one person I have known for over 10 years as a coach and motivational speaker, and the other I met on a Facetime call last week. I feel I have known both my whole life.    Maybe I have. I may have crossed paths with them without knowing it a lifetime ago in Kitchener Ontario, but there is an awesome Olympia Sports Camp and Oxbow Lake relationship that binds this story together.  The Olympia connection is that I met Kevin O’Reilly, an Olympian longer than most, in 2009 when we both were coaching week 5 basketball. How long has Kevin been at Olympia? He worked with Gerry Withers. That's before Bruce Ransom! Gerry was the original maintenance man at Olympia and even worked

The Olympia Sports Camp family was lessened this week with the news that long-time Olympia Coach Gerry Barker passed away on Monday October 25, 2021.   Gerry retired from Olympia years ago, but coaches of a certain vintage remember him as a funny, gentle storyteller who promoted the game of basketball at many levels, coaching elementary, high school, and university basketball. He also ran his Gerry Barker Basketball Camps through North Toronto Basketball and was at Olympia for over a decade. Former North Toronto player Kate Easton and now coach said it best:   "Thank you for teaching me everything you know about the game and helping me become even half the coach you are. You were the BEST coach, but the relationship we gained afterwards I can never, ever replace. No one will be as caring, kind and helpful of a coach as you, but I’ll try. Love you GerBear" Gerry Barker and Kate Easton To quote from his obituary: As a dedicated teacher and caring Principal, Gerry had an immeasu