Windsor Essex providing great athletic opportunity

 

By Daelyn Davis

The Windsor Essex Catholic School Board is offering their students the opportunity to become the next Michael Jordan.

The school board is giving their students the opportunity to sharpen their athletic skills with the program called Sports Academy.  The program is offered to any high school student between grades 9-12.  Instead of students taking a physical education class and participate in a variety sports throughout the semester, they can now focus on one sport and still earn a credit.  Sports offered in the program are baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, dance and gymnastic.

The Sports Academy basketball coach, Peter Cusumano, plans not only to enhance the students’ skills on the court, but mentor them to be respectful off the court. The course offers 50 hours of specific sports training and 60 hours of fitness, theory and health curriculum.

“I love basketball and I love coaching,” said Cusumano. “I’ve been doing this for 38 years and when they asked me to work at the Academy it was a natural fit.  This is a great way to do what I love and I hope I’m giving these kids something they enjoy.”

Whether students seek to improve their three-point shots or learn to dribble, the Sports Academy is open to all. Cusumano says he has a specific goal; bringing students dreams of making their high school teams come true.

When Grade 10 student Loay Ali moved to Canada three years ago he didn’t know what basketball was, but when he saw the game it was love at first sight. After trying out for the basketball team in Grade 9, Ali fell short, but he did not give up.  Since joining the Academy, Ali has seen tremendous improvement in his game and plans on trying out for the basketball team again this year.

“This program has helped me a lot with my speed and my handles and a lot of other drills that I now understand,” said Ali. “Other students should take advantage of this opportunity because if they aren’t that good and want to get better they should just come here because this program actually makes you better.”

The Sports Academy is open to all high school students in the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board and if taken advantage of may mold them into the next athletic superstar.