FRANCIS RACINE francis.racine@eap.on.ca
I had a girlfriend and all that.” To his latter comment, he laughs. “One day, I noticed someone was starting a broomball team,” he added. “I thought, why not. I’ll try it. I’ve been loving it ever since.” Having been exercising the sport for nearly half a century, MacDonald highlights that he has witnessed what he calls changes. “When I was younger, there was a lot of excitement for broomball,” he recalled. “The problem is that the people that are avid players, coaches or referees, are all too old to become involved again.” The broomballer, who now coaches an Akwesasne based team, hopes that the Provincial Championships will attract much needed attention to the sport. “We need to get young people involved in it,” he mentioned. “I hope they come out and watch it. Perhaps it will ignite a spark.” But even if he’s a coach, MacDonald still insists on wearing his special grip shoes and participating in games, hosted by neighbouring leagues. For even if no league plays specifically in Cornwall, communities such as Finch, Chesterville and Alexandria, amongst others, offer local players the chance to mingle within other teams, all the while doing what they enjoy. “Their leagues are very organized,” he pointed out. “There are a lot of people from Cornwall that go all around the city to play.” When asked why no league operates from Cornwall, MacDonald quickly looks around beforemurmuring, “the Benson Centre is an amazing facility,” he said. “And so, it can be expensive to play here.” Instead, the CRBA plays from the Turtle Dome, on Cornwall Island. “Before, when we used to play in Cornwall, I’d have to take care of pretty much everything. I did have great helpers, but I was inway over my head.” By playing on the island, he has a lot less responsibilities to look after and he can finally concentrate nearly all his attention to broomball.“I love playing on the island, it’s a great facility.” With that, the man takes a hold of his stick and ball and leaves the Benson Centre, knowing full well that he will be back with his club in less than 24 hours. In the heat of the moment In the early hours of the morning, when most of Cornwall’s citizens are still warmly tucked in bed, their alarmclocks not emitting any noise for another hour or so, yells can be heard coming from the Benson Centre’s #1 ice rink. It’s 7 a.m. and MacDonald is standing behind the Akwesasne bench, looking intently at the bout taking place before him. It’s easy to forget that the players, who run from one end to the other of the massive rink, are actually playing on ice. Up in the stands are several early risers, nearly all of them holding a cup of coffee purchased at the nearby canteen. “Shoot, shoot, shoot!” yelled one of the players,
sporting a yellow shirt.The orange ball is shot throughout the rink, as it bounces off players and boards. On the bench, participants, out of breath, take a short break before jumping back on the ice.Loud thud sounds can be heard nearly every three seconds, as shots are taken at opposing goaltenders. Broomball nets are considerably bigger than their hockey counterparts. “They’re about six feet tall,” indicated MacDonald. There’s suddenly cheering coming from the ice. The opposing team has scored and
the players are congratulating each other. But MacDonald doesn’t seem too worried, for he knows it’s the name of the game. Although he’s eager to win a medal for his club, he also understands the importance of networking and making the sport grow. The championships that see teams from all over the province are organized by the Federation of Broomball Associations of Ontario (FBAO). The association’s main purpose is to encourage, administer, and co-ordinate the development of broomball throughout the province.
It’s fast paced, action packed and, luckily for Cornwall residents, it was showcased at the Benson Centre last weekend. Broomball players from all over the province took part in the Provincial Championships of the Ontario Broomball Association (OBA) fromMarch 18 to 20. Sporting colourful jerseys and helmets, the players battled it out, all wanting their teams to finish on top and be crowned champions. Although armed with brooms, the players offered feats of courageous manoeuvres, running past opponents in order to try to bury the small orange ball in the rival’s net. To be fair, the brooms they use aren’t the same as the ones grandmothers worldwide utilize to clean their residences. They are actually sticks that contain a wooden or aluminum shaft and have a rubber-molded triangular head similar in shape to that of a regular broom. The main goal of the sport is simply defeating your opponents by scoring as many goals as possible, all the whilemaking sure they score less than your team. All this must be done over a thin layer of ice and with shoes! Thankfully, players wear special rubber-soled shoes instead of skates, and the ice is prepared in such a way that it is smooth and dry to improve traction. Broomball enjoyed quite a glorious and active past in the city. The Cornwall Journal recently caught up with Eric MacDonald, president of the Cornwall Regional Broomball Association (CRBA), at the Benson Centre. It’s fitting, for the 2016 Senior Provincial Championships takes placemere hours after the interview. Trying to muster up support Upon entering the Benson Centre, one can distinctively see that the man, sporting a ponytail, is at home in the sporting facility. After glancing at his surroundings, he sits down on one of the centre’s black chairs. In his arms are a broomball stick and a big, orange ball. It’s clear MacDonald means business. “The sport used to be really big in Cornwall,” explained the man. “There used to be five big leagues of broomball in the city and the surrounding areas.” In addition, the sport was much more aggressive, mixing full body contact with finesse moves. “Back then, it was a lot rougher,” MacDonald said, a smile visible under his moustache. “Now, there are only two leagues where it’s allowed, the intermediate and elite divisions.” The Cornwall resident has been active in the local broomball world for quite some time, having started his broom journey in 1968. “I started playing when I was 18 years old. I played hockey before. I liked it, but I wasn’t going anywhere. I was older and well,
The Journal Cornwall
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Wednesday, March 23, 2016
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