KW Lightning News
KW Lightning End of Summer Update Letter to the Membership
As promised, the Executive Board of KW Lightning would like to take this opportunity to update you with respect to the current state of affairs of KW Lightning.
As we indicated in our update sent out in June, we are pleased to report that we have successfully incorporated Kitchener Waterloo Lightning Girls Basketball Association as a not for profit corporation. The Letters Patent of the new corporation were received in late July as expected. Upon receiving the incorporation documentation, we have started to build a comprehensive set of bylaws with our Board members and an external consultant that will set best in class policies and procedures for dealing with Board elections, membership classifications, financial reporting and other important procedural rules. We expect this to be completed in due course over the next few months.
Unfortunately, since our last communication with the 2014/2015 membership a second legal proceeding has been commenced against KW Lightning. In June, KW Lightning was served with a Notice of Application for a legal proceeding commenced at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario on behalf of H.M. by her litigation guardian I.M. (HRTO File: 2014-19546). The Notice of Application alleges that KW Lightning discriminated against H.M. because of her family status as the daughter of I.M., by cutting her from her basketball team because the president of KW Lightning and/or members of the KW Lightning Board had an issue with I.M.
KW Lightning intends to oppose her Notice of Application at the HRTO. It has retained legal counsel and submitted its Response. The Response asserts that I.M.’s claims have no merit.
The initial civil action in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice launched by Ian McLean on March 10, 2015 remains ongoing. Mr. McLean was unwilling to agree to a dismissal of his proceeding notwithstanding the overwhelming vote of the membership in March. The matter will therefore proceed to court in due course. The respondents named in the litigation will seek to have the Superior Court action dismissed and ask for payment of the substantial legal costs that have been incurred to date in the defence of the proceeding.
With these two legal proceedings ongoing and with no resolution in sight, it is with great sadness that we must advise that KW Lightning will be suspending operations for the 2015/2016 season. The ongoing legal proceedings and the uncertainty of what further claims may arise have resulted in the resignations of a significant number of executive Board members. Some coaches and potential new coaches have advised that they have no interest in being involved with KW Lightning when their player select decisions may subject them to litigation. Without a strong dedicated group of volunteers it is impossible to operate the organization moving forward.
KW Lightning extends a release to any and all KW Lightning players from the 2014-2015 season so that they can continue playing this great game.
We are hopeful that the suspension of operations will be limited to one season and that KW Lightning basketball under its new incorporated structure will recommence operations in the fall of 2016. In the meantime, we urge you to reach out to the other not-for-profit basketball organizations in the local area, like Cambridge Centaurs and KW YBA, for the upcoming season. Both of these organizations are run by dedicated individuals who volunteer their time to develop boys and girls basketball players. They operate using models similar to KW Lightning that are not organized or administered by parents with no experience developing basketball players and potentially in a conflict of interest between the best interests of the organization and the interests of their children. Cambridge Basketball (www.cambridgebasketball.com) and KW YBA (www.kwyba.com) are administered by experienced volunteers with track records of developing elite basketball players who have moved on to play at the Canadian College, University and NCAA levels.
In conclusion, and on behalf of the present and past Board members who helped make KW Lightning the most successful girls basketball organization in Canada, we thank you for your support through the years . We thank you in particular for your support over the last several months as KW Lightning has struggled to deal with the meritless and resource exhausting legal proceedings launched in the Supreme Court of Ontario and at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario. The many expressions of support by parents have been welcomed and appreciated. We wish you and your daughters all the best as you continue on your basketball journey and are hopeful that in the fall of 2016 we can all get back on the court together again under the Lightning banner.
Newsletter To KWL Membership June 2015
With the 2014 2015 season now concluding, the Executive would like to update you on a few important matters.
Firstly, and most importantly, the Executive would like to thank all of the girls and coaches for their exceptional efforts this season. Once again, KW Lightning teams shone on the courts throughout Ontario with many tournament victories and championship etc. The Executive would like to thank players and the coaches for all of their dedication throughout the season which, as we all know, has been especially difficult.
Secondly, due to the challenges we have faced this year, we recently received notification from KW YBA that it has terminated its interest in merging with KW Lightning.
Thirdly, the Executive of KW Lightning has taken the necessary steps to incorporate KW Lightning as a not-for-profit corporation. It is expected that the incorporation documents will be returned by the Province sometime in early July. Thereafter, a formal set of bylaws will be put into place and a general meeting of the member parents of each of the players selected to KW Lightning teams for the 2015/2016 season will be held sometime in the fall after the completion of tryouts. We have been working with legal counsel to deliver on the mandate we received in overwhelming fashion at our Special Meeting held on March 23, 2015, which was to seek a dismissal of the legal action that was launched by Mr. Ian McLean on March 10th, 2015 (Court file no.:C-247-15) regarding governance issues. Efforts to negotiate a dismissal of the action on consent have been unsuccessful. The action remains pending and it appears that KWL will now have to bear the financial burden of filing a costly legal defence and ask for the action to be dismissed by a judge.
Finally, once the final financial details of the 2014/2015 season are known, the Executive will complete a summary of those financial results and email that summary to each of the member parents. We expect to send that summary out by the end of July, 2015.
-KW Lightning Executive
2014-15 KW Lightning Tournaments Announced
Min Three Games Four teams will get 5 Games
Cost $550
Top Three teams will get Awards
OABO Officials
Location Brand New High School Gym
SCHOOL Woodland Christian School
1058 Spitzig Road Breslau
Team area for Lunches and down time
To sign up NOW-Mail Chq's Payable to KW Lightning
525 Falconridge Cres
Kitchener Ontario
N2K 4H9
Note on the Chq Team and Age Group and weekend
Attach Roster if you have
Spots are filled on first come, first served basis
MAJOR ATOM AAA/AA
Nov 15-16
No Friday Games
NOVICE AA
NOV 21 22 23
Atom AAA/AA
Nov 21 22 23
Major Bantam AA/ A
November 28 29 30
Bantam AAA/AA
Dec 12 13 14
Major Bantam AAA/AA
Jan 16 17 18
Midget AA/A
Feb 6 7 8
Major Midget AA/A
Feb 20 21 22
Jr Girls AAA/AA
March 27 28 29
Little Bolts Season Announced
We are expanding our KW Lightning Bolts House League Program
to offer a Monday/Wednesday Session or Tuesday/Thursday Session
This Program is for Girls Kindergarten-Grade3
Click here to fill out the online registration form now
Note:
We have joined the JR NBA Program for our Bolts program.
No Tryouts only 20 spots each session sign up now !
See Flyer for more information
KW Tricounty Lightning, Juel and Juel Prep Tryouts Announced
KW Lightning is proud to announce it's try out dates for all rep teams!
Midget, Juvenile & Junior information.....click here.
Novice, Atom & Bantam information.....click here.
Sign up is now available for ALL Rep teams
KW Tricounty Lightning, Juel and Juel Prep Tryouts Announced and ready for
players to sign up.
Juel and Juel Prep are the Two Top Girls Basketball Leagues in Canada.
These Leagues have the Top 14 Girls Basketball Teams in the Province playing
each other in a 26 game schedule plus playoffs.
We are pleased to announce KW Tricounty Lightning Juel and Juel Prep Tryout
dates. Juel Prep team will be made up of the Best Grade 9's and Grade 10's
in the Tricounty Region.
Juel Prep Tryouts start at 645pm at St David's HS in Waterloo September 9th
and 10th.
KW Tricounty Juel Elite Team will be made of the Best Grade 11's and Grade
12's girls in the Tricounty Region.
Tryouts will start at 815pm at St David's HS in Waterloo September 9th and 10th
Last year's Juel team finished 2nd in the Juel League with the Top HS Girl
Players from Guelph Brantford Cambridge and KW on it.
Sign Up for Tryout's now! No cost for Tryouts!
To sign up, click here to access the online registration form.
Click here to view Flyer for more information.
Teams are sponsored in part by Allan Bush CiBC WOOD GUNDY Waterloo
www.allan.bush.ca
For More information on JUEL go to www.juel.ca
Visit the Alumni logo on the Home Page to see a list of our former
Lightning players who are playing or have played University or College
Basketball in Canada or the USA.
KW Lightning Girls Basketball Club has the most Alumni to have played
Basketball at the next level over the past 5 years.
Local Lightning Girl Wins Juel All Academic Award
Three Exciting New Lightning Announcements!
AAU Summer Teams Announced - View Flyer
3 on 3 Tournament coming this May 3rd and 4th - View Flyer
Top 50 Skills Clinic for each Girls age group in Tricounty Region - View Flyer
FREE Admission @ U of W Games
Come out and watch a University Basketball game for Free
This Sat Jan 18th at University of Waterloo
Women’s at 1pm
Men’s at 3pm
Wear your team Jersey to get in FREE
Wright Sisters commit to University of Vermont
Cambridge, ON – Allan Bush, President of the K-W Lightning Basketball Club, is pleased to announce the verbal commitment of twin sisters Candice (6’2” F) and Courtney (6’0” G/F) Wright to the University of Vermont, an NCAA Division I school located in Burlington, VT, and a member of the America East Conference. The Wrights have both been awarded a full athletic scholarship and will attend Vermont starting in the 2015-16 academic year.
The University of Vermont has been friendly to Canadians and K-W Lightning alumni over the years. Aaron Yantzi (Waterloo-Oxford) and May Kotsopoulos (WCI) are both former Lightning players who attended Vermont and are among the Catamount women’s career scoring leaders. Kotsopoulos ranks 5th in school history (1772 points) while Yantzi sits 7th on the all-time list (1592 points).
Vermont’s current assistant coach, Courtnay Pilypaitis, is a native of Orleans, Ontario and competed for Canada in basketball at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Pilypaitis played for Vermont from 2006-2010, and ranks third all-time on the scoring list (1993 career points).
“I am extremely proud of Candice & Courtney for achieving their dream of playing Division I basketball at University of Vermont, where previous Lightning grads Aaron Yantzi and May Kotsopoulos experienced so much success,” said K-W Lightning Tri-County JUEL Head Coach Craig Nickel, “Candice & Courtney have improved tremendously since they joined the K-W Lightning organization two years ago due to their outstanding athletic ability and hard work. I look forward to working with them over the next two years to continue their development.”
“This is an early offer, which means Vermont had them at the top of their recruiting list for 2015,” said Allan Bush. “It’s an added bonus that they wanted both equally. My understanding is that the Vermont coaching staff loves the girls’game and they are very excited to have their athleticism joining the program. Courtney and Candice always listened and worked hard to get better, and it has paid off with this signing.”
The Wrights were key members of the K-W Lightning’s Ontario Basketball Association (OBA) Gold Medal championship team this past season, and have participated on K-W Lightning’s AAU Teams the past two summers during tours in the United States and Canada, where they were first noticed by Vermont.
Mark Yolkowski, founder of CWOSSABasketball.com, a website dedicated to area high-school basketball, echoed Bush’s sentiments.
“They were certainly on the recruiting radar for several NCAA programs,” said Yolkowski. “It’s easy to see why, given their tremendous athleticism and the continuous improvement that those of us who follow basketball in the area have seen from them over the past couple of seasons.”
Currently in grade eleven at Jacob Hespeler Secondary School in Cambridge, the Wrights have guided the Hawks to a 6-2 start to their season and a #5 regional ranking among Central-Western Ontario high schools by CWOSSABasketball.com. They will have one more year of high school remaining before enrolling at Vermont in the fall of 2015.
Candice wants to pursue a career in Medicine, while Courtney would like to go into Education. Courtney, an OFSAA Triple Jump champion, will also have the opportunity to pursue Track and Field at Vermont during the basketball off-season.
About K-W Lightning Basketball
KW Lightning Girls Basketball Association is a non-profit organization that was formed in 1993 to develop basketball skills for girls in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. KW Lightning fields competitive rep travel teams for girls at all age levels, has created a skill development program for girls in grade 3 and under, and co-sponsors a non-competitive house league program.
KW Lightning is a member club of Ontario Basketball, the governing body for basketball in Ontario, and a frequent host of the provincial Ontario Cup tournaments at the end of each season.
Their rep program is currently one of the top programs in Canada, having sent 15 graduates to college and university programs in the United States and Canada this year alone.
About CWOSSABasketball.com
CWOSSABasketball.com, founded by Mark Yolkowski in 2009, is an independent high school basketball website focusing on schools in Central-Western Ontario.
For more information, contact:
Mark Yolkowski, CWOSSABasketball.com
Cell: (519) 222-8248
mark@cwossabasketball.com
Allan Bush, President – K-W Lightning Basketball
Phone: (519) 883-5350
allan.bush@cibc.ca
Matt McIntyre, Coach – Jacob Hespeler SS, Cambridge
School Phone: (519) 658-4910
Move Over Protein Shakes!
Move over protein shakes! Five power foods every teen athlete needs
Beth Wallace Smith, Registered dietitian, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
There are, however, several foods (or categories of food) that every teen should make sure they are eating in order to prepare and restore their hard working muscles before the next practice or game.
1. Water: Yes, just water. Proper hydration is equally as important as food making sure your body isn’t running on empty. Even mild dehydration leads to early fatigue and decreased performance. However, most teens don’t need a sports drink. They can meet their hydration requirements with water throughout the school day, in addition to drinking water during and after their game. For vigorous activity more than sixty minutes, a sports drink can be considered, but is not a necessity.
2. Spinach: Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens are great vegetable sources of iron, a mineral that is necessary for carrying oxygen in the blood. Due to the increased demand of oxygen by working muscles, teen athletes have a higher need for iron than their less active peers. Pair vegetable sources of iron with vitamin C (peppers, tomatoes) to help absorb the iron.
3. Greek Yogurt: Strong bones are just as important as strong muscles during training. On average, teens typically consume less than the recommended amount of calcium they need in the day to support bone development. Greek yogurt packs a big punch with a good source of calcium for bone health and protein for muscles.
4. Whole grains: Carbohydrates get a bad rap, but truly, are the active body’s fuel. Carbohydrates are easily utilized for quick energy when there is an increased demand by the muscles, and teens need additional carbohydrates mixed with protein for recovery after the game. Whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, and grains like quinoa and lentils have the added benefits of fiber, protein, and minerals, all important for active bodies.
5. Nuts: Not only are nuts a good source of protein, but their nutrients serve another purpose. Nuts are a natural source of healthy, unsaturated fat. Athletes need fat in their diet because after carbohydrate energy is used, fat provides the body fuel during extended periods of physical activity. Unsalted almonds, pecans, and even peanuts (technically a legume) are convenient, healthy snacks for teens during the day.
JUEL Prep
KW Lightning joins JUEL Prep as a Founding Member of the top high school league in Canada for Grade 10’s and under
JUEL Prep will be run by Juel (Canada’s top Female Basketball League www.juel.ca ) Juel Prep will have the Top Grade 10’s Teams in the province, playing against the best every Month in a centralized location as well as playing in OBA events and Ontario Cup. The League Championships will be held the same weekend as JUEL in May.
The JUEL Prep team will be coached by Kerri Jilesen (who won D1 Gold Midget in 2013 is Ass’t Coach with WLU where is played OUA before going to Europe to play professionally)
If you are one of the Top Grade 10 or under Basketball Player’s in the Region you are welcome to tryout.
Tryouts for Juel Prep will start Sunday Sept 15th at 330-530pm at St David’s HS
KW Lightning’s Major Bantam (Gr 8) and Midget (Gr 9) teams will also be joining a Provincial League this year … more news to come
KW Lightning Coaching Staff
For Gold / #1 teams are below ( We will have two teams at every age group and then #2 and #3 teams Coaches will be announced later)
JUEL - Craig Nickel
Jr OBA - Shaun Samuels
JUEL Prep (Major Midget) Kerri Jilesen
Midget- Brandon Mina
Major Bantam - Allan Bush
Bantam- Eddie Lopez
Major Atom- Rudy Hamm
Atom- Susan Irwin - Rondilla
Novice- Alex Urosevic
Tryout info below sign up now Come join the Family and the Tradition as Player, Coach or Supporter !!!
The Tradition of 38 Lightning grads going onto play OCAA or OUA or NCAA over the Last Three Years the most of any program in Canada
The Tradition of Two D1 Golds in 2013 in Midget(Jilesen) and Major Midget (Nickel) ;
Two teams in JUEL League finishing 3rd and 4th in 2012 and Finishing 2nd in First year of JUEL 2011;
Winning JR OBA Div #1 GOLD ( Urosevic) in 2010 and Div #1 GOLD in Juv (Bush) in 2009 plus D1 Gold Midget 2007 (Urosevic)
Plus much more in friends and memories !
KW Lighning is sponsored in part by Allan Bush CIBC Waterloo
JUEL Update & Tryout Times
JUEL is going with the top 14 teams in the Province for 2014
We are very honoured to be running the Top Girls Team in the Tricounty Area again
Craig Nickel will be the Head Coach of this All Star team of the Best High Schooled Aged Girl Players is the area
Note we had 13 players graduate to NCAA OUA and College teams this year (most of any Girls program in Canada
Plus last years Tricounty Juel Coach Charles Kissi is now the Brock Men's Basketball Coach
Tryouts Start Sunday September 8th at WCI at 1pm
Compete against the Best
No Cost to Tryout
Sponsored by Allan Bush CIBC Waterloo
2013-14 REP TRYOUTS
Are you interested in playing REP Basketball for the KW Lightning the year? There is no cost to tryout, please see tryout posters below and fill out the registration form. Please email registration form to allan.bush@cibc.ca
Midget (Born in 1999), Major Midget (Born in 1998), Juvenile (Born in 1997), Junior (Born in 1995/1996) ~ View Poster
Novice (Born in 2004-06), Atom (Born 2003), Major Atom (Born in 2002), Bantam (Born in 2001), Major Bantam (Born in 2000) ~ View Poster
Junior Elite (Born in 1995, 1996 & 1997) ~ View Poster
Registration Form ~ View ** Use TAB button when entering info on form & only use PRINT FILE Icon to print & THEN E-MAIL to kwlightning@hotmail.com
ALUMNI UPDATE
KW Lightning is pleased to announce 14 players for the past KW Lightning JUEL teams will be moving on to playing University or College Basketball in North America this coming September (see alumni list) Lindsay Taylor was this 2013 winner of the KW Lightning Scholarship
KW Lightning becomes a Founding Club of the New JUEL Prep League for the Best Grade 9’s and 10’s in the Tricounty Area
Still Room left for players at the Great University of Waterloo Summer Camps (see camp section for details)
Coaching Application Process for 2013 -14 Season
KW Lightning Girls Basketball
is pleased to announce the opening of the Coaching application process for 2013 -14 season.
Be part of the Top Girls Only Basketball Club in Canada
We are now open for new applications for our coaching staff for club travel teams and house league teams.
Lightning is looking for Head Coaches and Ass't Coaches for all teams, all age groups, at all levels of play.
KW Lightning prides itself on providing the best coaching possible.
Last year's Coaching Staff included Ex Head Coaches and Ass't Coaches from University Women's Programs plus current Ass't coaches of University Women's teams.
In addition, we had number of former NCAA and Cdn University player's coach in our program at all levels.
We also provide training to our coaches thru CEBA and Tyler Slipp
Head Coach of University of Waterloo's Women's Basketball Team
If you are interested please email our resume to
Allan Bush President of KW Lightning : allan.bush@cibc.ca
GREAT WEEKEND FOR KW LIGHTNING!!
Midget Gold Won Gold D1 Provincial Champions
Major Midget Gold Won Gold D1
Provincial Champions
Major Midget Black Won Gold D7
Congratulations to all the players and coaching's staff's on their very successful season's
Extremely Proud
Go Lightning!
Volunteer Letter
Hello Parents,
I hope this basketball season with the K-W Lightning is a challenging and fulfilling experience for both you and your daughter.
As you probably know, K-W Lightning is a volunteer powered organization. Allan Bush, President, is the driving force behind K-W Lightning and puts a huge number of hours into every season to keep the organization running.
To run our outstanding club it takes more than one person to accomplish all of the tasks needed for a successful season.
All of our present Board Members have or have had daughters that were long-time members of Lightning family. Their daughters have either graduated or will be graduating this spring.
This will leave a large hole in our Board and a number of positions unfilled.
The organization cannot function without volunteers.
It is time for new volunteers to step up and keep our club functioning. Below are the positions available for the 2013-2014 season.
Registration Barb McNaughton has volunteered to stay next season but would like to mentor a volunteer so he or she is ready to take over the job for the 2014-2015 season. Registration involves the gathering of information from individual players; creating the team roster; entering the information of players, coaches, managers, into the OBA website; organizing the coach's clinic for NCCP levels; keeping coaches and managers up to date with any OBA information; and making payments to Basketball Ontario.
Uniforms Ordering, organizing and distributing of uniforms and med kits at the beginning of the season. Making sure all uniforms are collected at season's end.
Gym Assigning gym practice times to each team and alerting coaches when gyms have been canceled or new gyms assigned.
Tournaments Compiling teams entered in our own Lightning tournament. Getting gyms assigned, notifying participants of the schedule and driving instructions, etc.
Treasurer Attend monthly board meeting, write cheques for tournaments and pay expenses, etc.
Secretary Takes minutes at meeting, notifies webmaster of new material needed on the website.
Publicity Creates flyers and pamphlets for K-W Lightning. Finds sponsorships for the club.
Please take a moment to thoughtfully reflect and see if you have any spare time to volunteer for any of these positions.
Thank you,
K-W Lightning Board Members
Contact Allan Bush at allan.bush@cibc.ca
Another Lightning Player Going To Brock
Juel News & Raptors
Tricounty Thunder Juel Coach Charles Kissi is named Raptors First Community Mentor Coach Program and Head Coach of the Toronto Raptors Dwayne Casey will be Charles Mentor.
"Huge honor for Coach Kissi and KW Lightning" says Allan Bush President of KW Lighting
KW Lightning's TriCounty Juel team is made up of the Region's Best High School Girls
As Raptors First Community Mentor Coach Program, Coach Kissi's adventure is being filmed by Raptors TV and will be aired Feb 13th thru to April 9th on Raptors TV
Raptors Head Coach Dwayne Casey ran a practice for the TC Juel team the other weekend. The player's got the chance to learn basketball from the Toronto Raptors Head Coach and take pictures and talk with Coach Casey. Dream come true for players!
See article below
http://www.thestar.com/sports/basketball/nba/article/1316106--toronto-raptors-coach-dwane-casey-turns-mentor
Games for Both Juel team's this weekend are in Cambridge at St Benedict Catholic Secondary School www.juel.ca for Times
Blair McNaughton's Recruiting Announcement to Lakehead University
Women's Hoops Announce Commitment of Blair McNaughton
Author: Hugh Mullally
Head Coach Jon Kreiner and the women's basketball team are pleased to announce to commitment of Blair McNaughton (Kitchener, ON) for the 2012-13 season.
BLAIR MCNAUGHTON
5’11" Forward
Program: Environmental Resource Management
Hometown: Kitchener, Ontario
Last Team: Forest Heights High School "AAAA"
Present Rep Team: Tri-County Juel #1 team
Stats from 2012 season at Forest Heights:
22.4 PPG
5 Assists per game
85% Ft Shooter
5 rebounds per game
Blair McNaughton explains her reasons for joining the Thunderwolves team:
“I had the opportunity to visit Lakehead in the fall and I loved it. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. I was blown away by the atmosphere in the Thunderdome for the opening game of the season. My dream has been to play basketball after high school and Lakehead is the best fit for me. I am truly excited and looking forward to becoming a Thunderwolf and being coached by Jon Kreiner and his staff."
High School Coach Kerri Jilesen’s on Blair:
"Blair McNaughton has been the backbone of the Sr. Girls Basketball team at FHCI since she was in grade 10. She has been a league all-star for the last three years and has averaged 22.4 points a game. One of Blair's strengths is that she can play multiple positions at the university level. She is not only a very good shooter she is also a very good passer. Blair is a committed athlete that is dedicated to working hard at improving her game. She is a positive influence on the team and makes her teammates
better. Blair has played on one of the top Juel teams in Ontario for the last two years and is currently playing on the Tri County Thunder. We look forward to watching Blair develop with the Lakehead Thunderwolves coached by Jon Kreiner. "
Coach Jon Kreiner on Blair’s commitment:
“Blair is someone that we’ve only got to know recently but I was quickly impressed with her ability and potential. She is versatile, can shoot the three, score inside and is a good passer with good court vision. She is also being very well coached and will continue to develop as the club season moves along. I am very happy to have yet another talented player with great character joining our program for the 2013-14 season.”
Individual Achievements
2007 BDP
2008 BDP and Mega Camp All-Star
2009 MDP
2010 All-Star selection in Kingston, Mississauga, Montreal & Blessed Sacrament Tournaments.
2008, Forest Heights High School Junior Girls Basketball MVP
2009, 2010, 2011. Forest Heights High School Senior Girls MVP
High School Team Captain 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
2010 Michigan Round Ball selection All-Star Team
2011 2012 JUEL #1 team
Team Achievements
2010 MDP Silver Medalist Ontario Summer Games
2012 Juel League 4th Place finish in Provincial Championships
2012 OFSSA Volleyball AAAA Gold Medal
Alex Klein is D1 Bound
Alex Klein is D1 Bound: Headed to Bryant University in Rhode Island for 2013
http://crownmagonline.com/recruiting/alex-klein-is-d1-bound-headed-to-bryant-for-2013/
Former Lightning Player and Current Skills Coach gets a NCAA Job
Former Lightning Player and Current Skills Coach gets a NCAA job
http://www.umassathletics.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/091112aak.html
NEW Program ~ Bolts
KW Lightning are pleased to announce Lightning Bolts
3on3 girls only development league for girls in Grade 3 and under
Meant for girls to learn the game of basketball and have fun
Monday and Thursday nights from 6-7pm for only $80
Information Poster - Click Here
Registration Form - Click Here
2012-13 Coaching Staff
Allan Bush, President of KW Lightning and Bob Urosevic Head of Coaching are pleased to announce the
Head Coaching Staff for 2012-2013:
Juel
Tricounty - Charles Kissi Former Women Head Coach Ryerson University
KW Lightning - Darren House Former Ass’t Coach at Western and Guelph
Junior OBA - Kate McCrae
Major Midget - Craig Nickel
Midget (Gold) - Kerri Jilesen
Midget (Black) - Pete Stoyakovich
Major Bantam - Brandon Mina from Canadian Elite Basketball Academy
Bantam - Gary Smith
Major Atom - Scott McLean
Atom - Rudy Hamm
Novice - Alex Urosevic
New Lightning Bolts (Girls only) for Grade 3 and under 3on3 learning the game - Rudy Hamm
JEUL & Rep Team OPEN Tryouts
REP TEAMS
Are you interested in playing rep basketball?
Open tryouts are held over several sessions at the end of September and beginning of October
for all age groups. The basketball season officially starts in mid-October and runs to the end of March or April, depending on the age group.
We encourage all girls interested in playing competitive basketball to participate in the tryout process.
Novice - Born in 2003, 2004 & 2005
Atom - Born in 2002
Major Atom - Born in 2001
Bantam - Born in 2000
Major Bantam - Born in 1999
Midget - Born in 1998
Major Midget - Born in 1997
Juvenile - Born in 1996
Junior - Born in 1994 & 1995
Click Here for Novice-Major Bantam Tryout Poster (printable version)
Click Here for Midget-Junior Tryout Poster (printable version)
Tryout Dates & Location
All Tryouts are held at St David CSS, Waterloo
Sunday September 16th Midget |
Wednesday September 19th Major Midget |
Sunday September 23rd Midget |
Tuesday September 25th Major Midget #2 |
Wednesday September 26th Midget #2 |
Saturday September 15th Novice |
Sunday September 16th Novice |
Saturday September 22nd Novice |
No cost to tryout. Email allan.bush@cibc.ca if you have any questions.
Please Pre-Register
JUEL TEAMS
Two Junior Elite (JUEL) Teams.
KW Lightning and Tri-County Thunder
(All Players from K-W, Cambridge, Guelph, and Brantford)
Junior Elite Players Born in 1994, 1995, & 1996
Click Here for JUEL Tryout Poster (printable version)
Tryout Dates & Location
| TRI-COUNTY THUNDER Tri-county Thunder: Head Coach Charles Kissi former Head Coach Ryerson University Monday, August 27th 7pm - 10pm at Rim Park, Waterloo Gym 3+4 Saturday, September 8th 1pm - 4pm at Rim Park, Waterloo Gym 3+4 Sunday, September 9th 1pm - 4pm at Rim Park, Waterloo Gym 3+4 |
KW LIGHTNING KW Lightning: Head Coach
|
Juel Teams are Sponsored By Brantford CYO, KW Lightning and Allan Bush CIBC
No cost to tryout. Email allan.bush@cibc.ca if you have any questions.
Please Pre-Register
Group Training Sessions
Please look over this fantastic opportunity to get ready for High School and Club Tryouts
Each individual session is 60 minutes in length and has a Coach to Player ratio no greater than 1:4. Every player is given a player evaluation with specific notes on how they can maximize their experience and improve their skills and fundamentals to make them successful at any level.
KW Lightning and CEBA Basketball
To schedule individual or small group training sessions,
contact allan.bush@cibc.ca , and you will be contacted to set up a training session as soon as availability opens.
Individual Training Sessions will be at Rim Park Gym
Coaches will be...
Eddie Lopez
After earning his degree from the University of Waterloo Coach Lopez went on to earn his Teaching Diploma from D’Youille College in Buffalo, NY. He is currently a teacher for the Huron-Perth Catholic School Board and will be entering his 4th season as an Assistant Coach for the Laurier Golden Hawks Men’s Basketball Team this fall.
He previously spent 8 years coaching at the OBA level. Next fall, Coach Lopez will lead a Nike sanctioned Centre for/de Performance (CP) pod for Canada Basketball. CP pods are used to establish a selection pool for team Canada Basketball.
Coach Lopez is responsible for player development, game-day scouting reports and recruiting for the Golden Hawks. He is a former CIS player and 2 time District 8 All-Star. Coach Lopez is an NCCP Level II certified coach with a passion for taking players to the next level.
Brandon Mina
Coach Mina is a recent graduate of McMaster University where he earned his degree in Communication Studies. He is currently taking a year off before pursuing a Masters. He is in his 4th season as a Coach for the Cambridge Centaurs.
As a player, Coach Mina was a District 8 All-Star known for his leadership, his dedication to precision and his attention to details. Coach Mina will also assist Coach Lopez at the Nike sanctioned Centre for/de Performance (CP) pod for Canada Basketball this fall.
He is an NCCP Level I certified coach with a passion for FUNdamentals and fitness. Coach Mina loves to talk X’s and O’s and has a wealth of knowledge on how to improve any players game. His emphasis is on teaching players about the “why”behind the “what”.
May Kotsopoulos
Former NCAA Division 1 Player with Vermont, Currently playing professionally in Greece and is a member of the Greece National Basketball Team
Dryland Training Sessions
Dryland Training Sessions in Partnership of KW Lightning and Canadian Elite Basketball
Athletic Development Training
The off-season is all about individual development and this is why the Canadian Elite Basketball Academy is pleased to offer an elite program for players designed to teach individual skills and team fundamentals while also presenting aspects of sports science that are necessary to become a high level player.
Our Athletic Development Training runs 3 times a week throughout August and is in place to help players develop their athletic abilities.
The Canadian Elite Basketball Academy has created a four-category, 5-level player development program with emphasis on:
- · Motor Skills (efficient movement patterns, dexterity, coordination and reaction)
- · Athleticism (speed, quickness, agility, power, explosiveness)
- · Recovery (injury prevention, flexibility, nutrition and recovery techniques)
- · Basketball Fundamentals (innovative passing, dribbling, shooting and finishing drills)
Register online at www.canadianelitebasketball.ca/register
We will be having 2 Pods running from August 7th to August 30th...
Pods
Kitchener-Waterloo
Our Kitchener-Waterloo Pod is for girls and boys grades 6 to 12.
Waterloo Park – Dryland Training Session
Tuesdays & Thursdays – 7pm to 8pm
CORE Sports Complex – On-Court Training Session
Sundays 7pm-830pm
August 7th to 30
$65 HST Included
Cambridge
Our Cambridge Pod is for girls and boys grades 6 to 12.
St. Benedict – Dryland Training Session
Mondays & Wednesdays – 8am to 9am
CORE Sports Complex – On-Court Training Session
Sundays 7pm-830pm
August 7th to 30th
$65 HST Included
Here is a link to the current training program that we have. Please tell anyone interested to register online
http://www.canadianelitebasketballacademy.ca/training/
Coaches are ...
Eddie Lopez ( Ass’t Coach of WLU Men’s Basketball Team) and
Brandon Mina of CEBA
Both of these coaches are CP coaches as well
The Canadian Elite Basketball Academy's (CEBA) player development program helps players of all levels. Our customized individual and small group training sessions allow players to see results quickly. All of CEBA’s drills follow a step-by-step progressive curriculum that covers every area of the game. We will customize each player’s workouts to improve their weaknesses and enhance their strengths. All training sessions will use intense, innovative drills, along with detailed teaching points, to help players reach their full on-court potential. Our player development sessions will also improve a player’s toughness, work ethics, and competitiveness.
JEUL Teams OPEN Tryouts
Below are tryout dates for Junior Girls Elite League teams. These teams have been award 3 year Franchise agreements
Our Goal is to provide elite skill development for female basketball player’s and prepare them for University or College
Anyone, from any where can tryout and for any team.
Are you ready to step it up?
Tricounty Thunder Juel Head Coach Charles Kissi (former Head Coach University of Ryerson)
Monday Aug 27th 7pm - 10pm at Rim Park Waterloo Gym 3+4
Saturday Sept 8th 1pm - 4pm at Rim Park Waterloo Gym 3+4
Sunday Sept 9th 1pm - 4pm at Rim Park Waterloo Gym 3+4
KW Lightning Juel Head Coach Darren House (former Asst coach University of Guelph and Western)
Tuesday Sept 11th 7pm-10pm at St David’s High School Waterloo
Wednesday Sept 12th 7pm-10pm at St David’s High School Waterloo
Sunday Sept 16th 4pm-6pm at St David’s High School Waterloo
Juel Teams are Sponsored By Brantford CYO, KW Lightning and Allan Bush CIBC
Please Pre Reg No Cost to Tryout email allan.bush@cibc.ca the following info to attend tryout’s or if you have any questions.
Player Name, Email Address, Mailing Address, Home Phone Number and Cell Phone Number High School Birthdate Height Postiion
KW Lightning in now accepting applications for it’s 2012-2013 Coaching Staff
KW Lightning in now accepting applications for it’s 2012-2013 Coaching staff both Head Coaches and Assistant Coaches
If you are interested please email Bob Urosevic at burosevi@cisco.com
Looking for new Executive Members to help in a number of roles please contact Allan Bush at allan.bush@cibc.ca
KW Lightning and Tricounty Thunder have both been awarded Three Year Franchise agreement starting the 2012-13
KW Lightning Grads make University All Star Teams
Shelby Kurt Named OUA West Rookie of the year
Megan Robinson was named to the AUA Rookie All Star Team
Kate MacTavish was named to OUA West Rookie team
KW Lightning Midget Team's Wins in the Sault!
OBA Junior Championships and JEUL Championships May 4-6
Games
Juel Championship starts with the 3rd Ranked Tricounty Thunder (Bush) playing the Juel North at 1230pm at University of Waterloo
Then the #4 ranked KW lightning (Urosevic) playing Hamilton at 230pm at St David’s High School
OBA Junior Championships start at 430 pm with KW Gold (Hergott) playing Dundas at RIM Park Gym #2
Then KW Lightning Black (Samuels) playing Stoney Creek at 600pm at WCI
Saturday Games
Juel Tricounty Thunder play at 930am and 330pm all games at University of Waterloo
Juel KW Lightning play at 930 and 530pm all games at St David’s
OBA Junior Gold play at noon and 600pm at RIM #2
OBA Junior Black play at 9 am and 430pm at WCI
Best of luck to all the teams this weekend!
Major Midget & Junior Girls Basketball Provincial Championships
KW Lightning Hosting Major Midget Girls Basketball Provincial Championships and Junior Girls Provincial Championships
April 27-29 starts with Major Midget
Come out to cheer our KW lightning Team who will be playing at Cameron Height High School all weekend
Friday April 27 at 9pm
Saturday April 28 at Noon and 730pm
OBA Provincial Championships
OBA Provincial Championships are starting this weekend
Thank you to all of the players and coaches for making this one of KW Lightning’s best basketball season’s and I would like to wish all the team’s a very successful Championship weekend on and off the court
Allan Bush President of KW Lightning
Lightning-Thunder Updates
Juel season is 2/3 over ( Juel is the top Junior Girls league in Canada ) and our Tricounty Thunder and KW Lightning teams are currently in fourth and fifth place in the province.
KW Lightning are hosting the Juel Championship Weekend May 4 5 6th at University of Waterloo and WLU
Four players are in the top 20 in scoring Erica McFadden, Katie Polischuk, Michelle Hudyn and Kaitlyn Schenck
Local Juel players have also verbal committed to the following Universities for next year,
Michelle Hudyn Missouri NCAA Div 1
Lindsay Lessard St FX
Jacqui Rodrigues U of Waterloo
Kaitlyn Schenck WLU
Erica Mc Fadden Guelph
Katie Polischuk Regina
Notable KW Lightning Players
We’ve updated the list of Notable KW Lightning players. If you’re curious to know which Lightning players have gone on to play basketball after high school at a university, college or professional level, check out the list!
Lightning-Warriors November Basketball Clinics
KW Lightning and the University of Waterloo Warriors are pleased to announce that they are hosting another set of basketball clinics lead by Tyler Slipp, head coach of the Waterloo Warriors women’s basketball team! Join us November 6, 13, 20 and 27 at the Physical Activities Complex (PAC) at the University of Waterloo. The times are as follows:
- 8:30 am – 9:30 am for Novice to Bantam (Grade 2 to 7)
- 9:30 am – 10:30 am for Major Bantam to Junior (Grade 8 to 12)
If you have any questions, please send them to Allan Bush.
KW Lightning Tournaments for 2012
KW Lightning will host basketball tournaments for every age level this season. Tournaments for Novice to Major Bantam will be on Jan 20-22, for Midget to Juvenile on Mar 23-25, and for Junior on Feb 3-5. All dates are in 2012 and there are often two tournaments available per level. This year, each tournament will follow the 8-team/16-game format. Please check the Tournaments page for the details and registration information.
Please pass the word around about these great tournaments!
Michelle Hudyn to Play for Missouri
KW Lightning star Michelle Hudyn, a member of the Junior Elite team, has verbally committed to play for the University of Missouri Tigers (also known as the Mizzou) next year. Missouri is a Division 1 NCAA team and a member of the Big 12 Conference. The Tiger’s team colours are black and gold, so she’ll be keeping her Lightning colours!
Congratulations to Michelle for all of her hard work! The entire KW Lightning organization is thrilled and proud to see one of their own accepted to a Division 1 team like the Tigers!
KW Lightning Announces Coaches for the 2011-12 Season
Allan Bush, president of KW Lightning, is excited to announce the head coaches for the upcoming 2011-2012 season:
| Junior Elite (KW Lightning) | Bob Urosevic |
| Junior Elite (Tricounty) | Allan Bush, Darrah Bumstead, Tyler Slipp |
| Junior (Gold) | Jason Hergott |
| Junior (Black) | Shaun Samuels |
| Juvenile | Dale Bellaire |
| Major Midget | Kate McCrae |
| Midget (Gold) | Craig Nickel |
| Midget (Black) | TBA |
| Major Bantam (Gold) | Ron DeBoer |
| Major Bantam (Black) | Pete Stoyakovich |
| Bantam (Gold) | Brian Henry |
| Bantam (Black) | Dee Hollinger |
| Major Atom | Andrea Mickie |
| Atom | Scott McLean |
| Novice | Alex Urosevic |
KW Lightning is one of Ontario’s top all-girls rep programs, headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario. A non-profit organization, KW Lightning focuses on providing your women with basketball and life skills.
KW Lightning loves it when ex-players return to become assistant coaches! Anyone interested in coaching should contact Allan Bush.
KW Lightning would also like to thank CIBC Wood Gundy, the major sponsor of the program.
Kaila Montgomery Wins Academic Excellence Award
Former KW Lightning player Kaila Montgomery, who currently plays for the Cleveland State Vikings, just won an academic excellence award for the 3rd year straight. Read the details here. See also Kaila’s profile on the Vikings official site.
KW Lightning Seeks Coaches for the 2011-12 Season
Are you interested in coaching for one of the premiere girls basketball clubs in Ontario? KW Lightning is now accepting applications for head coach and assistant coach positions for the upcoming 2011-2012 season. Please contact KWL president Allan Bush for more information.
Congrats to all Junior and Juvenile Teams!
Every KW Lightning Junior and Juvenile team managed to place in its division at the Ontario Cup championships that we hosted last weekend:
- Junior Elite: Silver
- Junior #1: Bronze
- Junior #2: Silver
- Juvenile: Silver
A great showing for our senior teams!
And special thanks to Roy Dahl and his team for hosting the provincial championships for the 8th straight year.
Junior #1 Wins Division 1 Bronze
Congratulations to the Junior #1 team, coached by Brian Henry, for winning bronze in division 1 at the Ontario Cup this past weekend.
Summer Basketnall Camps for 2011
Looking to build some basketball skills over the summer? Here are some great summer basketball camps:
- University of Waterloo’s Warrior Women’s Basketball Camp (dates to come)
- Wilfrid Laurier University’s Golden Hawk Girls Basketball Camp (Aug 15-19)
- Roy Dahl’s Naismith Basketball Camp (Aug 22-27)
- Mano Watsa’s Watsa Basketball Camp (Aug 21-26)
Register soon, these camps fill up pretty quickly!
KW Lightning AAU Summer 2011 Teams
This year, KW Lightning will be fielding three AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) teams from the end of May to July 11, 2011:
- Grade 11 and 12
- Grade 9 and 10
- Grade 7 and 8
The teams will practice twice a week and attend two tournaments in the United States. Coaches will include Tyler Slipp from the University of Waterloo and a number of ex-university women’s players.
This is a great way to get noticed by coaches in the United States. Last year we had three players get letters of interest from Division 1 university coaches.
Please email Allan Bush if you or your daughter are interested in trying out for an AAU team.
2011 Tournament Results So Far
Most of the KW Lightning tournaments have occurred, leaving only the Midget, Major Midget and Juvenile tournaments to come. You can download the full results for all of the Novice to Major Bantam tournaments, plus the Junior tournament, from our tournaments page. The following KW Lightning teams placed in the top 4 of their tournament:
- Novice: 4th
- Atom: Bronze
- Major Atom: Silver
- Bantam 1: Silver
- Bantam 2: Bronze
- Major Bantam 2: Bronze
Congratulations to everyone!
Skills Clinic Location To Change
Due to a malfunctioning basket at the main gym, the skills sessions at the University of Waterloo on Sunday January 23 and Sunday January 29 will move to the gym at the CIF building across Columbia Street. Times remain the same.
Laurier Golden Hawks Autograph Day
The Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks basketball teams are inviting KW Lightning teams to attend the men’s and women’s basketball games against the Guelph Gryphons on Wednesday, January 19, 2011. Admision is free for all players. Two coaches from each team will also receive free admission when they arrive with their players as a team. Parents and additional coaches get in for half price. In order for the players to receive free admission they must be dressed in their team jersyes or travel suits.
Note that January 19 is also “Autograph Day”, therefore the teams will get a chance to meet the WLU players and get their autographs following the games.
This is a great opportunity to come out and support the Golden Hawks! The women’s tip-off is at 6 pm, the men’s game starts at 8 pm. See you there!
Skills Clinic Date Changed from January 9 to January 23
The skills clinic that was scheduled for this coming weekend (Sunday, January 9) will now be held on Sunday, January 23 instead, at the Unversity of Waterloo main gym. The Novice-Bantam clinic runs from 8:15-9:15 am and the Major Bantam-Junior clinic from 9:15-10:15 am. We encourage all our players to attend these sessions for valuable skills training.
KWL Tournament Spots Still Available
Teams looking for challenging tournament play should attend one of the tournaments hosted by KW Lightning, which run on three weekends: Novice to Major Bantam on the weekend of January 21-23, Midget to Juvenile on the weekend of March 25-27, and Junior on the weekend of February 4-6. Most tournaments still have spots open for new registrations. Please check our Tournaments page for all the details.
KW Lightning coaches and parents: Please be sure to tell any other teams you meet about our tournaments. Help us get the word out!
KW Lightning Dominates Waterloo Region All Star Lists
In today’s Waterloo Region Record (Friday, December 3, 2010, page D9) you’ll find pictures of the regional girls basketball all-stars. The 1st team all-stars for both District 8 (Catholic board) and Waterloo County (public board) are KW Lightning players! A number of the 2nd team all-stars are also Lightning players, plus a number of our girls received honourable mentions.
Way to go, ladies!
2010-11 Team Pages Added to KW Lightning Website
If you haven’t noticed yet, a page for each KW Lightning rep team has been created. You can access these pages by clicking on the “Rep Teams” link in the top banner and then clicking on the link for the particular team. You can also move your cursor over the “Rep Teams” link and select the team from the list that is displayed.
The team pages are currently empty, but expect them to start filling out soon as each team starts playing games. Each team is responsible for maintaining its own pages — if you’re the designated web manager for your team, please be sure to contact Eric Giguere in order to obtain your login information and the instruction manual.
KW Lightning Skills Clinics 2010-11
KW Lightning is pleased to announce its skills clinics schedule for the 2010-2011 season.
One of the advantages of playing basketball in Kitchener-Waterloo is the access to incredible coaching and mentoring talent, thanks to the top-notch basketball programs at our two local universities.
Tyler Slipp, head coach of the University of Waterloo women's basketball team, is once again hosting and running the KW Lightning Skills Clinics this year. The clinics are open to all KW Lightning players from Novice to Junior. All clinics are held in the main gym of the Physical Activities Complex (PAC) at the University of Waterloo. There are two sessions per clinic:
- The session for Novice, Atom, Major Atom and Bantam players runs from 8:15 am – 9:15 am.
- The session for Major Bantam, Midget, Major Midget, Juvenile and Junior players runs from 9:15 am – 10:15 am.
The clinics take place on the following dates: November 28, December 19, January 9, January 30 and February 13.
We encourage all Lightning players to attend these free skills sessions.
Note: These times are subject to change, so please check the KW Lightning website from time to time for updates.
Youth Basketball League (YBL) November Update
While it’s true that KW Lightning is the premiere destination for competitive girls basketball in the Kitchener-Waterloo area, the club also co-sponsors the Youth Basketball League to develop basketball skills for girls and boys age 5-13 in a fun, non-competitive environment. Some important YBL updates:
- A free coaching clinic is being offered on Sunday, November 14.
- Another session for boys and girls age 5 and 6 is being offered in January.
- Spots are still available for older players (boys 9-11 and girls 9-13) are still needed.
See the Youth Basketball League page for all the details.
Laurier Junior Hawks Program for KW Lightning Teams
Wilfrid Laurier University invites KW Lightning teams to attend varsity basketball games as part of the Junior Hawks program. The program is intended to provide role models for young players in the community by having them come and watch and interact with WLU varsity players.
The Junior Hawks program is available at every home game (see the schedule below). Teams must register in advance, see the instructions in the program document (also below).
Note: January 19, 2011 is autograph day. WLU will be playing Guelph and both the men’s and women’s teams will be holding autograph sessions. This is a great chance for KW Lightning players to meet the teams and ask them questions.
- Please click here to download the Laurier 2010-2011 Women’s Basketball Schedule
- Please click here to download the Junior Hawks Program details
Order Your KW Lightning Merchandise Today!
KW Lightning is now accepting orders for branded merchandise. See the KW Lightning Merchandise page for all the details. Orders must be receive by Kathy Shortt by Friday, November 19th. This is the only chance you’ll have to order Lightning gear until next season.
KW Lightning 2011 Tournament Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for the KW Lightning 2011 tournaments. We host tournaments for every level and welcome applications from all teams. Please see our tournaments page for the details, including registration links. Please spread the word if you can about our tournaments — it’s a great way for friends and family to see our girls in action!