Page 26 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 139

26 Issue 139 August 2024 www.sportsenergynews.com

Coach Jack Chisholm Celebrates 25 Years of

Basketball Coaching

By Christine Ouellet allowed because they were played
outside or in an area. They lost a lot
Cornwall icon of St. Joseph’s of the ‘grassroots players’ during
A High School basketball just that period. The pool of players was
celebrated his 25th year of coaching. destroyed. Now they run camps for
For Jack Chisholm, it is all about the younger kids, from grades 5 -6 -7.
the love of the sport. He would do In July, they had two camps for girls
anything to support and play sports. and boys.
“Sports have always been a big part In August there will be two more
of my life, when you love a game so basketball camps and he is still
much, that’s what you do. I have been taking registrations for kids in grades
doing this for 25 years.” 8- 9-10. The girls’ camp starts on

Sports coaching is all his life. August 12th to the 15th, and the
“Sadly,” he said, “you don’t get much boys, on August 19th to the 22nd.
recognition for coaching basketball.” These camps are more for kids who
His reward is getting kids to victory, want to try out for the high school
getting them up to the next level, and intermediate teams. They work on all
seeing his teams be successful and the skill sets they need to play in a
make it to the Lions’ team. “I haven’t team at that level.
changed anything in the way I coach,” Coach Jack says, “I run the camp
he concluded. “And with six kids at like I run practice in school. I work
home, that is a lot of time being away on every single they need to master.
from your family while traveling to We do drills, dribble, move the ball,
tournaments. My wife Catherine play as a team, pass, shoot. By the
(Cameron) has always supported me end of the week, even if they are not have a work ethic, be tough mentally, She was one of my best players.
fully, she is an angel for allowing me stock basketball players, they have you must be an aggressive player, We were playing Ottawa, Cornwall,
to do what I do.” improved a lot. They all came a long defender, and attacker. Being tall Belleville, and Kingston, they had a
helps but it is not essential. You must nice team. She went on to Western
As a young athlete, he played way. The goal of the camp is not to have the full package, left hand, right University in London and won
university soccer at St. Francis necessarily to make it to the NBA hand, shoot the ball, pass the ball. championships with the Mustangs
Xavier University for five years and or college basketball, but to learn To get better, I tell them you have to for a couple of years. And now she is
won two national championships. and love the sport. They may end do as much one-on-one as you can, back in the game coaching with me.”
Around 1993 he met with Shawn and up playing house league basketball, when you play with people who are
Mike Clark from Long Sault who or join the Lions, but even if they better than you, it is going to make Coach Jack Chisholm has a lot of
were elite basketball and won two don’t do any of this, they might end you a better player. Team play is so respect for the basketball community,
basketball national championships. up playing for their school team. And important, you must develop all the he is a very intense, respectful, and
He knew them from Cornwall, and one day, I will see them playing for players. If you are the coach, you humble coach. He describes himself
he went on scrimmage. Back then, he another school, and they will say, can’t have just one good player on as an old-fashioned school coach,
was dating his wife, Catherine, who “Hey, there is Coach Jack!” And they your team. If a kid wants to make it who still loves the sport so much that
went to school with them. will give me a big smile and I will to the next level, he must be a team when he retires from teaching in the
be very proud of them for playing next five years, he could continue
Chisholm loves basketball as player, know his role, move the ball, coaching. He likes to do individual
basketball for their school. It is very
much as soccer. He used to teach rewarding.” pass when he knows he has no chance training at his school, after practices,
multi-sports and started to focus to score, and find ways to the basket.” when parents reach out on his phone.
on basketball in Cornwall. During What it takes to be a good basketball He recruited Sarah Croney last year Until then, he will continue to play
COVID, basketball was shut down player is basic. “The earlier the kids and said, “She has been working in basketball for the Cornwall Men’s
because the schools were not allowed start the better it is, but it doesn’t partnership with me since. I coached League, winning championships,
to open up the gyms. Meanwhile, mean that if you start later, you can’t her ten years ago and we won the as he has been doing for the past 30
hockey, baseball, and soccer were take it to the next level. You must Ontario basketball championship. years.