Pursuit is a sports feature series highlighting athletes, coaches, and staff and significant sporting events from North Bay and the surrounding area.
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In a moment of "utter surprise and complete disbelief," Chris Cassidy found himself the centre of attention at the 2024 Boys AA OFSAA Soccer Championship banquet held in North Bay. Cassidy was announced as the recipient of OFSAA’s 2024 Leadership in Sport Award, an accolade recognizing his nearly three decades of dedication to coaching high school soccer.
"I literally found out when Chippewa Athletic Director Sara Pickles, the organizer of this year’s tournament, announced it to me at the end of the OFSAA banquet in the Chippewa gymnasium," Cassidy recalls. "It was humbling to accept this award in front of so many great coaches who are far more worthy of this distinction than I am."
A post on Chippewa Secondary School’s Facebook page celebrated Cassidy's achievement: "Congratulations to Mr. Chris Cassidy on being chosen as OFSAA’s 2024 Leadership in Sport Award recipient. Mr. Cassidy has coached soccer at Chippewa and Almaguin for the past 29 years and was recognized for his significant contributions to the sport of soccer during that time. The award was presented to Mr. Cassidy during the OFSAA banquet and was presented to him by the captain of the soccer team Nick Paleczny!"
Cassidy’s journey in soccer began at the age of eight, playing in city leagues around North Bay. He continued playing through his time in high school at West Ferris and later in men’s leagues in North Bay. "The highest level I got was just playing men’s league soccer in North Bay," he says. "I most recently played last year in the over-35 Nipissing Soccer League but have retired due to my old age and many ailments!"
His coaching career began in 1994 during his first year teaching at Almaguin Highlands Secondary School. "I coached the senior boys in the fall and the girls' team in the spring," Cassidy says. The transition from classroom to the pitch required some adjustments says Cassidy, "My biggest adjustment was from taking my teacher hat off and putting my coaching whistle on. I had to learn to be professional yet flexible, as the soccer field is not as controlled an environment as a classroom."
Cassidy’s love for soccer and his passion for working with students made coaching a natural extension of his teaching career. "Just going out after school and having fun outdoors with students was the most natural thing to do," he shares.
This year, Cassidy led the Chippewa Junior Boys soccer team to remarkable success. "I had an amazing group of 20 boys who were very dedicated since early March. They didn’t allow any goals during the regular season and won the NDA Junior Boys title. This is the first time in Chippewa’s history that a junior boys' team has won this title," Cassidy proudly states.
One of the season's highlights was their extraordinary comeback against St. Joseph-Scollard Hall Bears in the NDA finals. Trailing 3-1 with 10 minutes left, the team rallied to win 4-3 in extra time. Nathan Beland and Soren Gibson scored penalty kicks to tie the game, and Charlie Smith headed in the winning goal from a corner kick by Gibson.
"It was one of the craziest games you'll ever watch," Cassidy recalls. “Since forming the team five years ago, this is the first time in Chippewa’s history that a junior boys team has won this title. They just fell short at NOSSA losing in extra time but they accomplished a great feat by getting silver at the NOSSA level. I’m very proud of their accomplishments and their efforts this year.”
Amazingly they were one of three Chippewa soccer teams to win NDA gold this past season.
Cassidy says the team had high expectations set right from the start.
“We had a wealth of returning veterans to the team and ever since the first tryout the expectation was for them to win NDA,” says Cassidy. “They put the pressure on themselves for this and did very well to achieve their goals. A lot of the grade tens will move onto the senior level next year and I believe those expectations will continue so they can achieve more success at the highest level.”
Cassidy has witnessed a growing interest in soccer among high school students during his tenure but says there has been an uptick in the last six or seven years, a trend he attributes to the success of the Canadian national teams. "The women’s Olympic gold medal win in 2018 and the men’s success at the most recent Copa America tournament have connected high school players more to the sport," he says. "You see this in their discussions, the jerseys they wear, and their overall enthusiasm for the game."
He believes the national team’s success has significantly boosted soccer's profile in Canada. "Hockey will always be number one, but soccer is edging close to being number two. When the World Cup is here in 2026, it might nudge hockey out of the picture for at least a few months," Cassidy predicts. "It will cause athletes to consider soccer as a sport in the future."
Cassidy emphasizes the importance of educators being involved in extracurricular activities. "When students see you in a different light, it allows them to express themselves and try harder in various situations. Whether in the classroom, hallway or on the soccer field, connecting with students on different levels helps their overall education and understanding."
To new coaches, Cassidy offers two pieces of advice: "Dedicate 100 per cent of yourself to your efforts, and your players will recognize this and follow suit. Also, remember to step back and enjoy the little moments that make coaching worthwhile. It may not be the trophies and banners, but the players gaining self-confidence and achieving things they thought they could never do."
