Just For The Fun Of It

On this day eleven years ago we said goodbye to the founder of our program Don “Pete” Petersen. He was a friend, a mentor, confident, visionary and a leader in every sense of the word. He had the vision as a 17 year old caretaker at St. Patrick’s School on Patrick Street to open up the back door of the school and invite the children in his neighbourhood in to play some basketball. From that selfless gesture the league that now has his name was born. A league that started with four teams now has 38 teams, 474 players and 100+ volunteers making it all happen.

His smile, his laugh, and his resounding “Hey brother” greeting still resonate in our memories of this man. He taught all of us his values of inclusion, and to be in the league for one reason only – to be there “for the kids”. We were all so lucky to have the man that started it all around to listen, to observe and to give guidance to us whenever he thought we needed it.

In the later years of his life he would take his place in the North east corner of the St. Pats gym and from there he would greet a steady stream of parents as well as current and former players coming over to visit with him, and just be near him.

Those of us that learned from him, and those that are learning from us, remain committed to keeping the vision he had when he opened the back door of the school alive- to continue to provide a safe and affordable place for the children in our community to learn the game we love, and to experience the true joy of being part of a team can be. So if you are a player, remember why there is a “Pete” patch on your uniform, and then play the game with passion and have fun doing it. Pete’s still guiding us! Roland

Yesterday we received an unsolicited E Transfer with the following note attached:

“ John Sutton and Colleen Earle had birthdays and asked that people donate to the Pete Petersen b ball league…these are the donations to be directed to the basketball league.”

The result of this request was a significant donation to our program. Our sincere thanks to John and Colleen for their selfless act of support for what we do, and to the donors that granted them their birthday wish by donating to make a difference in the lives of our players and their families. Our thanks too, to Wendy Earle for arranging the e transfer to us.

We are truly blessed to have such great support in the community. Roland

Don Petersen’s family has asked that we give you this reminder about applications for the Don “Pete” Petersen Spirit Memorial Award. Details of the award, and how to apply are below.

Please remember that this is an award sponsored by Don Petersen’s family and not the league.

https://www.facebook.com/share/198mNPurZW/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Last month we reported to you that former league player and longtime volunteer Miles Brackenbury has qualified to represent Canada at the FISU World University Games in Germany in July. He will be competing in the half marathon event.

The World University Games are second only to the Olympics in terms of scope and number of athletes participating, and Miles is looking forward to representing Canada and fulfilling his dream of wearing the red and white colours in international competition.

The team is totally self funded so Miles must raise $5000 to cover his expenses. To do that, he has set up a GoFundMe page that I have included a link to below. Here is part of what Miles said, a reason for our league family to get behind his fund raising efforts.

“Additionally, as a thank you to the sports organization that shaped me into the Athlete I am today, I will be donating 50% of funds raised to the Pete Petersen Basketball League which provides access to sport for all and promotes an atmosphere where players come together “Just for the fun of it”. As a former player and volunteer with this league, I have seen the power of community and it has made me a better competitor and better person. Thanks to this league, youth who otherwise may miss opportunities in organized sport build skills, community, and memories that they take with them the rest of their lives.”

“For the Pete Petersen Basketball league, it is an investment into the next generation of athletes who will hopefully be in my shoes in the coming decades so I too can support them on this journey.”
I hope you can find it in your hearts to help this young man fulfill his dreams. It is typical of Miles character to want to help us out too, as he has done since he was 13 and started volunteering. Thank you Miles for believing in what we do , and for wanting to make a difference in our player’s lives.

Here is a link to the GoFundMe page.

https://gofund.me/dd00160c

We are thrilled to announce that Gino’s Pisano Old School Pizza on Division Street is partnering with us for a new initiative being launched for the upcoming season! Each week, in each division during the season we will be recognizing a Volunteer of the Week, sponsored by Gino’s Pisano’s Old School Pizza. The volunteer recognized will be given a gift card for a free small pizza or $20 off a larger size pizza.

We want to thank the ownership at the restaurant for their support, and for believing in what we do for the children in our community. Be sure to check out the menu and sample the product the next time you feel like a special treat!

Attention all parents and players. My apologies for not reminding you sooner about this. The rules of basketball state that no player may participate while wearing jewellery of any kind. Published directives state that new piercings must be left in place for 6 to 8 weeks before they can be removed. With organized practices set to begin September 22, that means the 8 week deadline for getting piercings that must be removed before practices is July 27th and the 6 week deadline is August 10th.

That means that if you are planning on getting any new piercings you need to get them done in the next 7 to 9 weeks or delay having them done until after the season ends in March 2026.

This is a basketball rule, and not a Pete Petersen Basketball League rule. The risk is real and I personally know of injuries where an earring was caught by a hand or uniform and the ear ripped. The no jewellery ban also applies to rings and bracelets as well as piercings. They also must be removed before a player can participate, and this rule will be enforced.

As officials we are often asked if the earring can be taped over and the answer is simple. No.

There is still lots of time in Piercing Season but don’t be caught missing the deadline and having to explain to your player they can’t play until the piercing can safely come out and the chain, ring or bracelet can come off. The only exception to this is Medic Alert Identification and there are methods to allow that identification to still be available if needed.

The results of the McDougall Insurance Community Contest were announced yesterday and I am sorry to announce that our submission did not finish in the top three at the end of the day. Our thanks to everyone that supported the effort to get us into the top three. Here are the three winning submissions.

Today is the last day to vote in the McDougall Insurance Community Contest and make your voices heard in support of our video submission for a chance to win one of the top three prizes. We are up against 141 other organizations in the contest so we need your support one more time. Today is the day to share this post amongst your social networks, your friends and your family members. Voting ends at Midnight tonight and the contest results will be announced on Monday, so I will let you know then if your support made us recognized by McDougall Insurance. The whole voting process only takes a few seconds of your time when you use the link below.

I want to thank everyone that has supported us during this campaign. Just one more vote each can help make a difference in the lives of our players and their families. Isn’t that worth a few seconds of your time?

Here are the contest rules and how to cast your vote:

In order to vote you need to use Google Chrome or Fire Fox. Internet Explorer and Safari are not compatible with the platform.

There will be a limit of one vote per person, per day. Evidence of fraudulent voting will result in the immediate elimination of the community group.

To vote you would visit our contest website

https://platform.votigo.com/fbcontests/profiletab/McDougallCommunityContest2025

Click View Entries

Select the video you would like to vote for (Our video is titled McDougall Insurance by Roland B.)

The website will ask for either a Facebook login or an email

Each person is limited to one vote per day

Thank you!!

Roland