Lambton's new hoops coaches 0
Women's Basketball is returning to Lambton College this fall - and we now know who the the coach of the Lady Lions will be.
Longtime St. Clair high school coach Pete Kaija will be at the helm as a Lambton ladies team returns to the court for the first time since the early 1990s.
Bringing back women's basketball is "something that's been talked about for probably five or six years, now," says John Faragher of Lambton College Athletics, who adds the basketball program will replace the college's women's volleyball team.
"It's nothing against volleyball," he says. "But we're a small college and, with travel costs, if we add something, another sport has to be dropped."
Faragher describes this area as a "basketball hotbed" so it only makes sense for the local college to have a women's program.
He adds he is pleased the college is able to bring someone of Kaija's calibre aboard.
"Pete's credentials speak for themselves," says Faragher. "He has a lot of contacts in the sport ... he's well-known across the entire province."
Kaija says it's fairly "late in the game" to start recruiting for the 2011-12 season so he expects Lambton will have a fairly young team this season.
"We'll have to see who shows up in September, but this will be we're just going to focus on getting things off the ground this year," says Kaija.
"But give it a couple of years ...," he adds, ending the sentence with a confident nod.
One of the few high school teachers to coach both the boys and girls basketball teams at his school, Kaija says he will remain on as coach of the Colts girls team only.
"I'm going to have to give up the boys team at St. Clair," he says, because it conflicts too much with the OCAA college basketball schedule.
The girls season will "overlap a little bit," but its manageable.
The Lambton men's team will also have a new head coach this season as former assistant coach James Grant steps up to replace his good friend, Andrew Westlake.
"Andrew's looking for a full-time teaching job," says Grant. "Although he'd like to keep coaching (at Lambton), he just can't commit," the time.
Grant, who has been helping Westlake out for three years, says the Lions will certainly miss graduating Rob Pierce, one of the OCAA's top scorers last season.
However, Faragher says there are a number of freshmen attending the college in September who have expressed an interest in playing for the team.
"There's going to be no shortage of bodies ... and there's going to be some quality, too," says Faragher.
Grant adds one local product who he expects to help the team out is North Lambton graduate Mike Lucier.
Lambton will be hosting an open gym for players who might be interested in meeting with team coaches and playing a little pick-up ball, next Saturday, June 25, at 11 a.m.
Refreshments and snacks will be served.