Sarnia Athletics Southwest Track & Field Club
Sarnia Athletics Southwest Track & Field ClubJoel Skinner knows his way around a map. When he is not coaching the Sarnia Athletics Southwest Track & Field Club, he is teaching Geography and Physical Education at Great Lakes Secondary School. This knowledge has proven helpful as he travels around the globe. "I’ve taken certification courses. I’ve attended clinic after clinic. It has been a great way to connect with other coaches. When you work with very talented athletes, you always need to keep ahead of where they are at," Skinner explains.
The Track & Field Club was formed in 1996, and Skinner has been involved for the last 15 years. "We started out as a small club, run by Mark MacDonald, that originally focused on long-distance running. When I came back from university, I inquired about coaching, and was supported from the outset." Skinner began by putting together a team of javelin, shotput and discus throwers, as well as a group of jumpers. "We had a lot of good throwers around this time and we won several Ontario and international medals. The club has had some very successful athletes." One notable club member is Olympic high-jump gold-medalist Derek Drouin. "Derek has been a big influence, continues to be a member, and supports the club."
Skinner is also very proud of the current coaching team. "Evan Stevens is our distance coach. He went to the University of Guelph and is still an elite distance runner." Maggie Mullen coaches the throwers alongside Skinner. "She went to The Ohio State University on scholarship and was a Big Ten Conference champion. It is so nice to see my athletes go through the program and come back as coaches." Jillian Drouin is training and assists with the club administration. "There is more than just coaching, and we share a lot of the club duties." Irene Payne was the club administrator for a very long time, and now Sarah Luttrell is taking over that role.
Leslie Cadwallader and Cindy Dubois have organized the fundraising bingos, while Tom Coyle is responsible for the summer students. "We wouldn’t be able to function as a club without the help of great people." Skinner aims to keep raising the bar that Pat Brown has set for the facility and the club. "Pat continues to fundraise and maintain the Sarnia Central Athletics Facility, and is truly one of the most respected, hard-working individuals in the history of Sarnia-Lambton athletics." Bob Newman has also played a huge role with the club through coaching, donations, website maintenance and officiating.
The club’s ultimate goal is to give the participants an excellent experience. "As a coach, I want to help athletes understand their options and to get a great education." Skinner is also looking forward to his newest role. "I am the head coach for the World Junior Under 20 Championship team, which has certainly been a dream of mine. This is my tenth national team and my first head coach position. To be recognized as a national team head coach gives me confidence that people see value in track and field in Sarnia-Lambton."
Related Stories
Society of St. Vincent de Paul Sarnia-Lambton
Danica Craig is the first to admit she was not looking for a new career. But when the job offer came, seemingly out of nowhere, she jumped at it. I had an old friend who knew me growing up in church and she hadn't seen me in years, Danica recalls. But she reached out to me and said, "Th
Motion
Things have changed a bit for In Motion: Health Wellness & Fitness since the doors opened in 2007. When recent graduates Dr. Brendan Carney Kilian and Dr. Luke Winegard started the business, their vision was to create a multidisciplinary clinic that could help clients set and achieve their health
De Sena Law Office
Francis De Sena Law Firm is celebrating twenty years in business. De Sena opened the practice in 1997. He knew first-hand what it meant to own your own business. His parents had started De Sena Home Hardware in Bright’s Grove in t...
Kel-Gor Limited
Ron Gordon started Kel-Gor Limited in 1969. "We have been successful each of our 50 years in business and we are really proud of that," shares Matt Gordon, one of Ron's five sons, who now share ownership of the business. Kel-Gor s...
Related Stories
One Tooth: Active Wear
It all started with a beautiful jacket. Sisters-in-law Patti Jo Pumple and Heather Park were attending a boot camp in Brights Grove and when they saw a woman wearing a very stylish, athletic jacket, they had to know where she found it. "I went home and looked up the company, One Tooth," and
Sarnia Golf & Curling Club
On their own, golf and curling each have long and storied histories in Sarnia-Lambton. Residents have been curling on the ice in Sarnia Bay since 1866. This passion culminated in the formation of the Sarnia Curling Club in 1874. Similarly, residents have enjoyed golf since the first nine-hole course
Spark Business Solutions
Jeffery Park really had no intention of becoming a one-man operation. Yet thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, that is exactly what his printshop is. The owner of Spark Business Solutions had to lay off his staff in order to keep his business profitable. "I have been running a single-man show since la
Totes of Hope
Angela Sekeris just wanted to make a difference. She certainly has thanks to her Totes of Hope initiative. We started seven years ago on Valentine's Day, Angela says. I lost my husband Rob to cancer nine years ago on Dec. 29 so it was coming up on the second Valentine's Day since we lost.
