Current College Sports Administrators Making Their Own Mark!
By: WJO
Not since the days when Major Danny McLeod directed the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU) has the Royal Military College of Canada (RMCC) had such significant leadership positions, at both the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) and the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) levels.
The original Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) Central was founded in 1906 and existed until 1955, composed only of universities from Ontario and Quebec. With the collapse of the CIAU Central in the mid 1950s, calls for a new, national governing body for university sport accelerated.
Once the Royal Military College of Canada became a degree granting institution, Major W.J. (Danny) McLeod, Athletic Director at the RMC directed the establishment of the Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (CIAU) in 1961. Major McLeod ran the CIAU from his office at RMC as the first CIAU Secretary-Treasurer. In the 1960s the CIAU functioned as a voluntary, autonomous, educational sport organization which represented by the various universities from coast to coast.
Fast forward to 2012.
At the recent Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Annual General Meeting, two RMC staff members were selected to leadership positions within the organization: Current Director Athletics, Darren Cates was named to the OUA Management Committee and was also selected as Chair of the OUA Marketing and Communications Committee. College Varsity Manager, Guy Dube was selected to serve a ninth year on the OUA Sport Committee.
The OUA provides leadership, stewardship and policy direction for university sport and governs sanctioned interuniversity sport competition in Ontario on behalf of its member institutions. Currently there are 19 member institutions and RMC competes in ten OUA sports.
The OUA Management Committee of the Board has the jurisdiction, power, authority, and duty to do all things necessary to carry out the objectives and policies of OUA. They have the capacity to make decisions, which affect OUA and its members and to generally administer the day-to-day affairs of OUA.
The OUA Marketing and Communications Committee is an important and high profile one. They provide direction for the annual OUA marketing & communications plan; identifying OUA properties & developing new OUA properties. As Chair of this Committee, Mr Cates will lead a number of his colleagues in moving the OUA forward in this very crucial business side of University Sports.
Guy Dube was selected to serve a ninth year on the OUA Sport Committee. The Sport Committee deals with all technical matters for all OUA sports to ensure consistency of rules, procedures and regulations for all OUA sports. The is a game-to-game grind once the varsity seasons start.
Mr Cates’ and Mr Dubes’ appointments to these important positions is certainly a feather in the cap for RMC and a reflection of the esteem and respect both have from their sports administrator colleagues.
“The Major” and others who were formerly in the business are indeed proud of the college sports leadership too. Well done Darren and Guy!