Community Corner: Double Blue, Double Sport

JASON COLERO
Toronto Argonauts Manager, Community Relations

Jason Colero started as a water boy and now, 25 years later, he’s the heart and soul of Argos’ community outreach programs. The friendly and energetic Manager of Community Relations now educates youth through a myriad of programs he leads throughout the GTA.

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In the title of this article I’m not talking about the great Lionel ‘Big Train’ Conacher (who would leave Argos practices in the morning and head straight to the rink to practice with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the afternoon) or Damon Allen (who played 23 seasons in the CFL and competed as a pitcher at Pittsburgh Pirates training camp in 1994), but rather the Argos’ community contributions that involve other sports such as basketball or hockey.

On March 11th, alumni like Clifford Ivory, Chuck Winters and Jerome Davis teamed up with current Argos Sammy Joseph, Obed Cétoute, Andre Durie and Argos Foundation intern Cliff to play basketball in a fundraiser for Right to Play and our Foundation. The game was against Stephen Lewis Secondary School in Peel Region and was played in front of grade nine students as well as neighbouring elementary school students. I sat on the bench clutching a towel so hard that it began to unravel. Not because the score was a close 30-30, but because the Argos season, and possibly a player’s career, could take a turn in a different direction with a misjudged layup. What if one of the current players was injured trying to do something good for charity?

I recall, in my earlier years in the 1990s and even as late as 2004, organizing almost 20 charity basketball games and six different hockey games, including a trip to Bancroft, Ontario in an annual tournament. Back then, my approach was that these athletes could showcase their skills and make new football fans out of fans of other popular sports. It seemed to be making a difference and all I heard about was, ‘how much these kids will remember the Argos coming to their school’, or, ‘how impactful it was for one of the guys to talk to the fans after the game.’ Many have told me stories of how they remember the Argos playing basketball at their school in the 1970s, so when I revived the program I called the basketball team the Courtside Boatmen and the hockey team the Frozen Boatmen.

What first changed my feelings toward these off-season initiatives was having one of our all-star players, Adrion ‘Pee Wee’ Smith, suffer a knee injury during a media game. Although he was all right, it was at that point that these games were getting scary. Later, while playing a game at a school in Toronto, one of the teachers and organizers of the game told me he had a stint as a player with the Argos in the 70s. He went on to explain how it was cut short after suffering a career-ending knee injury when he slipped on a basketball during a charity game. My fear was strengthened. I consciously started to reduce the number of charity basketball and hockey games that we played in – by a lot. This past March 11th I, reluctantly, caved-in and asked our guys to play in this charity game.

The game went on without incident and another happy school saw the Courtside Boatmen. As protective as I have been over the years, I can truly see that our players play these games because they really want to and aren’t really that concerned about personal injury. Maybe it’s because they enjoy seeing the smiles on the students’ and fans’ faces as they shoot a three-pointer, deke out the goalie or just show that they are everyday people.

Those of you who may have asked me what happened to the Argos charity sports teams can now understand why you may not see them around the community as often as in the past. A big part of it is the result of our being protective and responsible for the already short football careers of the players. The other part is the power and influence of other programs; Huddle-Up Bullying Prevention and Level the Playing Field. Both of which also greatly reduce the number of grey hairs that sprout up on my head during any given basketball or hockey game!  But just like on March 11th, once in a while the players’ desire to make a difference through basketball or hockey will overcome my protective voice, and the Courtside Boatmen or Frozen Boatmen will play again.

I’d love to hear from anyone who can remember a time they saw the Boatmen play basketball and hockey. I’d love to share it with everyone in my next blog. You can e-mail me at jcolero@argonauts.ca.

Until next time…

Make your passion your life.
Jason