A Letter From Our Founder

Sports has had a profound impact on my life, serving as a constant source of enjoyment throughout my childhood and early adult years. Like many others, I started playing organized sports at an early age. Thanks to my parents, I was provided with opportunities to play hockey and baseball - travelling around our region for games that I truly loved to play.

At age 14, I was introduced to basketball and it quickly became my preferred sport. At age 20, I became a volunteer basketball coach in my home town of Glace Bay, and while it was something that I enjoyed for a few years, my focus was on pursuing an education. As a result, I was not able to continue coaching. As life went on, it was not until I had children of my own that I realized I could once again offer time to not only help my own kids get involved in sports, but also to give back to my community. So, in 2015, after a twenty plus year hiatus, I returned to my favourite sport as a volunteer for Shipyard Elementary.

As I continue to volunteer, one thing that has become quite concerning is the lack of infrastructure required to deliver consistent programming. Other than hockey, there are no public indoor facilities in our community capable of delivering organized sports programs. While many schools have stepped up over the years and provided access for various organizations, the facilities are not configured in such a way to allow ongoing access without supervision by school personnel. As well, scheduling is understandably a challenge as gyms are heavily used for school sports and many other school related activities.

This leaves so many kids without opportunities to pursue sports and we are falling behind the rest of the province. In many communities throughout Nova Scotia, programs are more advanced, modern facilities are common place and athletes have more attention placed upon them with respect to post secondary athletics, scholarships, and employment.

As my own children have been going through the various stages of sport, I realized a couple of other significant things. First, the window of opportunity to participate in sports can be very small for many. Second, despite such a small window, for those that participate, the impact can indeed be profound and even life changing. This impact is far reaching as it benefits entire communities and economies. A vibrant youth population is essential for any region to thrive. So, whether we have played, have kids that played or really indifferent to sports altogether - we all benefit.

Like many Cape Bretoners, I share the notion that despite residing in such a beautiful area, bringing great initiatives to fruition can be challenging. However, I also hold a resolve that we can indeed overcome such challenges and make a difference. This is why I have founded Tomorrow’s Legends – A not-for-profit (NPO) organization devoted to Empowering Youth Through Sport & Culture.

Tomorrow’s Legends will build a state-of-the-art solar powered multi-sport and cultural complex in the greater Sydney area. The facility will be capable of providing a home to local sports organizations to deliver programs, host major events and show how passionate we are when it comes to our youth and sports. The NPO will run in such a way where sustainable and affordable programs create opportunities for all kids regardless of socioeconomic status.

A cultural component will be incorporated into the complex with a grand foyer showcasing Cape Breton’s cultural diversity – something to be celebrated – and there is no better way to do that than through sports. By holding the notion that cultural awareness leads to greater acceptance of people’s differences and making a better place for all, this complex will be truly unique in fostering an atmosphere where kids can grow and prosper and achieve great things – even legendary things.

We are looking for Goodwill Ambassadors to become part of this exciting initiative. With representation from three categories – Sport, Business, and Community, the role of our ambassadors would be to promote this great cause in social and business circles. We understood that time is valuable and for that reason, ambassadors will be informed without commitment to formal meetings.

I would like to extend an offer to you to serve as a Tomorrow’s Legends Goodwill Ambassador. You will be joining a group of talented people from various regions, playing a significant role to raise awareness, and being part of something that will have a monumental impact on so many. Your contribution will not go unnoticed as you will be recognized on our ambassador wall in the grand foyer along side our donors and cultural showcase.

Additional information is available on this site and I am certainly available for a more in-depth conversation. Should you decide that you are interested in becoming a goodwill ambassador, apply here on our site.

Many Thanks