It was a fitting form of recognition to have a basketball court that could be used by anyone named for someone who had played a huge role in promoting and developing the sport in this area. From left: Councillor Cindy Woods, Deputy Mayor Andrew Guindon, Bob Thompson, Councillor Reid McIntyre, Councillor Jennifer MacIsaac, Mayor Bryan McGillis. Tinkess Photo

INGLESIDE – Bob Thompson loves basketball, and you don’t have to look very far to see how far that love extends. He coached all levels of boys and girls teams throughout his teaching career at Rothwell-Osnabruck Secondary School (RO) and continued to do so throughout his retirement. He collaborated with the both the school board and the Township of South Stormont to operate and develop basketball camps for over 25 years. He was the founder of the Upper Canada ICE program in the late 1990’s.

He was recognized with several coaching achievement awards, was named the South Stormont Volunteer of the Year in 2009, received the 2014 OFSSA Leadership Award for basketball, was the founding President of the South Stormont Sports Hall of Fame in 2006 and was later inducted into that same Sports Hall of Fame as a coach/builder in 2016.

Bob Thompson, or coach, or just plain Bob is so many things to so many people. He is, of course a husband, a father to two daughters, and grandpa to four grandchildren. He was a teacher at Rothwell-Osnabruck Secondary School until his retirement and the school’s closure, but to so many people, young and old, it is basketball he is known for.

It is his dedication to the sport, and his community that were the reason for the event on Sat., July 13 in the park in Ingleside’s north end: From that day forward, the basketball court would be for ever more known as Thompson Court.

South Stormont Township started constructing this park itself in 2016. There was a ball diamond which had been there for ever, but the development really started with the addition of washrooms followed by the tennis courts, pickleball courts, a splash pad, and a play structure. The basketball court was constructed in 2023, and there is still some landscaping to do later in the fall.

According to Kevin Amelotte, the Recreation Director for South Stormont it was a combination of successive councils understanding the importance of investment in recreation as well as a significant donation ($12,000) from the Osnabruck District High School/Rothwell Osnabruck Alumni Association that led to the creation of the basketball court, which has become a part of a very well-used facility.

“It doesn’t always happen overnight, but we’re supportive that many different councils over the years this park has been transformed since 2016,” said Amelotte. “I pulled in here yesterday, there was 120 people in this park using all the different facilities. So again, thank you to the counselors that have invested time over the years, and as well as volunteers that fundraise the money not only for the splashpad but for the thing we’re talking about today, the basketball court.”

Jennifer MacIsaac, a member of both the current South Stormont council and the RO Alumni Committee said drawing a crowd for this event wasn’t difficult.

“Oh man, gathering this crowd was so easy,” said MacIsaac. “Bob, it’s my honor to stand before you as we celebrate and dedicate this basketball court in the name of coach Bob Thompson.

“I stand here today representing the now very old ODHS/RO reunion committee from the 50th reunion that was held in 2008. I’m so happy to see many other committee members here. Funds raised from that event were saved for 11 years for just the right project. And we found it here. It was our committee’s pleasure to donate $12,000 to the Township of South Stormont to assist with the construction of this amazing full-size court. It was always our committee’s intention to put the funds towards a project that would encourage physical activity and benefit the students of RO as well as residents of all ages in the community of Ingleside. Naming the court after someone who dedicated decades of his life to coach youth, develop athletes and build teams is a perfect fit. As my husband Paul said, Bob was an inclusive coach. And no matter the player’s skill level, he had a place on his team. Therefore, it’s only fitting to have a court where anyone can come and play named after him. Thank you, Bob, from all of us for all that you’ve given. This court will stand as a testament to your incredible legacy and continue to inspire and unite our community for years to come. Welcome to Thompson Court.”

Mayor Bryan McGillis acknowledged all the activities that Thompson had been involved in through the years and that his spirit of volunteerism was an inspiration to everyone which made the naming of the court an obvious choice.  “Construction of the court was completed in August 2023,” said McGillis, “And so South Stormont council unanimously passed a bylaw on May 22, 2024, to officially name this facility, Thompson Court and in honor of Bob’s achievements and long-standing volunteer efforts in the sport of basketball. So, Coach Bob, congratulations and thank you very much.”

Bob Thompson is a man of few words, and he used more of them than he usually would in accepting the honour, but he touched on everything that matters to him: family, friends, community, and young people.

“Okay, I’m not very good at given speeches,” said Thompson. “First of all, I’d like the first thank you should go to South Stormont for constructing the basketball court, and the RO alumni committee for contributing funds for the construction of the basketball court. Basketball was a great game that helps to create lifetime friendships, and many great memories. Everybody knows that it does a lot of other things too:  Teamwork, everything else. So, it’s a great thing. I would like to thank Jen MacIsaac, Rita Lalonde, Julie Iwachniuk, and Kevin Amelotte for suggesting this that our township council name the court Thompson Court.  I’d like to thank my family, for giving me the time to do what I love to do, and I would like to thank my two daughters for bringing their husbands and four grandchildren here today. It’s really nice to have you, seeing you’re all the way from New Zealand, and from St. Louis, Missouri.

“Most of all, I would like to thank all the people that I had the opportunity to coach. I coached a lot of interesting people. I had a lot of fun. I think they had a lot of fun. And maybe, just maybe, I learned more from them than they learned from me. I learned a lot about young children, I learned a lot about young people, and it probably helped me with raising my family and, you know, being around young people all the time. I think that that’s one of the things that was great about doing all this. I think the facility is fantastic. And I think it’s great that people have the opportunity to use it. And I’d like to thank everybody for coming.”

The morning wrapped up with cake and refreshments and an open-ended pickup basketball game in which everyone, regardless of ability, was welcome to participate, which is basically a description of every team that Bob Thompson has ever coached.