Renfrew Collegiate Institute’s tradition of hosting high school athletics is growing thanks to a new deal with the town.
RCI teacher and coach Adam Noack says that not only will every Raiders basketball team host a home tournament inside the myFM Centre’s gymnasium over the next year, but the new facility also gives them the chance to bring another sport back into the spotlight.
Renfrew does hold influence in the regional basketball community thanks to seven long-standing tournaments, including a senior boys tournament, which is now in its 26th year.
However, Noack says the agreement to make use of the myFM Centre gym allows them to keep all of their tournaments within the community, turning what in some cases was a half-hour bus ride to Arnprior into a more comfortable three-minute trip to Ma-te-Way Park.
He hopes that the home-field advantage will pay off when the Raiders welcome some of the region’s top teams to the neighbourhood on September 13th.
It is a huge gain for student athletes to be able to use a facility that seems tailor-made for high-level play.
Noack also believes it will be a massive opportunity for “a little town with a big personality” to show guest schools from as far away as Windsor, Brockville, Cornwall, and Ottawa what Renfrew has to offer, especially during periods where tourism dollars tend to peter out, like November.
Renfrew Collegiate Institute’s schedule for the upcoming school year will feature 10 basketball and 3 volleyball tournaments:
- Wednesday, September 11: Senior Girls Basketball Tri Meet
- Thursday, September 19: Junior Boys Volleyball
- Friday, September 13: Senior Girls Basketball Early Bird Challenge
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Saturday, October 19: Senior Girls Basketball Rapid-Raider Round Robin
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Friday, October 25/Saturday, October 26: Junior Girls Arnprior-Renfrew Playoff Primer
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Friday, November 1; Saturday, October 2: Senior Girls Arnprior-Renfrew Playoff Primer
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Friday, November 22/Saturday, November 23: Senior Boys Renfrew Collegiate Invitational Tournament
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Thursday, November 28: Junior Boys and/or Senior Boys Tri Meet
- Thursday, November 29: Senior Girls Volleyball
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Friday, November 29: Junior Boys Renfrew Roundball Cup
- Friday, December 6: Junior Girls Volleyball
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Friday, January 10: Jr. Boys Basketball Tri Meet
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Saturday, January 11: Junior Boys Renfrew Collegiate Invitational Tournament
(written by Kasey Egan)