TRURO, N.S. – The 11th annual CEC Wall of Fame induction ceremony will be held on Dec. 22 at the Truro high school.
The ceremony will take place at approximately 7:15 p.m. between CEC alumni basketball games.
The induction ceremony will be followed by the unveiling of the Wall of Fame plaques in the hallway and a reception in the CEP dining room.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
Jennifer Hale Veinot, Leslie Wilson, Craig Burgess and Mike MacKay will be honoured during the Dec. 22 ceremony.
Mike MacKay
During his years at CEC, Mike was a multi-sport athlete, playing varsity football, basketball and track and field.
From 1978 to 1982 he studied physical education at Acadia University where he gained valuable experience as a manager for the football team under coach John Huard and as a manager and assistant coach with the basketball team coached by Ian MacMillan.
He graduated at the top of his class, winning the bronze medal for top marks in physical education. Returning to Truro after graduation, Mike taught math and physical education and coached both football and girls basketball at CEC for the next 22 years. He also coached track and field for 14 seasons.
As a head football coach, his teams won the provincial title eight times and were provincial finalists four years. In basketball, his varsity girls’ teams were provincial champions seven times and provincial finalists four times.
In track and field, Mike was considered by many to be the best jumps coach in the province. During these years, Mike was also very active with Basketball Nova Scotia, coaching the Nova Scotia Canada Games women’s team in 1989, 1993 and 1997. He was also very committed to basketball coaching development in Nova Scotia and in the Maritimes. He organized a Maritime coaching clinic each fall, which attracted over 60 coaches and conducted NCCP Level 1, 2 and 3 technical clinics throughout Nova Scotia.
Mike’s constant pursuit of excellence in the area of coaching led to a full-time position with Basketball Canada in 2004 when he became the National Manager of Coach Education and Development.
In 2013 Mike became the Women’s High Performance Manager for Basketball Canada with a mandate to develop the gold medal profile for women’s basketball and the goal of putting Canada on the podium at the 2020 Olympic Games.
During his years in coaching Mike has won numerous awards. He was the Truro Sports Heritage Coach of the Year in 1989, 1993 and 1987. He was the Basketball Nova Scotia Coach of the Year in 1989 and 1993. He was selected as the Olympic Flame Coach of the Year in 1989. In 2003, he was the Coaching Association of Canada Developmental 3M Coach of the Year.
In 2012 Mike was the recipient of the Basketball Canada Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal.
His proudest achievement, however, has been the number of former athletes/students who have gone on to great success and given back to sport. They are the embodiment of his philosophy to teach life lessons through sport.
