HIGH ACHIEVERS: Neill Dawson, Sean Dunn earn OFSAA Character Athlete Awards

By Martin Cleary

When you see the acronym OFSAA, one immediately recognizes it as the group which oversees and stages provincial high school sports championships.

From September through June, the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations determines medallists in 38 championships and seven festivals across 21 sports, including cross-country running and football in the fall, basketball and skiing in the winter and soccer and track and field in the spring.

But there’s more to OFSAA than just championships and medals.

Throughout the school year, OFSAA will position its recognition spotlight on student-athletes and teacher-coaches to present five individual honours. They are the Ontario Coaching Excellence Award, the Colin Hood Award, the OFSAA Leadership in School Sports Award, the Ontario Volunteer Service Award and the Pete Beach Award. And there are also three student-athlete financial bursaries – the Alumni Scholarship, the Brian Maxwell Memorial Scholarship and the OFSAA Character Athletic Award.

The four OFSAA Character Athlete Award recipients were recently announced and National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association student-athletes Sean Dunn of South Carleton High School and Neill Dawson of Gloucester High School formed half of that prestigious group.

The award is presented to exceptional student-athletes best exemplifying OFSAA’s founding values – leadership, equity, respect and sportsmanship. OFSAA received 150 submissions for the award from across the province.

Dunn, Dawson, Samantha Zhao of Markville Secondary School in Unionville and Kelly Huang of Winston Churchill Collegiate Institute of Toronto will each receive a $500 grant from Baron Rings, a commemorative plaque and a Baron ring to recognize the achievement.

NEILL DAWSON

If ever there was a highly-driven student-athlete who experienced all aspects of high school sports, Neill Dawson would be the one.

During his four years at Gloucester, he represented the Gators in eight different athletic competitions – cross-country running, rugby, volleyball, track and field, hockey, ultimate frisbee, wrestling and rugby sevens.

As he made his way through his athletic and academic journey, his ability to lead, include, help and respect stood out day after day.

Dawson preferred to “lead from the front” and that was seen during his four years as a rugby captain with his school, club and representative teams. His leadership was based on accountability, determination and inspiration.

Away from the competitive field, he used his leadership skills to serve on Gloucester’s student council and the athletic leadership council, which saw him strengthen school spirit and student interaction. He was involved in programs such as Senior Sunrise, the Grad Hockey Game and other community-building events.

When it was time for the annual athletic banquet, Dawson, who also served as a grad representative, used his confidence and communication skills to serve as the occasion’s emcee.

Equity and inclusion also were big on his agenda as a member of the International Certificate Program and as someone who embraced opportunities to build cultural understanding as a host for exchange students. He also mentored ESL students and volunteered with the learn-to-skate program for international students.

He believes athletics is for everyone of all abilities and was involved as a volunteer and organizer for Special Olympic programs staged at Gloucester.

Dawson also served as a link to help elementary school graduates transition into high school. He was involved in Gloucester’s Link Crew and the A-Team programs, which gave guidance and support to Grade 9 students.

His busy schedule also took him to Emily Carr Elementary School, where he volunteered to teach rugby and assist with the track and field program as well as serving as a borden ball referee. At Gloucester, he organized intramurals for OFSAA Try Day to create inclusive, low-pressure athletic opportunities.

Dawson shows respect for his community by volunteering at events like Soup and Share as well as the Community Fair and assisting at the Slam in the Swamp wrestling tournament. He also has helped at school dances and supported a local farm as well as beekeepers. He worked in a physiotherapy clinic as part of his co-operative education placement, which reflected his desire to explore learning outside the classroom.

SEAN DUNN

When it comes to sports at South Carleton, Sean Dunn was not only an athlete, but also a builder.

During his four years, he was an integral member of the badminton, cross-country running, nordic skiing, rugby, swimming, track and field and volleyball teams. His involvement in a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports reflected his athletic versatility, resilience, discipline and time management.

Dunn not only resurrected the nordic ski program during his time connected to Storm sports, but also he formed the school’s first-ever boys’ swim relay team to compete at the OFSAA swimming championships.

When he entered South Carleton in Grade 9, he was surprised to learn there was no nordic ski program. He took the initiative to revive the program from the ground up, welcoming and coaching all students. Several student-athletes qualified for the OFSAA championships, including the girls’ senior team. But he measured success by the growth and accomplishments of his teammates rather than his own results.

As for swimming, Dunn qualified for the OFSAA championships in the 50-metre butterfly in his graduating year, but he also showed his initiative, leadership and commitment to the program by playing a pivotal role in forming the Storm’s first boys’ relay team.

Individually, he was a two-time coach’s award winner in swimming and a two-time MVP and co-captain of the boys’ senior volleyball team.

Dunn’s leadership skills were seen in many areas. He led warm-ups and practices for the volleyball, track and field and cross-country running teams. He was a member of the South Carleton Athletic Association, promoting school spirit and athletics as an intramural sport referee and managing the school’s social media.

“Sean’s calm, approachable demeanour encourages younger athletes to build confidence and develop strong habits, ensuring his impact will continue beyond his time at the school,” stated the OFSAA press release.

He created Featured Student Athlete profiles to celebrate the diversity and accomplishments of other students in an inclusive and respectful manner.

Dunn, who was elected the valedictorian for his graduation class by his peers and teachers, also is highly active outside of South Carleton. He is an athlete and coach with the Kanata Nordic Ski Club and volunteers with multiple organizations, including the CityFolk Festival and Ottawa Orienteering.

At South Carleton’s annual athletics banquet, Dunn has been named the athlete of the year three times.