Just For The Fun Of It

I was very saddened to learn yesterday of the passing of Ben Pollock in Vancouver from natural causes. Both Ben and his brother Jacob played in the league and I had the pleasure of coaching Ben when he played in the Biddy Division. Ben won Top Defensive Player honours with the Hawks in the Graduate Division in 1999.

Jacob described his brother Ben this way in his post, and there could not be a better tribute – “Ben was a powerhouse of compassion, intellect, elite athleticism and humour. He strengthened and brought the best out of the people around him. He was my primary role model growing up and a constant presence throughout all the twists and turns of life. He lived his life adventurously and passionately, experiencing so much of Earth’s natural beauty. It was a legendary life.”

We mourn the loss of a member of the league family, and extend our condolences to Ben’s family and friends and hope that the memories that we have of him bring comfort and peace in the days ahead. Roland

We want to extend the congratulations and best wishes to Bridget Mulholland on the announcement that she will be joining the McMaster Women’s Basketball Team as an assistant coach.
As the announcement below says, Bridget got her start in basketball with our program before continuing with the Kingston Impact and Queen’s University, where she had an outstanding career, and where her strength of character showed through as she dealt with injuries.
After her career as a player ended she served as an assistant coach for teh last two seasons with the Gaels, and it was there she reconnected with the league where she got her start. Bridget was instrumental in co-ordinating the donation of shoes from the team to our spare shoe supply and they were greatly appreciated. Those donations led the way for the Volleyball team to do the same last season to help us out.
Good luck in this new chapter in your basketball career, and we will be following the progress of McMaster this season. Keep the game fun for your players Bridget and fun for you too. Roland
Hamilton, Ont. — McMaster Athletics has added a decorated U SPORTS student-athlete and emerging coach to its women’s basketball program, as Bridget Mulholland joins the Marauders as Assistant Coach.
Mulholland arrives at McMaster after spending the past two seasons on the coaching staff at Queen’s University, where she transitioned into coaching following one of the most accomplished playing careers in recent program history. Her addition brings extensive U SPORTS experience, championship pedigree, and a passion for athlete development to the Marauders bench.
A native of Kingston, Ont., Mulholland began playing basketball through the “Pete” Petersen Basketball League before advancing through the Kingston Impact program and earning opportunities with Team Ontario. She joined Queen’s in 2016 and quickly made an impact, earning OUA All-Rookie Team honours, Queen’s Women’s Basketball Rookie of the Year recognition, and the university’s Alfie Pierce Award in her first season.
Her playing career was defined by both success and resilience. After battling injuries that sidelined her for multiple seasons early in her university career, Mulholland returned to help lead Queen’s through one of the most successful stretches in program history. During her eight seasons as a student-athlete, she captured OUA silver medals in 2017, 2023, and 2024, a U SPORTS bronze medal in 2022, and a U SPORTS silver medal in 2023. She was also named a U SPORTS Final 8 Tournament All-Star in 2023.
Away from competition, Mulholland excelled academically. She earned Academic All-Canadian honours in four consecutive seasons from 2020 through 2023 while completing a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a Master of Science in Neuroscience. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience).
Following the conclusion of her playing career, Mulholland remained with the Gaels as an assistant coach, spending the past two seasons gaining experience in player development, scouting, recruiting, practice planning, and team operations while helping support one of the OUA’s premier programs.
For Mulholland, coaching has long been the goal.
“When people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my answer was always that I wanted to play basketball for as long as I could and then coach,” said Mulholland. “Basketball has given me so much throughout my life, and coaching felt like the natural next step.”
What ultimately drew her to McMaster was the opportunity to join a program known for its people and culture.
“In a lot of ways, it felt similar to why I chose Queen’s as a student-athlete,” said Mulholland. “Relationships matter. I’m excited to work with the coaching staff, and every person I’ve spoken to has talked about what a special group of student-athletes there is at McMaster. That’s something that really stood out to me.”
Mulholland also believes her decade of U SPORTS experience as both a player and coach has shaped the perspective she brings to the bench.
“I think I bring a lot of passion and a lot of joy,” she said. “At Queen’s, we talked often about how joy can be a competitive advantage and an important part of resilience for athletes and coaches. It’s something I’ve tried to embrace throughout my career and something I’m excited to bring with me to McMaster.”
Among her many accomplishments, Mulholland’s perseverance and commitment to the game were recognized nationally when she received the Tracy MacLeod Award at both the OUA and U SPORTS levels in 2023. The award honours student-athletes who demonstrate determination, perseverance, and athletic achievement while overcoming adversity.
As she begins a new chapter in Hamilton, Mulholland is eager to contribute to a Marauders program she believes has significant potential.
“I’m excited to learn, to grow, and to work with what I think is going to be a really exceptional group,” she said. “This team has a lot of potential, and I can’t wait to get started.”
With Mulholland joining the coaching staff, the Marauders add a coach whose experience, resilience, and passion for the game will help support the continued growth of McMaster women’s basketball both on and off the court.

Yesterday we held our annual Don “Pete” Petersen Memorial Golf Tournament with 32 teams of golfers taking part in a day of fun at the Amherstview Golf Club. This year we were very fortunate to add two corporate sponsors to the event in Fairstone Financial and Raymond James. Our thanks to both organizations for their support of what we do, and to the golf club for a great meal and for once again being super hosts for the event.

The putting contest was once again a spirited and fun competition run by Rebecca and Russell from Fairstone with some unbelievable shots.

The day raised an AMAZING $4758.80 that will go a long way to ensuring that we can continue to deliver a season of basketball to 474 children on 38 teams for $10, and more importantly keep Don Petersen’s legacy alive. He wanted to give the children in the community a safe and affordable place to learn how much fun the game, and being on a team can be, and we remain committed to that dream.

Our thanks to the Pre tournament organizers and golf day supporters Rick, Heather, Gloria, Rob, Amber, Lindsey and Pat for making it happen, and to all participants, sponsors and prize donors for believing in what we do for the children around us. A full list of prize donors and photos from the event will be coming in the days ahead. Roland

This week we received two very significant unsolicited donations from the community in support of what we do.

The first was from the Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 556 and in the note sent to us by Kelly Cota, spokesperson for the union said “There are quite a few of us Posties that either have kids in the league or have somehow been involved over the years”. She is absolutely right. Many members of the Postal Workers Union have been involved with the league and have made significant contributions to what we do over the years. These include Mike Robertson, John Sutton and Frank Warnica, plus the many families that have come through the program.

The second donation came from Jamie Brooke Burns who wanted to help us with a donation in support of what we do, and that means a lot to all of us involved.

As an all volunteer organization these donations go directly to making a difference in the lives of our players and their families. Thank you for putting your trust in us, and thank you for wanting to take the time to make a difference. You should be very proud of that. Roland

We wanted to remind all players in our program that Piercing Season is here and getting shorter with each passing day. If anyone is planning on getting ears pierced or other studs put in, you need to understand some upcoming dates.

Registration for next season is Saturday September 12

Player Evaluations are the week beginning September 14th

Team Practices are the week beginning September 28th. That would be the date piercings would need to be removed to participate.

Medical opinion is that any new piercings must be left with the stud in place for a minimum of six weeks, and preferably eight weeks before they can be taken out. That means the six week window closes August 17th and the eight week window closes August 3rd.

Please remember – the prohibition on wearing jewelry while playing basketball is a basketball rule, not a Pete Petersen Basketball League Rule.

As we move through June, and with the policy changes made, we wanted to publish the list of answers to frequently asked questions now. We will repost these answers through the summer as we get closer to our September 12th registration day for our 72nd season.

1) What are the game nights for the upcoming season? Answer: Monday Nights – Biddy Division (boys 11-12) at St. Francis of Assisi; Graduate Division (boys 13-15) at Ecole Cathedrale; Tuesday Nights- Little Guys Division (boys 8-10) at St. Francis of Assisi; Wednesday Nights – Girls Division (Girls 11-14) at St. Francis of Assisi; Thursday Nights- Little Gals Division (girls 8-10) at St. Francis of Assisi. Graduate games start at 6:00 pm (3 games a night in one hour time slots), and all other divisions start at 6:00 pm with four games in 45 minute time slots.

2) I am going to be out of town on Registration Day and you have no on line registration. How do I get my child registered?
Answer: If you are going to be away on Registration Day you can get someone else to start the registration process for you. They will need the name, date of birth, contact phone numbers, address and e mail address (if applicable) for your player, along with the $10 registration fee. They will be given a copy of the registration form that you will need to sign and bring with you to the player evaluation night. We must have a signed registration form before your child can participate in league activities. 

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING CHANGE BEGINNING WITH THE 2026 REGISTRATION PROCESS: While we will allow persons that are not able to attend registration in person because of work commitments or personal circumstances to have another register their player, no individual may register more than 3 players on registration day effective immediately.

PLEASE DO NOT ASK MEMBERS OF OUR LEAGUE EXECUTIVE TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD FOR YOU. We are very busy on registration day looking after other details of the process.

2 a) Why don’t you have on line registration like other leagues? Answer: Having in person, first come, first served registration equalizes the opportunity for everyone in the community. We allow someone else to register your child as long as you make those arrangements, as a concession to those unavailable at registration time due to work or other commitments. PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING POLICY CHANGE: While we will allow persons that are not able to attend registration in person because of work commitments or personal circumstances to have another register their player, no individual may register more than 3 players on registration day effective immediately.

3) Can we request to be on the same team as another player?
Answer: Due to the large number of requests we receive each year, and our growing number of registrations, we can no longer assure you that player pairing requests will be granted, with the exception of siblings in the same age group, and where a DEFINITE need to ride together has been established and communicated. It has been overwhelming for our volunteers to accommodate these large number of requests while trying to build fair and balanced teams. We believe that this approach keeps us in line with the practice of most other youth organizations. We see our program as a great opportunity for family members and players to meet new friends and neighbours from across our community, establishing friendships that may last for years to come.

4) Can we request to be on a specific coach’s team?
Answer: No, you may not request a coach. 

5) What happens if I miss the player evaluation night? Will my child be “cut” from the program?
Answer: While we hope that all players come out for evaluation night, no one that is registered will be “cut”. All will be placed on a team, and you will be notified what team, and the team practice time in the days following our September 23 coaches meeting.

6) What do I do if I find out that my child has a conflict with another activity or decides they don’t want to play this season?
Answer: Please notify us as soon as possible by e mail (roland.billings@sympatico.ca), by phone (613 548-8790), or message through the web site or Facebook page. We will likely have a waiting list in each division of players that want to play, and an early decision on your part will get one of them into the league. 

Minimum Attendance: Given that in most seasons all divisions operate with a player waiting list, and to ensure access to the program should be maintained as soon as possible during the league year, player attendance will be tracked by divisional convenors. Action to contact a player not attending will be initiated after two consecutive missed weeks of play including evaluations and team practice week, and if a player is absent for 50% of league activity through the first eight games of the season (evaluation night, practice week and eight games), they will be notified that they have been deemed to have withdrawn from the league and will be replaced by a player from the waiting list. The exception to this will be a player that has notified us of their extended absence due to an injury. 

7) How often will there be practices and what time of day will they be held?
Answer: In each division there will be one evaluation night practice in the week after registration following the schedule distributed at registration and that will be published here after registration day. In the week after the coaches meeting (September 23) there will be one practice with your team on the same game nights and time slots outlined in question one above. Once games begin there are no more practices. 

8) What player medical condition details do you need for my player?

Answer: We need as much detail as possible on the registration form to help us make sure convenors and coaches are aware of potential issues. All allergies, as well as any medical diagnosis and / or behaviours that could impact their participation need to be disclosed to us. While all are welcome in the league, we are only looking to better understand the needs of our players, and create a more successful time for each player to help ensure a positive experience for all participants and volunteers involved. 

This week we received a very generous sponsorship donation from Raymond James Canada in support of our annual Pete Petersen Memorial Golf Tournament being held this year June 26 at the Amherstview Golf Course.
We want to thank Raymond James and Mark Potter for making this sponsorship happen, and more importantly supporting and believing in what we do for the children in the community.
Please see the poster below for details on how to enter your team in the event Friday June 26th.

Over the weekend we received a very significant donation to the league in recognition of a birthday. Both the donor and the birthday celebrant wish to remain anonymous, but that does not stop us from letting them both know how much we appreciate their support, and more importantly, their belief in what we do for the children in the community.

We would not be able to continue to offer the program that we do without the support of the people in the league family. Not only the financial support, but the ongoing positive support from the community, the players and families throughout our history.

Don Petersen had a dream 72 years ago to give the children in his neighbourhood around St. Pat’s a safe place to learn the game and play basketball. We remain committed to keeping that dream and that legacy alive, and we thank you for trusting us to do that. Roland

We are now at the end of voting in the McDougall Insurance Community Contest. You he until midnight tonight to cast a vote, and make your voices heard in support of what we do!

That’s just a few more hours for you in the league family to get behind our submission, and for you to take a few seconds today to make a difference in the lives of our players and their families.

You can vote once per day to give the Pete Petersen Basketball League a chance to win one of the three prizes in the contest.

The submission with the most votes at the end of voting will receive $5000, second place $3000 and third place $2000.

You can vote once per day and you must use Google Chrome or Firefox search engines to place your vote. The contest site will not recognize votes cast using Safari and Explorer.

Here is the link to the contest site to paste in Google Chrome or Firefox.

https://platform.votigo.com/fbcontests/profiletab/McDougallCommunityContest2026

and here is the link to take you directly to our submission

https://platform.votigo.com/fbcontests/showentry/McDougallCommunityContest2026/3798419/3798419

Let your friends and family know to help us get the votes we need.For those that have been faithfully voting every day in support of our submission we want to thank you for believing in what we do for the children around us. When the results are known we will let everyone know.

Thanks!!

On May 16 the students and staff at our host school St. Francis of Assisi held a car wash to raise money for the grade 7/8 year end trip.

The event was a great success with $1400 in net profits for the day. The school had committed to donate 25% to our program to help the children in the community, and yesterday I visited the school to collect $350.20 from a grade 8 student , representing the school.

I was impressed by all the students and staff that gave up their Saturday on the 16th to make this event happen. Their enthusiasm was amazing and they all took great pride in doing a complete job on every vehicle. A special shoutout to Kirk and Jared for the professional job they did polishing up my vehicle.

The pride in the school and community by everyone involved shows they are difference makers.

Congratulations on a great event, and thanks for believing in what we do.