Sports

Zooey Smash ‘em well, left, from Toronto’s Derby Debutantes, lays a shoulder on Holly Hox of Windsor’s Border City Brawlers on June 23, in GTA Rollergirl action at Ted Reeve Community Arena. The game, won by the Brawlers, was the second of a double header. For upcoming games, including an all-day, 14-team tournament on July 14, visit gtarollergirls.com.
•

The Kew Beach Public School grade 6 boys soccer team won the Toronto District School Board City Championship on June 13. The team beat Keele Street Junior Public School in the semifinal, then moved on to face Fairmount Junior Public School, winning the final 4-0 at Eglinton Flats. This is the second year in a row the grade 6 team has won the city championship. The grade 5 boys and grade 6 girls teams also played strong seasons this year.
•

Jonathan Armstrong, 5, breaks away from the pack. The Beach Metro Headliners soccer squad was in action on June 19 at Pantry Park where they took on team Herrera.
•

Toronto’s Ryne Sternberg keeps a close eye on Burlington’s Patrick Corbett. The Toronto Beaches Junior ‘A’ lacrosse team lost on June 21 to the Burlington Chiefs by a score of 9-7. The Chiefs scored four unanswered goals in the last four minutes to put a damper on an otherwise strong Beaches performance. The Toronto squad is now out of playoff contention, in ninth place with nine points.
•

The Balmy Beach Rugby Club’s first, second and third teams faced the Aurora Barbarians at Tubs and Gee Gage Rugby Fields at Coxwell and Lakeshore on June 23, and swept the day, winning all three matches, including a 24-19 victory in this Marshall League match. Going into the match, the two teams were tied; Balmy Beach now moves up to a tie for first place in the league, with the Oakville Crusaders. The next home game for the 1s will be on July 21, against Waterloo County.
•
A young Beach athlete has added one more record to his list of athletic accomplishments, after being accepted by a professional soccer club in Italy.
12-year-old Michael Thornton was invited by scouts to a trial with A.S. Roma Serie A’s youth academy, and the Thorntons are now considering leaving the Beach for a life in Rome, Italy, focused on Michael’s soccer skills.
This past year, Michael has also taken part in Kew Beach Public School’s city championship soccer and co-ed volleyball teams. He was recently CityTV’s ‘Athlete of the Week’, and is the current cover story of Inside Soccer magazine.
Already on his long list of achievements are a Toronto District School Board record in the 800m run, and a Minor Track Association long jump record. He’s won the city championship in the 100m run and long jump from grades 2 through 5, and is the cross country champion for grades 5 and 6.
Making these achievements all the more impressive is the fact that Michael was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes when he was six years old. He now speaks to raise awareness for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and has participated in fundraisers for the organization.
Michael’s parents, Paul and Debbie, have partnered with their Joseph Duggan Road neighbour Jonathan Gillingham for several years in putting on a gigantic halloween display as well, also raising money for the JDRF.

---