Georgian Grizzlies honour former athletics manager with game court recognition

Feb. 13, 2023

The Georgian Grizzlies will now refer to their primary varsity game court as McConney Court after former Manager of Athletics Michele McConney, in recognition of her substantial contribution to athletics at Georgian College.

Michele’s career began at Georgian in 1981 on a part-time contract as the Athletic Officer after graduating from Seneca’s Recreation Facility Management program. From there, she moved into the intercollegiate co-ordinator position for 13 years and in 2002, Michele was the successful candidate chosen for the Manager of Athletics position.

During Michele’s 38-year tenure at Georgian, she was involved in and led many improvements to our athletic facilities. In 1997, the Student and Athletic Centre at the Barrie Campus was built, which was followed six years later by an expansion, which added a second gym, indoor running track, multi-purpose room, climbing wall and much larger fitness centre.

When I was thinking about the name on the court, there are so many people that supported me through my 38 years here, it’s really not just one name. It represents so many people that were involved with my career, but also the success of the Georgian Grizzlies. My 38 years here at Georgian were awesome and I really enjoyed working with my colleagues and of course the students. I saw some past students this evening whom I hadn’t seen for 8 or 9 years, it was great.

– Michele McConney

When the Sadlon Centre for Health, Wellness and Sciences was built, the athletics department needed to find a new home for its sports field. Michele’s vision was a sports turf field and in September 2016, Michele saw her dream realized with the opening of the J.C. Massie Field, the first turf sports field in Barrie.

Michele has been involved in the Georgian Golf Classic since its inception and has tirelessly worked to raise funds for scholarships to support our student athletes. She has also given freely of her time to support the Ontario Collegiate Athletic Association (OCAA) through 16 years of service on the executive committee.

Michele was part of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) for 21 years; she was the Women’s Volleyball Convenor for 11 consecutive seasons and served as the OCAA Director from 2008 to2014 before joining the CCAA Executive as VP of Governance from 2014 to2018.

Prior to her retirement from Georgian in 2019, Michele also received the Doug Light Lifetime Achievement Award from the College Administrators Network. This award is given to an administrator who has significantly influenced college education throughout their career.

Congratulations Michele!