Page 28 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 155

28 Issue #155 December 2025 www.sportsenergynews.com

Toughness play, and referees. Focus on what you can Instead, the mentally tough player accepts teammates. Adjustments are critical during

control: aggressiveness, finding the open responsibility for their role in the mistake games, and feedback from others is so
player, getting down the floor, protecting and focuses on things they can do better valuable. Self-confidence is the belief that
the ball, and mental strategies. Staying to make the situation or outcome better you can handle the demands and challenges
positive is a good goal, but not realistic all next time. A mentally tough player realizes of the game. It also depends on how well
the time. Self-talk, including self-criticism, every practice and game are important and you manage your inner critic and the way
happens to everyone. You cannot easily gives their best effort. you think and feel about basketball or any
stop these thoughts, nor should you try. At the Academy we talk about playing other sport. At times you need to think of
You can develop strategies to manage self- your perfect game. Using visualization positive times you were successful and
talk more effectively. All sorts of things is a tool elite athletes use to get ready to confident doing a skill or following a play.
happen that you can’t control. A teammate play or compete. I talk about how you Just use your team and your coach to help
gets benched, a family member gets sick, a should think about how you want to play navigate these tough moments. Everyone is
relationship is strained or ends, a nagging striving to be successful.
By Trevor Steynor injury starts up again, feedback from a and think about what your perfect game
coach or fellow players. This can impact looks like. Sometimes in a basketball
oughness and what it means in a team your performance in practice or games. game, the perfect game plan goes off script.
Sometimes coaches call a time-out and talk
Tsport. Being mentally tough, a player is always about a change, go over a play, a breather,
engaged and not withdrawn, from each
Basketball is a team sport which relies or install a positive motivation chat. As a
on others on the team for their support competitive situation. coach I’d like to see players come together
and guidance. It’s not just you! In any In any sport, a mentally tough player during a break and refocus the group on the
sport, toughness is one of those unique rarely makes excuses for their mistakes, floor. A coach can’t always call a timeout to officeguycartoon
attributes that makes athletes competitive for losing, for not playing well, for get the team to refocus. In every sport there
and strive to be the best. Don’t focus on getting outplayed by an opponent, or is always a break in play. It’s there where
things you can’t control such as injuries, when things do not go their way. The you breathe and refocus. Engage with your
score, game times, how your team will “NEXT PLAY” mentality is so important. team and give or get feedback from your
Chucklez and Knuckles 3

By Jim Riddell Boxing Club in Montreal fighting
to a draw. The following was open
here was a good crowd at the class (more than ten fights) at light
TCornwall Legion, November welterweight, (63.5kg), with Abdul
1st, for the third edition of Chucklez Abediyl from the Beaver Boxing
and Knuckles. Joe “Not your average Club in Ottawa scoring a unanimous
Joe” Bowman, the co-founder of decision over Yannick Beauchemin
LOL Entertainment, was, along with from the Aprentis Gym in St.
Tony Luis, the fighter responsible for Hyacinthe, Qc.
bringing Champs Eastside Boxing Keldon Montpetit of Champs
to prominence at the provincial and Eastside earned a split decision
national levels. Joe is a former two- over Camilo Fresco of Montreal’s
time Canadian Boxing Champion, Club de Est, in a hard fought light
with ninety-nine amateur fights and a welterweight bout.
victory in his one professional bout.
The boxing portion got underway The fourth fight was a cruiserweight
(86kg) open division bout with Josie
with an exhibition between Ottawa’s
Victram Jetty and Kai McAlister Kouie from Club de Est sweeping
the scorecards against Jackson Savoi
from Champs Eastside Boxing. Jaxxon Bradshaw from Champs Eastside landing a jab against Karain
Following that bout, Tony Luis came from Top Glove Boxing. Lalonde from the Evolution Gym in Ottawa. Photo credit: Jim Riddell
into the ring and did four rounds of In an Elite (over 19) open light
sparring, two with Kai and two with heavyweight contest, Anthony The sixth fight was a very close night, a cruiserweight elite bout, Will
Victram . The first official bout of the Bombarra, fighting out of the Combat welterweight match, with Karain Swamp from Champs Eastside was
card was a featherweight matchup, Fitness Gym in Burlington, Vermont, Lalonde from Ottawa’s Evolution impressive in scoring a unanimous
(57kg), with Giancarlo Scopazzi scored a unanimous decision victory Gym getting the decision over Jaxxon decision over Owen Medeiros from
from Sudbury’s Top Glove Gym over Ulas Aktas from the Aprentis Bradshaw from Champs Eastside.
and Shafel Kamgar of the Los Reyes Gym. In the seventh and final fight of the Kingston’s YGK Boxing.