Supporting Tomorrow's Leaders: Those Championship Seasons

(Photo courtesy McGill Athletics)

“It was a lot of fun,” says Peter Smith, BEd’79, MA’86, and head coach of the McGill Martlets, of their spectacular national championship wins in 2008 and 2009. “The team played with a sense of urgency even when they didn’t need to, which really created championship habits.”

Smith knows a thing or two about developing champions. The winningest women’s hockey coach in McGill history, Smith has worked at McGill Athletics for 30 years, including 10 years at the helm of the Martlets. He is the first occupant of the Kerr Women’s Hockey Coaching Chair, endowed in 2007 by David Kerr, BSc’65, and Sheryl Kerr, BCom’67, in honour of their own time playing hockey at McGill.

“We were already well on our way to success, but this gift has allowed me to focus exclusively on coaching,” says Smith. “And it ensures there will always be a full-time head coach for women’s hockey.”

Smith credits the gift for focusing more attention on women’s athletics. “The Kerrs have always been terrific to McGill, and this gift was a huge plus for CIS sport in general and women’s sport specifically.”

But there’s still work to be done in ensuring McGill can compete on a global scale for top student-athletes like the Martlets. “People always ask me ‘how can I make a difference?’ Well, there’s a simple way – fund an athletic award.”

This summer, Smith began a new challenge as assistant coach with the Canadian Olympic women’s hockey team. “Think of us on February 24, 2010,” he says with a smile, referring to the date of the gold medal game.