Gryphon Mentors: Big Brothers Big Sisters Association

Nick FitzGibbon built his reputation on being able to get the job done. By the time he had left the U of G, the Puslinch, ON native topped the program’s all-time rushing list with 3,601 yards. But FitzGibbon also walked away with much more than records – he gained a deep understanding of what it was to give back to the community.

Years after he last toted the ball for the red, black, and gold, FitzGibbon was still utilizing the lessons he learned to help others. He is a well-known real estate agent for Coldwell Banker and FitzGibbon also sits on the board of the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter. He was at a meeting back in January when they discussed running Activate, a program for Guelph boys in grades 5 and 6. The seven-week plan required about 16 male mentors in the range of 18-25 years old.

“I knew a room with a hundred of those guys,” FitzGibbon says with a smile.

Things, as they say, escalated quickly. FitzGibbon called Coach Ryan Sheahan and at a team meeting the following week, he and representatives of BBBS attended to discuss Activate. It can often be difficult for the BBBS to find the caring people necessary to run its programs.

That wasn’t exactly the case here.

“They maxed out with the number of volunteers,” says FitzGibbon, noting how visible the Gryphon Football culture was and how these young men immediately stepped up. “They were a perfect fit.”

Michael Treadgold, BBBS’s Executive Director, was amazed. He has seen how Gryphons have helped BBBS over the past 11 years with great events like Bowl For Kids’ Sake. But the turnout for Activate was unique.

“I figured we would get three or four guys,” says Treadgold. “Wouldn’t you know, they come back and they get 16. Eight guys committed and said they would bring a friend. It created this stable and dedicated group of volunteers, who basically singlehandedly ran the program.

“We could not have been more thrilled with how it turned out.”

The only downside of the Activate was that it ended slightly earlier than scheduled because of the pandemic. BBBS received a grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to run the program, which was aimed at providing 120 boys with a sport- and activity-focused curriculum that also focused on mental wellness. It got going in early February and Gryphon Football players proved to be ideal mentors, in part because they are athletes who live and breathe those ideals but also because they weren’t too far removed from that age group.

Jared Fernandez-Brown felt that participating in Activate was a great way to make an impact on young kids. The Gryphon kicker/punter worked out of Priory Park school, one of the many locations in Guelph. Fernandez-Brown would run a few different games each session and the relationships grew quickly.

“Football gives us that exposure to everyone in Guelph and I feel the kids look up to us,” he says. “For us to come to their school and spend time with them, I know it meant a lot to them. We were acting as big brother figures to them because most of the boys come from single parent homes and don’t have anyone like that in their lives. It was a great opportunity for me to show that I care for the kids in Guelph and want to be a role model for them.

“All I can think of is how energetic and involved the kids became since we started. It reminded me of when I was a young kid.”

 Activate caseworker Angela van Stee says that the Gryphons had a profound effect on the boys and the program has been able to evolve in size and form since its inception, because of the growing interest and support from these student-athletes.

 “Their involvement is most felt by the students whom they worked with and mentored on a weekly basis,” says van Stee. “In the program updates completed by the mentees, they talked about how cool their mentors were, how they taught them things like fairness and teamwork, and how they coached them to improve in the sports they like with enthusiasm and patience.

 “The Gryphon volunteers talked about their sports role models in their intake interviews, too, and the way they talk about these professional athletes is the same way the mentees talk about the mentors – with respect and awe.”

 Activate expanded to seven groups this past session and van Stee adds that with more involvement from other Gryphon teams and the community, BBBS can continue to grow and eventually deliver this program to boys in all of their area schools.

 Treadgold is submitting a report to the Ontario Trillium Foundation with the hope that BBBS will receive future funding for the program. He adds that the age of the boys in Activate is a traditionally under-served group and representatives from the organization could not have been more pleased with how it went, despite the early closure.

 The challenge now will be to regain that momentum when Activate is able to run again. Treadgold is aware that getting 16 ideal volunteers all in one room might be tough to repeat but given the long-time relationship between the U of G and BBBS, there is plenty of hope.

 “We’re building some strong connections along the way,” he says. “If we’re able to create a pipeline that not only brings volunteers into the program but sees them become more deeply involved and perhaps take on a match down the road, we’re just a stronger organization because of it.”

FitzGibbon was happy to see the Gryphon Football support BBBS. As a distinguished program alum, he’s an example of how the spirit of giving extends past an athletic career. He liked what he saw from these young men.

“It’s a great spot for these student-athletes to be in, to shed some light on what it takes to be a good role model and a good person,” FitzGibbon says. “These Gryphons are giving back to the community.” 

Visit https://guelph.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca/what-we-do/our-programs/#group for more information on BBBS programming.

Written By: David Dicenzo