Fred Batley of Fleming College is this year’s recipient of the CCAA Athletic Director of the Year award.
Batley was honoured during the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association Hall of Fame Banquet this evening at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, NB. Batley is the first Athletic Director from the OCAA to accept the award since 2010.
“With his dedication and wisdom, Fred has made a difference to all those he has been associated with and is definitely a most deserving recipient of this award,” said Leigh Goldie, the CCAA President.
Batley has been employed at Fleming for 37 years – the last 25 as Athletic Director – and has been a valued contributor to collegiate athletics at all levels.
“Whether it’s been at Fleming College, the OCAA or the CCAA, Fred has been a tireless worker in both programming and governance,” said Goldie. “We’ve always appreciated Fred’s calm and knowledgeable approach in working through the issues of the day.”
In 2014-15, the Knights captured two CCAA medals, including gold from the men’s team at the 2015 CCAA Curling National Championships. Riley Hubbard-Olesky won a bronze medal at the 2014 CCAA Cross-Country Running National Championships, Fleming’s first medal in the sport since 2005.
This season, Fleming produced two All-Canadians: Hubbard-Olesky in cross-country running and Jacob White in men’s volleyball. Men’s basketball star Daniel Gordon of the Knights also led the CCAA in scoring, averaging 29.7 points per game.
Fleming, which graduates 90% of their student-athletes, had 25 academic award winners in 2015. One Knight, women’s soccer player Rebecka Schultz, also received the CCAA Academic All-Canadian award.
Batley has never been afraid to step up and host OCAA and CCAA events at Fleming and this season was no exception. The Knights hosted the OCAA Golf Championship and Curling Championship. Both events received praise from athletes, coaches, fans, administration and other participants.
Fleming has also stepped up on behalf of the OCAA and is set to host the 2015 CCAA Women’s Soccer National Championship in November. Preparations are well underway to ensure that the event is a positive student-experience for everyone involved. Fleming will also host the OCAA Men’s Soccer Championship two weeks prior to nationals.
Those championships will be contested on the newly completed Fleming Sport complex, a state of the art, FIFA Level One turf facility. Batley was instrumental in turning this project into a reality.
“Fred is a consummate professional and a true leader,” said Jim Bialek, the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association President. “His impact on developing post-secondary sport in the CCAA is second to none and this year was so special as he was able to celebrate the best-ever showing of his Fleming Knights on the national stage.”
In 2014-15, Batley served as the CCAA Women’s Volleyball Convenor. He is a former CCAA President and has also served as a past president and VP of Governance. In the OCAA, Batley has served as President, past president and convenor. He’s been a member of the provincial executive for 12 years.
Batley is a member of the St. James Players board of directors and has been a board member with St. James Church for 30 years. In addition, he is a long-serving member of the YMCA and United Way boards.
Athletic Director of the Year: Past winners
PICTURED: Above, Batley (left) and Longueuil, QC, councillor Xavier Léger (right) present a tournament all-star award at the 2015 CCAA Women’s Volleyball National Championship. Below, the Fleming Knighs, 2015 Men's Curling champs.
The CCAA is a national sport organization enriching the academic experiences of student-athletes through intercollegiate sport.
