The Leaside Sports Hall of Fame once again hosted their annual Induction Ceremony, on Nov. 14th, to honour and celebrate the Hall’s latest inductees, the Athletes of the Year and the Team of the Year.
Those being honoured excelled in their roles as athletes, tireless volunteers and builders in various sports.
Hall of Fame Inductees
Angela Rubini
Soccer builder
Angela Rubini has been involved in Leaside in the sport of soccer as a builder, coach, manager, and more for over 30 years.
With the Leaside-East Toronto Soccer Club, Rubini served in multiple roles, including running the summer camp program and helping to run the Women’s Adult League.
She was also involved in building, coaching and managing the Leaside-East Toronto Soccer Club’s Competitive Girls Team. With her passion for excellence, the program produced several players who have gone on to compete at the highest levels in varsity, national and international soccer, including Toronto AFC player Sarah Rollins and Michigan State’s standout national team callup, Kayla Briggs.
Briggs, who also happens to be Rubini’s daughter, notes that “my mom has played a huge role in my success. She has always been my biggest supporter through the good and the tough times. I am so grateful for how she has taught me to be a great competitor, but what I learned the most from her is how to carry yourself off the field.”
James (Jim) Wilson
Hockey and baseball builder
Raised in Leaside, Jim Wilson has been a force in the sports of hockey and baseball as well as a dedicated coach, mentor and government-appointed curriculum developer.
As a baseball player, Wilson was an original participant in the Leaside Atom Baseball Association, a member of Ontario’s National Junior Championship Team in 1964, an all-star catcher for the Leaside Maple Leafs’ inaugural, undefeated season in the Halton County Sr. Baseball League in 1968, and a member of Ontario’s team in the Pan-American Games Trials.
Howard Birnie, Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer and former coach of Wilson notes, “I knew Jim best as a baseball catcher. He was an excellent receiver, hitter and team leader playing at the highest amateur levels in Ontario.”
As a hockey player, Wilson was an original participant in the Leaside Hockey Association, played on the University of Toronto’s Hockey Team that won the inaugural Canadian Intercollegiate Championship (1966), and was a player-coach for Italy’s national hockey team in the European Elite division.
Wilson coached hockey, football, baseball and rugby locally, provincially and internationally for over 60 years at multiple levels and was a Coaching Certification Director for the Canadian Hockey Association and USA Hockey.
He was also the director and head instructor of Ontario’s first women’s hockey camp in 1973.
At Leaside High, Wilson was a volunteer coach for 13 years in football, hockey and rugby. He was also the first appointee for the Central Ontario-Toronto Region Coaching Mentorship Program in hockey in 2005 and was selected by the Ontario government to develop the Ministry of Education’s first High School, Exercise and Science Course for university acceptance throughout the country.
2025 Athlete of the Year
Sarah Rollins
Soccer
Sarah Rollins began her soccer career at the age of 4 with the Leaside-East Toronto Soccer Club. At 12, she moved to the semi-professional North Toronto Nitros until her graduation from high school.
Playing with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, Rollins was named University Sports Rookie of the Year, and her team won two national championships. In January of 2025, Rollins began her professional career, signing with the Northern Super League’s AFC Toronto.
Amy Walsh, a member of the Canadian Soccer Women’s National Team who played at FIFA World Cups, the Pan Am Games and the Olympics, and is current analyst for CBC and TSN, says that Rollins is “exactly what the NSL was made for. At 20 years old she’s shown such maturity and composure whether she’s playing in the heart of the back three or deployed on the right. She’s versatile and has shown amazing leadership for such a young player.”
Sam Brown
Baseball
Sam Brown began playing with the Leaside Baseball Association at the age of 9 and continued his outstanding baseball journey with both the Leaside Maple Leafs 22U and the Guelph University Gryphons.
With the Maple Leafs, Brown twice represented Ontario at the National 22U Championships, winning a bronze in 2023 and a silver in 2024.
In his four years of play with the University of Guelph Gryphons, Brown was named MVP of the team three times. As captain, he helped lead the Gryphons to a silver medal at the National Championship. He also earned the University of Guelph’s President’s Trophy, an annual award given to top student-athletes who excel in both academics and athletics.
2025 Team of the Year
Leaside’s Club Meraki Novice Synchronized skating team
The Meraki Novice synchronized skating team of the Leaside Skating Club reached new heights on the national stage in 2025.
The team, coached by Lisa Lamarche and Mertcan Pak, and composed of 19 athletes ranging from Grades 8 to 12, represented the Leaside club at Skate Canada’s Synchronized Skating National Championship.
Delivering a powerful performance, the team captured the silver medal in a field of 13 of the nation’s strongest teams.
Lamarche notes that “the team is defined by their discipline, determination, and passion for synchronized skating. Their strong work ethic, coachability, and willingness to push beyond their comfort zones have fueled their continuous growth and success. Through teamwork, respect for one another, and an undeniable love for the sport, they embody the true spirit of excellence.”
Congratulations to these outstanding athletes and builders honoured this year. You make us proud!
