Traditions

Michael Anton 

Michael Anton, formerly of Welland, and now a minister and resident of Hastings, Michigan, has the unique honour of serving as Niagara College's first basketball coach, as well as being among Niagara's first faculty hired in 1967-68.

Although there were 17 other colleges in the Ontario College system, the intercollegiate sports league had not yet organized. Making it even more of a challenging situation is the fact that Niagara College did not have a gymnasium at that time. League games and practices took place at local high schools. Niagara's first basketball team, in its inaugural season, finished 7-7 under Michael Anton's leadership.

In 1968-69, the Ontario College Athletic Association formed, and the colleges were divided into three divisions. With only one year of experience behind them, Coach Anton's basketball team finished 14-8 overall in its second season, having qualified for the playoffs as the wild card, a remarkable accomplishment for a team with no home gym.

Michael's most memorable moment arrived in the first year of organized play when Niagara finished second to Mohawk College with a 7-3 record in the division and the best defensive average of the three second-place teams.