"Dedicated to Serving Basketball in the Kingston Area."

The Gaels Hoop Club was founded in 1982 to help support the efforts of the Gaels program and provide opportunities for local athletes to excel. Principal founder, Geoff Smith put in an enormous amount of effort to start the club off on solid footings. Although Geoff has since moved on, the women wearing the Blue, Gold & Red of the Queen's Tricolour, share many benefits provided by the Hoop Club -- all in an effort to improve the calibre of basketball at Queen's....and improve the calibre it has, as the women's program has qualified for the OUA championships every year (except 1) since 1989-90. In this decade alone, the team has captured two division championships, one provincial silver medal, one provincial gold medal and two trips to the CIS Championships, including a fourth place national finish in 2001.

Funding from the Hoop Club has aided in the recruiting of quality student-athletes to Queen's, assisted with the costs of an increased exhibition schedule to gain national prominence, allowed for special occasion functions such as the Alumni reception and Parent's Night, and assisted with the purchase of special video equipment. All of these functions have greatly contributed to the success of the program. A new challenge now faces the Hoop Club as the need to raise funds for Athletic Scholarships (known as Athletic Financial Awards - AFAs) is at hand. As of the fall of 2007, student-athletes in Ontario institutions are now eligible to receive up to $3,500/yr. in the form of AFAs. While some funds may be supplied by the university, it is clear that the bulk of these funds will need to be raised through the Hoop Club.

Queen's continues to be the proud host of the Tricolour Basketball Tournament for High School Senior Girls, the Annual Christmas High School Tournament for Senior Boys, and a variety of Elementary and Secondary school Championships and All-Star games. The well-respected and highly popular Queen's Basketball Camp was a joint effort involving the community basketball organizations with special thanks to Mr. Barry O'Connor for his efforts and dedication in developing the program.

Members of the Gaels continue to provide community service work by providing mini-clinics to area players and donating their time to worthwhile charities.

Please accept this as an invitation to be a part of the Gaels Hoop Club and help local basketball. There are many ways to support the Queen's Golden Gael Program. It is our desire that you become and stay connected with the program by:

• Coming out to watch the Gaels play
• Speaking positively about the Queen's Basketball Program to those that are interested
• Contacting Coach Wilson with the names of any young players that may have the talent and desire to play for Queen's
• Contacting Coach Wilson with any ideas you would like to see implemented with regard to the Basketball Program or Hoop Club (with which you might like to help)
• Getting involved in any social activities organized by the club
• Support the sponsors on our website
• Last, but not least, consider donating to:
  Women's Hoop Club
  Office of Advancement
  Queen's University
  Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6
  
  Donations can be made online - click here for details.

The Gaels Hoop Club is a non-profit organization and will provide tax receipts for your donation.

Your support is greatly appreciated!