Caledon Student Athlete of the Week: Mayfield SS Junior Athlete of the Year Grier Forbes starred in flag football, hockey, and rugby

August 15, 2024 · 0 Comments

By Jim Stewart

Grier Forbes was selected Mayfield Secondary School’s Junior Athlete of the Year for her prowess on the flag football field, hockey rink, and rugby pitch in 2023-24.

The Grade 10 Honor Roll student-athlete played against older competition in all three sports and played significant roles for the Varsity Flag Football team, the Varsity Hockey team, and for the Senior Rugby team.

Forbes was fully-immersed in the academic, artistic, and athletic life at Mayfield and demonstrated the balance that so many high-performance student-athletes acquire to succeed both in and out of the classroom.

Forbes’s three seasons of excellence caught the attention of her rugby coach, Rhys Manning, who described the fly-half’s exceptional performances that contributed to the team’s Peel Region Championship in the Spring.

“Grier has a strong desire to win, and to be competitive. She is a cerebral athlete and thinks through the game but also plays with aggression and passion. She sees and understands all the parts of her development and wants to grow as an athlete. Grier is very coachable. This balanced play has helped her in all three of her sports at Mayfield.”

Coach Manning applauded Forbes’s qualities in the classroom at Mayfield SS.

“Grier is focused and hard-working which helps in the classroom and athletic arena. She takes academics and athletics seriously and works at balancing these things in her life. She has been on the Honour Roll in both Grades 9 and 10 and was awarded the Rookie of the Year award in Grade 9 as a student who best represents Mayfield in academics, arts, and athletics.”

What impressed Coach Manning about Forbes’s outstanding achievements in three sports was that, “Grier plays hard and with confidence for a young athlete.”

“These are things that are difficult to coach as they are innate qualities. She has them and this helps elevate her play. She played in a very important position on the senior rugby team, playing fly-half as a Grade 10. A very impressive feat as she was called on to help organize and lead the attack offensively on a team of older girls. Grier is a quiet and humble player who leads by example and lets her play speak for her.”

Coach Manning highlighted Forbes’s most memorable performance moment as a Maverick in 2023-24.

“In the first rugby game she played this season, I watched Grier figure out her ability and become comfortable in her role. She made a few good runs and ran a strong line into a gap to score a try. It was clear Grier was confident, and that she understood her ability. She carried this awareness and confidence through the season helping us to a ROPSSAA championship and the OFSAA quarter-finals.”
Grier Forbes took time from her summer holidays and her preparations for Grade 11 at Mayfield Secondary School to answer our interview questions:

Caledon Citizen: What qualities did you demonstrate in your sports season to earn Student-Athlete of the Week honors?

Grier Forbes: “As a Grade 10 student, I was a starter on two varsity teams and one senior sports team at Mayfield this year. I played for the varsity flag football team, varsity hockey team, and the senior rugby team. Specifically, I played fly half on the senior rugby team that won the ROPSSAA championship and participated at OFSAA, making it to the quarter-finals. I had to show leadership as a decision maker, distributor and attacker on the offensive side of play, and prided myself as a tackler on defence.”

Caledon Citizen: What were your key statistics and performance moments from the 2023-24 season that you are most proud of?

Grier Forbes: “On the varsity girls flag football team, I was a starter and key receiver on offence as a junior aged player. I was relied upon as a consistent offensive threat and kick returner. While playing for the varsity girls hockey team I played an important role as a penalty killer known for my hard work every shift. My third sport at Mayfield was as a member of the Senior Girls rugby team. As a fly-half, I played a position which required a high game sense and the ability to execute. We won ROPSAA for the 5th time in a row and went to OFSAA, where the team and I played incredibly well.”

Caledon Citizen: In addition to your high school sports team(s), what other community teams do you play for and at what level?

Grier Forbes: “Outside of high school teams, I have played rep hockey for many years for the Orangeville Tigers. I have also played eight years of club rugby for Fergus Highland RFC and have played the past two summers at the Ontario inter-branch level for Southwest Rugby.”

Caledon Citizen: How would you describe yourself as a student at Mayfield? To which sports teams and clubs do you belong?

Grier Forbes: “I work hard at my academics and take them seriously. At Mayfield, I am a member of the Regional Arts Program in the visual arts program. As already mentioned, I compete for the Varsity Girls flag football and hockey teams, as well as the senior girls rugby team. To go along with winning the Junior Athlete of the year award, I also earned the Junior Athletic Letter as a Grade 10. I have been on the honour roll for two years in a row and won the Mayfield Rookie of the Year Award in Grade 9 which looked at my performance in Academics, Arts, and Athletics. As a student, I have participated in various student and community events, such as the Colour Run, Terry Fox Run, and Friday Night Lights.”

Caledon Citizen: What are your post-secondary plans regarding prospective academic/athletic destinations?

Grier Forbes: “I plan on attending a post-secondary university after Grade 12. I am not sure what the future holds for me but I enjoy the science and medical field and would be interested in pursuing a career there. In regards to my athletic career I am going to continue to play high level sports both inside and outside of school to allow for more opportunities.”

Caledon Citizen: Who is your role model in terms of the person you admire the most?

Grier Forbes: “My parents have both been important role models for me as they have imparted valuable life lessons and have provided me with the opportunities that I am lucky to have. They are both teachers and coach at school and in the community.”

Caledon Citizen: How do you feel about being nominated as the Caledon Citizen’s Student-Athlete of the Week?

Grier Forbes: “I am very honoured and thankful to have been nominated as the Caledon Citizen’s Student-Athlete of the Week. It is a privilege to be able to participate in extracurricular activities at Mayfield. It has provided me with many valuable and memorable experiences that I will remember.”