Mike Balo
CLASS OF 2023
As an elementary school teacher and coach, Mike Balo opened the gym, and his heart to thousands of students who learned valuable life skills right alongside how to dribble and shoot a basketball.
Balo taught and coached in elementary schools across the Windsor Essex Catholic District School Board for 33 years and continued to coach for another 10 years past retirement.
Former players fondly recall how they gained confidence, self-esteem and determination under Balo’s patient tutelage. While developing future hardcourt stars at the high school and university level, he also had a guiding hand in inspiring future engineers, doctors, teachers, and emergency responders.
“He truly cared about every player no matter their talent level and encouraged his players to improve and to always do their best,” said Mike Ducharme, former player and veteran officer with the Windsor Police Service. “I can truly say that Mike Balo made me a better person and I can’t imagine how many other players he has helped throughout his storied career.”
Whether teaching at St. Anne, St. Bernard, St. Alexander, Christ the King or Immaculate Conception, Balo was a constant presence in the gym, opening the doors before and after school, during lunch and recess so kids could come and shoot hoops. He gave his time unreservedly despite being a single parent raising four children of his own. Twice he took homeless students into his own home.
A list of former players reads like a who’s who of Windsor basketball elite including Phil Goggins, Jerry Sovran, Joe Grebenc, Jack Rosaasen, Karrie Rosaasen, Pete Cusumano, Mike Ducharme, Matt St. Louis, Ritch Coughlan, Denise Hebert, Missy Balo, Diane DeLuca, Aldo Bertucci, Rob Murphy, Vince Osier, Jeff Gaudette, Santos Ortiz, Huan Le, Charbel Chibani, Nicole Kwasnicki, Mirna Hartwell, Mike Balo and Marlena Busico to name but a few.
In addition to both boys’ and girls’ basketball, Balo coached cross country, volleyball and track and field. He won 15 elementary school basketball championships and a city freshmen boys’ basketball title with Walkerville. His teams won one cross-country title and five track and field team titles.
“Having coached at the elementary school level, there will not be any OFSAA championships on his resume, however, I cannot think of a coach that has had such a profound impact on so many students in this city,” said former player Pete Cusumano.
Balo is truly a perfect fit to serve as the inaugural recipient of the Bob Turner Recognition Award.
