Mary McPherson
Mary McPherson is one of 9 children, 6 boys and 3 girls, born to Edna and Ranald McPherson from the 3rd of Kenyon. Many a game of whatever sport that was in season was played with the neighbour kids on the field to the west of the McPherson home. On such fun occasions the boys far outnumbered the girls and Mary learned many of her athletic skills and competitiveness playing sports with her brothers.
Mary played every sport available to her during her secondary years at Glengarry. In Grade 11, she was selected to attend the Ontario Athletic Leadership Camp at Lake Couchiching near Orillia. While at the camp, Mary acquired certification to referee volleyball and basketball and this training would no doubt serve her well as she progressed to officiating some years later in the Glengarry Soccer League. In her grade 13 year, Mary won the Top Female Athlete award.
Mary began playing GSL women’s soccer for Alexandria in 1970 and won league championships with this team in ’73 and again in ‘74. She later joined friends and played for Greenfield Sr. women and won championships with them in ’78 and ’81. While raising her young family, she finished her playing career and won the league championship in 1991 with the Laggan Sr. women. Upon retiring from soccer, Mary then completed the officiating course provided by the Eastern Ontario Soccer Association and became a certified referee. Mary has refereed in the GSL for 25 plus years and continues to do so. She has taken on an instructor and mentoring role for the GSL to train young people to officiate so they become eligible to referee the league’s minor games.
When Mary was not officiating a game, she was busy on the sidelines coaching. Mary has 3 children, Kelly, Tammy and Cameron, and has coached Tammy and Cameron’s soccer teams as they played through the divisions of the GSL. She has also coached her two grand-daughters. In the past, Mary coached the Alexandria A Senior women’s team, served as Area Rep for Alexandria on the GSL, and held its executive position of Referee in Chief for 2 terms. The Tim Horton’s Dome is another place where Mary dedicates a great deal of her time. She runs the GSL’s Indoor program 4 nights a week, complete with coaching and refereeing responsibilities.
Other sports interests over the years saw Mary play sponge puck in1983, and convened the Alexandria women’s league from 1984 until it folded in1999. She would continue to juggle her sport schedule to include opportunities to play ball hockey and broomball. In 1993, Mary served on the Glengarry Golf and Country Club Board of Directors and proposed the idea to begin a Thursday Ladies Friendly Twilight Golf League. She convened this group for 6 years. To this day, this popular Thursday league continues at the club.
In 1997, Mary would be recognized by the Alexandria Lion’s Club as Glengarry’s Female Athlete of the Year receiving the Dr. John and Margaret Mutch Trophy.
In 2023, Mary was the recipient of the North Glengarry Dedication and Leadership Award.
