Burlington has a long and notable sports history that includes many outstanding athletes, coaches, officials, media, and volunteers. The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame (BSHOF) is dedicated to identifying and honouring these individuals who have created this rich tradition. This year, BSHOF is celebrating its 17th year and is proud to be inducting six new honourees at their 2025 induction ceremony on Tuesday, May 27, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club.
Our next inductee is Katy Williams.
At most high schools, like Burlington’s Notre Dame Catholic Secondary School, for example, in the early days of grade 9, there are daily announcements about everything going on in the school and how to get involved. One such example is the encouragement given to grade 9 girls’ Phys Ed classes to maybe give the field hockey team a try. At that point in their high school career, very few have played the sport, and it offers a fun way to learn something new together. Great bonds of friendship are formed by that process. And out of that mass of junior girls team participants, sometimes a gem of an athlete appears.
Gems like Katy Williams.
Katy was indeed one of those grade 9 girls, one who found a passion for field hockey and for leadership, and who led Notre Dame athletics in not only field hockey, but hockey and softball as well. She was a key part of many Halton and Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference (GHAC) championship teams.
Her success at a powerhouse field hockey school led to Katy being recruited to the University of Toronto (U of T), where a few other Notre Dame players had gone. Learning the ropes at the post-secondary level, Katy struggled in her first year but soon fit right in. While at U of T, Katy was a key contributor to the success of one of the best teams in the country. She was a three-time OUA champion in 2008, 2009, and 2011. She helped the Blues win a CIS (USports) Championship in 2010. In her final year of eligibility in 2013, the Blues fell short, finishing second in USports, but Katy was named OUA All-Star and USports All-Canadian.
During her time at U of T, she was invited to the national team program as a junior athlete. She had played with Team Ontario all throughout her collegiate career, being team captain and starting goalie from 2007–2014. Her career led her to play for the National Indoor Field Hockey team, where she represented Canada from 2008–2017. While with the national team, Katy backstopped Canada at four Indoor Pan Am Cups, winning gold in Uruguay in 2015.
After the success of 2015, Katy went overseas to play in the Victoria Premier League in Australia with the Essendon Bombers. In her first year, Katy won the “Best and Fairest” award (an MVP-type award in Australia) for her team and was named to the Premier League All-Star team. She then joined the Victoria State Team, where she competed in and won silver in the Australian hockey league that year.
Returning to Canada, Katy continued to be involved in the game at the highest level. In 2018, the International Field Hockey Federation sponsored Katy’s attendance at a high-performance coaching clinic in Berlin, which ran in conjunction with the 2018 Indoor World Cup. She became Team Ontario’s goalkeeper coach from 2020–2022. That commitment to leadership and excellence garnered from her days at Notre Dame and displayed throughout her career is reflected in her life today, as Katy is currently an assistant coach of the McMaster Marauders field hockey team and is a volunteer firefighter at Station 5, Kilbride, Burlington Fire Department.
The Burlington Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct Katy Williams in the Athlete category.
This year’s induction reception will be held on Tuesday, May 27, at the Burlington Golf and Country Club with Steve Foxcroft as emcee. The event is sold out.
