“The legend has retired.”  

Those four words mark the end of an era for McMaster Athletics and Recreation Camps: After nearly three decades of being a part of Sport Fitness School, Mark Haggarty has high-fived his way out of the building.  

Ask anyone with any connection to the multisport camp about him, and they’re guaranteed to smile and tell you how special he is – how sunny and warm, how kind, how empathetic.  

From his first day at camp at the age of six, through his time as a Junior Leader, then a volunteer, and ultimately as a very beloved coach for the camp, Haggarty has been involved in SFS for nearly 30 years.  

And by the sound of it, he leaves a very deep imprint on the program, the atmosphere, and the many people whose lives he’s touched.  

Hayden Phillips remembers being drawn to Haggarty’s friendly energy and positivity as an eight-year-old at his first SFS camp.  

“Seeing how all the coaches cared about him and interacted with him, it made me, as a kid, just want to be around him more,” he recalls. 

Phillips ended up coming back to camp every year, then became a student leader and is now a colleague of Haggarty’s, a coach himself.  

“I think the culture and the atmosphere of SFS wouldn’t be where it’s at today if Mark wasn’t part of it,” he says.  

“I think his legacy is just being probably the best coach this camp will ever and has ever seen. Just putting in effort and care to every small thing, making people feel special and making people feel seen.” 

Indomitable spirit 

Haggarty, who has Down syndrome, was the first camper at SFS with special needs, nearly 30 years ago. After talking to his parents, SFS trained counsellors to ensure he had the support he needed as a mostly non-verbal six-year-old, but “he was treated the same as the rest of the campers,” says his mother, Cathy Haggarty.  

“Everybody was very supportive – the staff, the other campers. It was not a situation where Mark was any different than anybody else.”  

Bright, outgoing and with an immense love of sports, Haggarty blossomed at camp.  

He returned year after year, moving up and training in the Junior Leader program. After that, his family approached Steve Green, who was SFS director at the time, to ask if he could volunteer because he loved SFS so much.   

“Two words I can use to describe Mark are ‘joyous’ and ‘passionate’. And when we hire people, that’s what we look for,” Green says. “He just had this ability to connect with people.”  

Haggarty’s time as a volunteer was short, but only because he was so good at the job, Green hired him as a regular camp counselor.  

And what a counselor he’s been.  

“It is really telling for Mark’s impact that every camper, staff member, parent that has come through our doors has had a positive, enriching experience because of Mark’s presence,” says Lauren Bahrami, Camps & Clubs coordinator. 

SFS even named an award after him: The Mark Haggarty Spirit Award recognizes a staff member who goes out of their way to support, guide, help and encourage their colleagues at camp.   

“To have an award named after you means people are striving for the values that you portray – because you are you,” says Jenna Seagrove, a former SFS director who remains a close friend of Haggarty’s.  

Haggarty’s impact on campers, colleagues and camp itself is hard to overstate.  

“Mark used to say, ‘Steve Green: The man, the legend.’ That was kind of his thing,” Green says. “And I say … he’s the man, you know, he’s the legend. His legacy is so, so big and so far-reaching.”

A remarkable legacy 

Just as Haggarty has grown up with SFS, the camps have grown with him. Over the years, SFS has expanded its support for campers with special needs.  

The 1:1 Support Program for kids with an exceptionality is designed to offer an integrated experience so they can get the most out of camp – just as six-year-old Mark Haggarty did. And his commitment to making every kid feel welcome and included is an integral part of camp. 

“We’re very proud of the 1:1 Support Program. It means a lot to a lot of people, to families in our community, and certainly to staff,” says Bahrami.  

For coaches, it’s a unique opportunity to support children with special needs “and to learn from them how to interact with all sorts of diverse people, which is what happens when you enter the workforce,” she notes.  

“And Mark Haggarty is the epitome of that. He’s why that program started. I think that is his lasting legacy.”