Women's Basketball

CAF SPORTS SUPPORT STAFF

• 

  Brigadier-General K.E. Osmond

  PATRON View Bio
  

  2018 - present

  Brigadier-General K.E. Osmond

  PATRON

  BGen Keith Osmond grew up in the small town of Pasadena, NL, yet he is anything but small (in stature). Standing 6’4” by age 14, his height quickly became an advantage on the basketball court. From grade nine on he played center and was known for being a team player who could use his size to set a mean pick. Early in his life he was recruited for his hometown’s basketball team, the Falcons. The BGen’s passion for the game made it easy for him to want to play through his childhood and then onto the college level at Grenfell Campus at Memorial University of Newfoundland. BGen Osmond joined the Canadian Armed Forces, Royal Newfoundland Regiment in 1987 as an Army Reservist and after transferring to the Regular Force started to play basketball for the CAF. He played ball from 1993 to 2005 and then again with Recreational Leagues in Ottawa during his postings in the National Capital Region. In 2014, while studying at the The Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy in Washington, DC, he held the title of Co-Captain for their Men’s basketball team. Throughout his fulfilling career in the Logistics Branch, BGen Osmond was honoured to command at every level from Platoon to Formation. He has worked across all Army Divisions, the Canadian Army Headquarters, and the Vice Chief of Defence Staff Group as well as both a United Nations Mission Headquarters and a NATO Corps HQ. During that time he has attended more than ten CAF Regional Basketball Tournaments and two Nationals. Those experiences reinforced the CAF’s ethos of comradery, teamwork and esprit de corps with members of all ranks involved in the sport.  He believes sports has contributed to his growth as a person, an officer and a leader. Col Osmond officially retired from Basketball in 2015. Today he enjoys participating in more leisurely sports and can be found launching golf balls into the woods, lifting weights, reading and enjoying time well spent with his family and attending his four children’s sporting activities. In 2017, BGen Osmond was appointment the Commander of 5th Canadian Division Support Group, Gagetown, and shortly thereafter was privileged to be selected as the Patron for the Women's basketball program. He takes his role as a CAF Patron very seriously and his responsibility to foster, promote and develop the sport is always near and dear to his heart.
   

  PREVIOUS PATRONS
  2017	Brigadier-General S.N. Clancy

• 

  LCol Michael Chagnon

  CHIEF OFFICIAL View Bio
  

  2026 - present

  LCol Michael Chagnon

  CHIEF OFFICIAL

  Lieutenant Colonel Michael Chagnon, born in Chicoutimi, QC, has served in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) since 1995, providing 30 years of dedicated service. He has been deployed four times, including missions in Afghanistan and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and has held many staff and command positions throughout his career.
  LCol Chagnon was promoted to his current rank effective in June 2023.
  
  Sports and weight training have long been passions of LCol Chagnon, throughout his military career. While not excelling at any one sport, he would participate in playing and organizing many sports at the intramural level, most recently as the Commanding Officer of the Canadian Army Trials and Evaluations Unit. LCol Chagnon always had a passion for the structure and rules surrounding sports, so it was a natural progression for him to start officiating. In 2022, he started refereeing basketball with the local Ottawa Valley Board as a way of giving back to the community and get more exercise, but it soon became much more than that. He focused his attention and time to take every opportunity to study and improve to become a high level official, attending training and camps; seeking feedback and mentorship along the way. In 2024, LCol Chagnon officiated the CAF Ontario Regionals and Nationals, both in Petawawa, and in 2025 officiated the Quebec Regionals in Bagotville. With his local board, LCol Chagnon was voted in to the Executive Committee in May 2025 as the Communications and Liaison Officer, an opportunity to help members and the board to run more smoothly and efficiently. He takes every opportunity to support members’ training and mentor new officials. As a dual member with the Gatineau board, LCol Chagnon enjoys officiating in both official languages, and continues to refine his communication skills interacting with his partners, players, and especially coaches. As of January 2026, LCol Chagnon has officiated over 900 games in under four years, enjoying all levels of play from U10 to U19 club teams as well as high school and CÉGEP. The highlights of his refereeing career, so far, have been attending the OFSAA girls’ provincial championships in North Bay in 2024, including being selected to referee the Gold Medal game, and officiating his first college/university game, a preseason matchup between Algonquin College and Université de Laval womens.   
  
  With his experience in uniform and on the court, LCol Chagnon is confident in his ability to make a meaningful contribution to this new role. As the Chief Official for Basketball, he is looking forward to train and mentor the current and future CAF officials and supporting CAF Basketball Regionals and Nationals in any way that he can.
  
  LCol Chagnon is a loving husband to Erin, his wife of five years and a proud father of his daughter Zoey and step-daughter Taylor.
  
   

  PREVIOUS CHIEF OFFICIALS
  2019 - 2025	Ms Amber Fehr
  2015 - 2018	Mr. J. Branscombe
  2013 - 2015	Captain P.D. Sullivan
  2007 - 2011	Corporal J.L. Caron

• 

  Alyssa DeAdder

  INTERNATIONAL HEAD COACH View Bio
  

  2025-current

  Alyssa DeAdder

  INTERNATIONAL HEAD COACH

  Alyssa is excited to lead and represent the CAF on the International stage, and looks forward to fostering connection, pride, and excellence amongst her athletes.
  
  A former high-level athlete and contributor to the Acadia University basketball program, Alyssa seamlessly transitioned into coaching. With over seven years of coaching experience—five of those within the CAF—she has established herself as a highly regarded coach within the community.
  
  Alyssa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Acadia University and brings a lifelong passion for sport, leadership, and performance to her role as PSP Sports Coordinator at CFB Greenwood. Growing up in a basketball family, Alyssa was immersed in sport from a young age—competing in basketball, soccer, volleyball, and track and field—but it was basketball that truly became her calling.
  
  Alyssa also serves as an Athletic Trainer and Athletic Trainer Instructor with the CAF, where she plays a key role in helping athletes stay healthy, resilient, and ready to compete adding valuable experience to her coaching resume and Basketball Canada coaching credentials.
  
  Alyssa’s dedication and leadership were rewarded last season when she helped coach her team to their first CAF National Basketball Championship—an unforgettable milestone in her coaching career. 
  
  You can contact Alyssa via email.
   

• 

  Major H. Smith

  INTERNATIONAL TEAM MANAGER View Bio
  

  2023 - Present

  Major H. Smith

  INTERNATIONAL TEAM MANAGER

  Originally from Kingston, ON, Maj Heather Smith is an Aerospace Engineering Officer currently posted to 418 Squadron in Comox, BC and is posted to 8 Wing Trenton this summer as the Training Flight Commander at Aerospace and Telecommunications Engineering Support Squadron (ATESS).
  
  Maj Smith has had a passion for basketball since she started playing at 8 years old, with the majority of her involvement as a player but also as a coach and referee. She played for the RMC Women’s Basketball Team from 2002-2006 and graduated with a bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering. She has gone on to compete at all levels of the CAF Sports Program in various sports including basketball, hockey, running, triathlon, slopitch, and soccer. She has been recognized throughout her career with being awarded CAF Female Athlete of the Year, RCAF Female Athlete of the Year and CAF Team of the Year - women's hockey. Maj Smith has been a member and co-captain of the CISM Women’s Basketball team since it began in 2016 and competed in the 2nd CISM World Military Women's Basketball Championships in San Diego, USA. The highlight of her CISM basketball career was getting the opportunity to represent Canada and compete at the 2019 World Military Games in Wuhan, China. She is a strong believer in the CISM Motto "Friendship through Sport", and has made many of her long lasting friendships through participation on CAF sports teams. When she is not on the court or on the ice, she is usually found driving her two kids around to their sporting events, or spending time with her family, friends and dog.
  
  To find out more about the CISM Women’s Basketball Team, follow CISM Basketball Canada on Facebook and Instagram. Feel free to reach out to Maj Heather Smith directly or contact your local base sports coordinator.