Mark Forward has been an instrumental component of the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association since it opened its doors in 2002.
With that in mind, Forward announced his departure from the league and the Halifax Hornets’ organization.
This was not an easy decision for Forward, who is also one of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association’s leader in wins as head coach of the Mount St. Vincent University Mystics women’s team, a perennial championship contender in Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association play.
‘After many months of reflection, I have made the difficult decision to step away from my role with the Halifax Hornets and the MWBA,’ Forward said. ‘This is not a decision I made lightly. Rather, it is one that comes from recognizing that, at this stage of my life, I want to devote more of my time and energy to my family.’
Forward and the Hornets have been an MWBA institution, one of six original teams. He opened the program with co-manager Janice King, who departed the MWBA following the 2025 campaign.
In fact, he watched his program win the first-ever PROLINE Legacy Cup during the MWBA’s inaugural season.
Forward coached Halifax during the 2023 season before returning to managerial duties with King. He opted to coach again this season, guiding the Hornets to a third place finish and a spot in the Legacy Cup championship weekend.
‘I have to give a ton of credit to Janice and all the work she put it into it when we launched the Hornets and I like to think we made a pretty good duo,’ Forward said. ‘Janice knew she had to depart because of so many outside commitments, so I certainly understood her feelings and making that tough decision.
The MWBA plays its season from early May through mid-June, a 10-game regular season followed by two weeks of playoffs.
It may not sound like a grind.
Guess what?
It is.
‘Our competitive season takes place over a number of weeks in May and June, but everyone involved knows that operating a successful organization is truly a year-round commitment,’ Forward said. ‘Planning, budgeting, recruiting players, developing business partnerships, organizing operations and preparing for the next season never really stops. It has been a labour of love, but one that requires far more time than many people realize.’
The small basketball community the Maritimes boasts was how it all started for Forward.
League founder Brad Janes of Fredericton knew Forward through basketball and reached out to him in 2021 with the idea of forming the MWBA.
The idea clicked.
‘As I reflect on the past five years, I do so with an overwhelming sense of pride,’ Forward said. ‘Having the opportunity to help establish thew the MWBA and watch it grow into a league that provides meaningful opportunities for women to continue competing at a high level after university has been an honour. To have played a part in helping build something that did not previously exist, I will always value.’
Janes, who is now the MWBA’s executive director, will certainly miss candid conversations with Forward.
‘Mark and I certainly go back a long way and I always found his sense of humour combined with passion about the game and expectations and commitment to the MWBA was refreshing,’ Janes said. ‘Mark could voice his concerns or issues, but he didn’t put his pen down when he brought things into play. He was always one of those people who tried to solve problems if something was on his mind. We struggled in many facets of building something special like the MWBA, but Mark always had the league’s back. He was vocal and people listened. That will be missed in league operations.’
Forward is taking some summer time off and will re-charge the batters for an ACAA season that is creeping up for his Mystics.
Time at the cottage, some travel and more reflection.
That’s guaranteed.
‘I have the privilege of re-connecting with former players, coaching against friends and colleagues I’ve respected for years and meeting countless outstanding people who share a passion for women’s basketball,’ he said. ‘Those relationships have been one of the greatest rewards of this MWBA journey.’
The Hornets have yet to name a replace, but Forward will be a key figure in ensuring the keys to the organization are turned over to continue the program.
– Mark Forward was an instrumental force behind the success of the MWBA. (DW Photo)
