Woodstock sports wall seeks nominations

Now is the time to suggest people for Woodstock sports induction

By Mark Schadenberg

Woodstock has a storied sports history. True. However, have any of those sports accomplishments been forgotten?

The Woodstock Sports Wall of Fame, which is part of the mandate of the Woodstock Recreation Advisory Committee (WRAC), is always looking to fill some gaps.

Nominations are open to the public at any time, but with the annual ceremony set for Oct 27, the WRAC plans to sort through the current nomination in May, so there is an end of April deadline to submit suggestions. It can be added that previous nominations do remain on file, so your candidate could be recognized this year or in the future.

The obvious accomplishments of yesteryear have been recognized -- Major League Baseball star Tip O'Neill, the remarkable Woodstock Grads football squad of 1931, the golf trophies won by Effie Nesbitt, baseball player Hazel Baynton, the noteworthy horse trainer Erastus Burgess who won the prestigious Queen's Plate, and of course 'Klondike Joe' Boyle both as a manager of boxers and a Yukon hockey team that competed for the Stanley Cup.

Many of the more recent athletes who have left an indelible mark on the local sports scene have been honoured -- Brian Paton, Catherine Bond-Mills, Penny Parkes, Bob MacKinnon, Ray Tilley, Drew Symons, Martin Smith, and June Bell

Teams from a long time ago, and teams from not so long ago have been recognized for provincial titles and other accomplishments.

Maybe the most important category -- for creating the fabric of local sports -- is the builders and founders (and coaches) -- Walter Kirchner, Walter Polzin, Wendy Wendling, Marnie Tatham, David Bond, Jan Post, Don Izzard, Sam Keeping, George Bacik, Jack Lawson, Phyllis Thomson, and the original inductee Stub Harper.

If you know of someone or a team which belongs on the sports wall, you can find the official nomination form on the city's website (Deadline on city.woodstock.on.ca is noted as April 1, but our committee does take nominations to end of April) or pick one up at the Community Services office at the community complex, or at the Southside pool. However, a letter resume, accompanied by a photo of the nominee, will be accepted as well.

The sports wall began in 1996 at the complex's opening ceremony and continues to honour so many accomplishments.

"The sports wall is more than just a bunch of old photos on a wall." says long-time WRAC member Dan Gray. "The wall is all about pride. It's the best kind of history you can have. The wall shows years and years of hard work and dedication that it takes to be the best in the field that they represent.

"The wall also represents the talent there is in this city not just in sports but in so many other aspects. Many times over it is shown that people who stride for greatness in sports do so in life, which truly makes our community a better place to live."

Mayor Sobeski is already on wall

A few good examples of this idea include Marie Bowerman, Bill Carrothers, Dr Peter Fowler, Dr Weston Krupp, and dare we add Pat Sobeski of the 1968-69 Navy Vets Ontario Junior C champions hockey club.

Only a few years ago, WRAC added a new category to the wall of fame: lifetime achievement. With this in mind, it is possible, to nominate someone who has already been inducted as an athlete or builder of sport for this different distinction. As an example, Bill Gillespie, who is a masters world champion in basketball, has been honoured both as an athlete and for lifetime achievement.

For all honourees, another important criteria is that the committee expects a person’s most significant accomplishment to have been a minimum of five years previous, and that the person is either from Woodstock or at least represented the city during their competitions. Two good examples of the residency guideline are gymnast Ashley Geris (Hominick) and curler Verne Kean. 

After receiving nominations, the WRAC does spend time at the library and its microfilm to look back at old editions of The Sentinel-Review to verify / clarify the resumes.

The annual induction ceremony is always free to the public and attracts a large crowd to the Goff Hall at the community complex.

Gray notes the induction always represents a reunion for teams or a gathering of friends for the athletes.

"From my position as a WRAC member, I have had the privilege of being at probably the last 10 wall ceremonies. The smiles on the faces of the families that come to see their sons and daughters, moms and dads, or even grandparents receive their honour of being added to the wall is contagious -- no it is down right infectious.

"You can't help but smile and be proud of every single person that is on the wall," Gray says.

Looking ahead, the committee is planning to honour a building somehow in 2014 as next year marks 100 years since the opening of the Perry Street Arena.

If you're looking for more information on the sports wall process, you can contact Peter Johnston at the Southside Aquatic Centre at (519) 421-7665, or WRAC vice chair Dan Gray at 539-2254, or WRAC chair Mark Schadenberg at 537-1553.