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Multi-Sport
Athlete: Hockey, Baseball, Fastball, Football, Basketball
Coach: Football, Track &
Field, Badminton
Executive Member &
President Wetaskiwin Minor Hockey Association
Board Member & Chairman
Wetaskiwin Recreation Board
Co-ordinator of Area, Zone
& Provincial High School Sports
Director, Colonels Hockey
Team
From 1948-2012
 All
his life Ross MacEachern has had a passion for sport. Born and raised
in Wetaskiwin, from an early age Ross participated and excelled in
community and school sports including hockey, ball, football, basketball
and curling. At University Ross played hockey and football for the
University of Alberta Golden Bears. He continued his participation in
sports into adulthood by playing Senior Hockey and ball. After
graduating in 1964 from the University of Alberta, Ross started his
thirty-two year lifework as a physical education teacher. As such he
shared his expertise and enthusiasm by coaching young people and
becoming involved in the administrative aspects of amateur sport, all in
his home community of Wetaskiwin. His accomplishments and longevity as
an athlete and builder are outstanding and worthy of acknowledgement.
Perennial
All Star Hockey
Team Member
Ross was an exceptional
hockey player and his playing career spanned forty-eight years
(1948-1996) from his time in minor hockey in Wetaskiwin, through Junior
Hockey with the University of Alberta Golden Bears, Senior Hockey with
the Innisfail Eagles and Wetaskiwin Colonels and Old Timer Hockey with
the Wetaskiwin Relics. During those years Ross was on five Provincial
Championship teams with the Red Deer Juveniles (1959) and the Wetaskiwin
Colonels (1969, 1970, 1972, 1974). Individually Ross won numerable
league and team scoring titles, received many MVP awards and was a
perennial All Star Team member. In 1971-72 season with the Colonels,
Ross scored 50 goals. In Old Timer Hockey with the Relics, Ross was a
high scoring centre. During the 70‘s and 80‘s the Relics were one of
Western Canada’s most elite teams, played fifty games per year including
numerous tournaments and won many gold, silver and bronze medals.
Won Ten
Competitive Ball
Championships - Retired at 62
Ross was also an avid ball
player and was involved in league play for twelve years from 1955-1967.
He started out playing baseball in Wetaskiwin as a Junior and then as a
Senior. He then switched to fastball and played with the Wetaskiwin
Sport Shop, Tire Town, Wales Hotel, Denham Motors as well as Edmonton
and Red Deer teams. During those years Ross’s teams won ten City and
County League Championships. Ross returned to ball in 1977 playing Slow
Pitch, sixteen years in Wetaskiwin and six more years in Camrose and
Arizona, finally retiring from competitive ball in 2002 at the age of
62.
As well as hockey and
ball, Ross was a skilled football player. He started out on Stan
Reynold’s Bench Warmers community team in 1954 and then played on the
undefeated Wetaskiwin High School Sabres Football teams in 1955, 1956
and 1957. In 1957, Ross was the League Scoring Champion, scoring 12
touchdowns as a receiver. Ross then played with the Red Deer High
School Raiders in 1958 and ended his football career after playing with
the University of Alberta Golden Bears in 1959.
Ross also played on school
basketball teams in junior high and senior high school, captaining the
Sabres in his grade twelve year. Additionally, Ross was involved in the
junior high and senior high curling leagues and served as President of
the Wetaskiwin High School Curling Club in grade twelve.
Helping Thousands in His Home Community
Ross started his teaching
career in Innisfail where he spent three years teaching physical
education and coaching high school football. In 1967 he moved back to
Wetaskiwin where he taught high school physical education and again
coached football. Ross was involved in coaching the Sabres football
team for almost 30 years, serving as head coach for fourteen years.
During his time coaching the Sabres football team, the team won ten
league championships. Ross also coached Track and Field for twenty-four
years, Badminton for twenty years and two years each in Volleyball,
Basketball, Gymnastics and Wrestling. These teams won numerous area and
zone Championships, many gold, silver and bronze medals and often
competed in Provincial Championships.
 Along
with coaching, Ross was active in the Central Alberta Schools Athletic
Association (CASAA) and the Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA).
In the CASAA, Ross was the School Zone Representative for over thirty
years, served as Secretary-Treasurer for two years and was the Zone
Commissioner for area and zone leagues and play-offs in Football, Golf,
Track & Field, Badminton and Wrestling. While serving on the ASAA Ross
was the Provincial Golf Commissioner from 1991-1995, he hosted three
Provincial High School Golf Tournaments and sat on Provincial Committees
in Football, Track & Field, Badminton and Golf. As well, Ross
officiated at area and zone Track and Field meets. In 1995 the CASAA
awarded Ross the Founders Award and in 1996 an Appreciation Award for
thirty plus years of service. The ASAA rewarded Ross with the Football
Rural Coach of the Year Award in 1965 and again in 1975 and the Golf
Appreciation Award in 1995.
Besides his involvement
with school sports, Ross was very committed to Wetaskiwin Community
Athletics. He served on the Wetaskiwin Recreation Board for twelve
years and was Board Chairman for five of those years. During his tenure
the Recreation Board achievements included the completion of ball
diamonds and ball diamond dugouts, the Football Field (1976), the
Curling Rink and Arts and Crafts Centre (1977), Drill Hall Renovation
(1978), Track and Field facilities, the Tennis Courts, the Library
(1981), the Swimming Pool (1981), the Joint Use Facilities Agreement
between Wetaskiwin City and School Board (1972) and the Regional
Agreement between Wetaskiwin City and County to form the Wetaskiwin
Regional Recreation Board (1977).
Founding Member of the Minor Hockey Association
Ross was a founding member
of the Wetaskiwin Minor Hockey Association (1967) and served as its
first President. The Association provided a complete executive to share
the duties and responsibilities and ease the workload of Pocock and
company. Ross acted as President for five years and as an executive
member for ten years. For four years he was Co-ordinator of Mites and
he also coached at the Mite and Pee Wee levels for six years.
Ross served as a Director
on the Wetaskiwin Colonels Hockey Team for seven years and became
occupied in the areas of fund raising, player personnel and community
relations. He also coached for five years in the Wetaskiwin Minor Ball
Association coaching boys and girls T-ball, Mite and Pee Wee. In 1977
he was an assistant coach when the Pee Wee Girls won a Provincial
Championship.
Thousands of Wetaskiwin
young people and adults have benefitted from the life-long coaching and
administrative contributions of Ross MacEachern. His achievements as an
athlete and his many years of dedication to our community as a teacher,
coach and organizer are recognized by his induction into the Wetaskiwin
and County Sports Hall of Fame.
Information
about an inductee is collected from published sources,
sports archives, scrapbooks,
anecdotal information from family, friends and fans, and the
athlete.
However, sometimes
the best stories and personal insights are gleaned at the induction dinner from
the introductory comments or acceptance speech of the
inductee or their representative.
Where possible we have included this type of information for
your enjoyment.
Read the
opening comments made by Kristi Paukstat when introducing
Ross MacEachern.
Read
Ross's
acceptance speech.
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