For biographical information and details on the sporting
achievements of the inductees please click a picture below
or the link to the "Full Story".
ATHLETE
Natalie
Reimer Anderson
Natalie started her
volleyball career in grade nine on the Queen Elizabeth Junior High
School team. As Natalie progressed through the high school and
university volleyball programs her love for the sport grew as did her
skill level. During her outstanding volleyball career Natalie won three
Provincial and two Canadian Championships. She was female athlete of
the year three times, was awarded All-Conference three times, tournament
All-Star at the Canadian level four times, All-Canadian twice and
Academic All-Canadian
four
times. Natalie finished her volleyball career by playing her sport
professionally.
Larry's passion for competitive sports and his skill level allowed him to play
both hockey and baseball. It was his hockey achievements,
including the Manley Memorial Trophy for the best all-round and most
co-operative Juvenile player as well as his claim to fame "hat trick in
twenty seconds", still a long-held competitive hockey record, tjat
made him a popular pick for teams across Alberta and the
European
Ice Hockey League where he chose to play in the 60's. His passion
for coaching and mentoring was a natural follow-up to his outstanding
playing career.
When Larry moved to
Wetaskiwin in 1970 to begin his teaching career, he was expected to
coach boys volleyball. Having no experience in the sport, Larry
attended a volleyball coaching clinic and launched his twenty-three year
coaching career which took him to elevenProvincial
Championships, three appearances at Nationals, a National Bronze Medal
and then eventually took him to Japan where he continued to have
success. Known as Coach "E" his methods were ahead of his time, he
established a winning mentality, and instilling in his players the value
of hard work, goal setting, a positive attitude, confidence, and belief
in their abilities.
Wetaskiwin
born Phyllis and Bob Cleland have been sports enthusiasts all of their
lives. Phyllis grew up in Westerose and Bob in Angus Ridge, both small
communities where sport was their source of entertainment. In their
youth Phyllis and Bob curled in the winter and played ball in the summer
in their respective communities. Both have been successful
competitors in their sports, but their most rewarding experiences came
from involving youngsters in sporting activities at the community level.
In 1991 the Wetaskiwin
Icemen Hockey Team was formed and their mission was to provide young
athletes between the ages of fifteen and twenty-one the opportunity to
develop their knowledge and skills in the game of hockey and to assist
young persons in the advancement of their educational and occupational
goals so as to produce well rounded, community oriented leaders of sound
character and integrity. This year marks the 25th Anniversary of
the Icemen Hockey Association, and in the twenty-five years of the
team’s existence over 400 players have had a chance to play Junior B
hockey in Wetaskiwin.
In the first year the team
ended the regular season with an impressive 31-5 win-loss record for a
solid second place finish in the league.
Larry
Ethier
