BUILDERS

The development of sport is an integral chapter in the history of this area. We recognize the outstanding contribution of individuals who demonstrate initiative, leadership and dedication through their involvement in sport as coaches, managers, writers, and  administrators.

These men and women build the infrastructure and establish the environment for our sports; they build fields and arenas, teams and leagues; they provide administrative support, guidance, and inspiration.

These builders of sport share a life-long love of sports along with a strong desire to share their attributes with other citizens.  They have unselfishly given their time, energy, and expertise to projects and programs that provide better sporting opportunities for the youth and budding starts of our communities.

The athlete / builder radiates a love and dedication to sport that encourages the people who play at sports and also those who support sports programs.  They have magnanimously been instrumental in providing better sporting opportunities for the people of their community and often beyond those borders to the national or international levels of organization and competition.

The category of Athlete/Builder serves to formally recognize individuals that would qualify under more than one category of sporting achievement.

Inductee 2011

Elwood "Woody” Johnson

in 1994-1995 that Woody and a few local parents whose children were playing hockey rejuvenated the Winfield Hockey Program. They drafted a new set of bylaws and established more formal protocols and procedures.  The “Mighty Ducks” were born and many great things were about to happen to the small town of Winfield.  Besides coaching, Woody contributes by volunteering in the administration of the sport and is a driving force in major fundraising ventures for local hockey programs and facilities.  During his time as principal at the Winfield Elementary School, he always hosted a Track and Field Day.

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Inductees 2010

Jim Pelehos

Jim moved to Wetaskiwin in 1982 and at the time of his induction was 89 years of age and still going strong.  An extraordinary fundraiser and a driving force in establishing many successful projects, including the Hall of Fame.  Before living in Wetaskiwin Jim was involved with the Saskatoon Elk’s Hockey Club, the Humboldt Indians Junior Hockey Club, the New Westminster Royals Hockey Club, the Vancouver Minor Lacrosse Association, the New Westminster O’Keefe Lacrosse Club, the Edmonton Oil Kings Hockey Club and the Edmonton Oilers Hockey Team.

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Bruce Rogers

Bruce spent countless hours as a coach and organizer in the minor sports of hockey and fastball.  Significantly, twenty-three of the young men that Bruce coached in minor hockey went on to play at a higher level, either junior, college or in the NHL.  Many men can attest to the positive influence that Bruce had on them as teenagers when Bruce was their coach in either hockey or fastball during the 1970’s and 1980’s.   That is a fine legacy and only one of the reasons he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. 

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Brian Brown

Brian Brown's contribution to sports, particularly fastball and hockey can be highlighted by several notable awards - Winner of Winter Olympic Coach Award, Alberta Amateur Softball Associations Award of Merit, Honorary Ironman Award.  Add his accolades as coach of several Gold Medal Championship teams and the recognition from his peers for  being chauffer, grounds keeper, co-coordinator, referee, umpire, organizer and the ultimate fan and you get but a brief description of a man dedicated to helping build sporting programs in this community.

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Inductee 2009

Len Roberts

Wetaskiwin's first swimming pool, a new arena, the formation of the North Central Alberta Intermediate Hockey League are just the beginning of the list of Len Roberts achievements.   He was instrumental in administration and coaching summer and winter minor sports.  He is fondly remembered for spending Saturdays with many teams.  Other coaches who had to work and could not be there could count on Len to fill in for them.  Len was a great promoter of sport for young people and provided leadership at several levels of sport in Wetaskiwin.  

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Inductee 2008

George Stewart

George started coaching softball at Falun in 1970 and continued to do so for the next twenty five years.  Often the teams he coached had no league to play in.  Even so these teams from a small community were Provincial Champions, garnered seven Provincial titles and eleven runner-up awards.

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Inductee 2007

 Ralph William Pocock

In 1947 Ralph Pocock became the driving force behind the formation of the Boys' Minor Hockey Association in Wetaskiwin and District and the system organized in those three years continues to this day.   Ralph’s life during those years was consumed with hockey and during that three year period participation in Wetaskiwin hockey almost quadrupled.

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Inductees 2006

 
Alistair "Al" Arner

Al received eleven recognition awards in his lifetime for his dedication to the community.  He coached teams in Wetaskiwin over three decades and is remembered by many for his "Lieutenant Arner Coaching Approach". 

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 Norman E. Brown

Notable among Norm's many contribution to the sporting community is the introduction of T-Ball to Wetaskiwin and his coaching stint with the Sabres Football Team.  In  six years, the Sabres posted 46 wins, 0 losses, 3 ties, and five  consecutive league championships. Norm had never played football but achieved this record which, for a number of years, was a North American record.

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 Clayton Monaghan

Clayton started with an idea ... on a school field full of dandelions and it grew from one team to over ten, involving over 200 athletes. to become one of the best fastball programs in Alberta producing thirty-nine Provincial Championship teams in a twenty year period.

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Rodney Schneck, another 2006 inductee who quarterbacked the Sabres’ football team for Norm Brown and played baseball for Al Arner, said of these sport builders:

  "They were my coaches, mentors and friends...the price for success is commitment. They loved to compete and win … to them you didn’t play to destroy your opponent... they coached with a imagination...had a keen sense of balance with sports and life.”