The 16th induction ceremony for the Burlington Sports Hall of Fame was an evening to honour Burlington’s best, but it turned out to be so much more than that. The evening program, run by renowned emcee, sports personality, official, and businessman Steve Foxcroft, was held at the Burlington Golf and Country Club on May 28. It was an event filled with highlights, life lessons, insight, tears, and laughter. Foxcroft captured the family aspect of sports in Burlington, and that we are part of something bigger than ourselves.
Ward Russell, the Don Green Award of Merit Award winner, showed that age is just a number as he regaled the crowd with heartfelt passion for the students that he taught and coached at Central High School for more than 30 years, more than 30 years ago. Russell, aged 94, expressed his opinion that his greatest joy in his career was seeing what his players did with their lives after high school. Still sharp as a tack, Russell left a message that we all should aspire to do our best at whatever we choose to do in life. In a poignant moment, Foxcroft asked those in the crowd who had been coached by Russell to stand up. It was about twenty people, and a lot of them were over 70 years old themselves! The laughter that followed was tinged with tears for their beloved teacher and coach.
John Tait spoke of the giving back to the community that he has seen in his years of involvement in youth hockey. Tait was instrumental in the beginnings of rep hockey in Burlington, but he too spoke of impacting the community by teaching the youth the importance of sharing our time, energy, talents and passions. Tait spoke of a food drive that he and others started that wasn’t really a food drive, but rather a vehicle to teach the young players the importance of community. The original goal was for every team to donate the equivalent weight of their coach, and now the Gift of Giving Back is one of the biggest youth-led food drives in Canada.
Tait’s induction was followed by Mark Jooris. It was noted that Jooris is one of the hundreds of kids who benefited from John Tait’s efforts. Jooris grew up in the rep system in Burlington, played junior for the Burlington Cougars, a team he idolized as a youngster. After junior hockey, Jooris went to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and won a national championship, then played pro hockey for over a decade all over the world before ultimately returning home, where he is now giving back to the system he thrived in as coach and general manager of the Cougars. Jooris mentioned Tait and other volunteers who make minor hockey function, but he also mentioned with pride the career of his son Josh, who broke Tait’s own long-standing Cougar scoring record and is now playing professional hockey himself. He also thanked Ron Sedlbauer, the current owner of the Cougars, for giving him the chance to coach a team he hopes to be coaching for many years to come.
The next induction was posthumously given to Peter Moore. Foxcroft did Moore’s memory proud by sharing some insights on the man who refereed football and basketball at the highest levels for 40 years and was Halton’s first high school sports convenor before passing away in 2013. Foxcroft spoke of the sense of teamwork that “2-6” (Peter Moore’s nickname and jersey number) showed. There are many officials who got their start because of Peter’s influence and several guests in the crowd were among that list. Foxcroft brought out the importance of respect and discipline in officiating and noted that Moore had a disarming personality, which he used to stifle potential incidents with coaches and players.
Jim and Brady Reardon brought an even closer sense of family to the proceedings. Jim represented Canada at the 1972 Munich Olympics in Kayak (now called Canoe/Kayak) and his son Brady replicated that feat in 2008 in Beijing. Jim went on to coach, and coached Larry Cain at the Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, bringing home a gold and a silver medal. Jim spoke with pride of Brady showing great promise when he was 14 and when given a last-minute senior boat assignment, Brady impressed with his skill, power, and poise to handle himself well while also sending notice that he was a star on the rise. Brady brought the family aspect full circle when he brought his two daughters up on stage to share the moment.
Lisa Turbitt’s start toward becoming a trailblazer and world-class baseball umpire began when she was 11 years old, but after 40 years of umpiring at the highest levels, she brought a message that resonated throughout the crowd while highlighting her love of umpiring. When she was young, she loved baseball and to be involved in the game. To be paid to do so was a dream that kept on growing. Feeding off the stories shared with the football and basketball referees earlier in the evening, Turbitt spoke of respect for the game and respect for the rules that is central to sport. After 40 years of taking abuse from fans, coaches, and players, she is more determined than ever to help the next generation of officials grow, so that sport can flourish. She stated that without volunteers, like John Tait, there are no leagues, and without officials, there are no games. She got a rousing ovation, not by the other officials in the crowd, but by those in sport who recognized the wisdom of those words.
The BSHOF class of 2024 is another stellar example of the world-class volunteers, athletes, and coaches within the sporting environment in Burlington. This is the 16th induction evening; to see the biographies of the nominees, go to the Hall of Fame website (burlingtonsportshalloffame.ca) or drop by the Hall, located at 414 Locust Street.
Thinking of someone to nominate for the class of 2025? Check out the website. Burlington’s sporting community needs input from the community at large to bring recognition to Burlington’s finest athletes and builders.
