There’s no ifs, ands or buts about it – I’m a bona fide sports nut.
Having played, coached, managed, officiated and been a fan of sports my entire life, I not only take pleasure in visiting arenas and stadiums of the various places I travel but also their respective sports hall of fames.
Be it tiny walls of fames or the rows of glass trophy cases proudly displayed in small town arenas and high school gymnasiums to grandiose venues such as the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto or the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.
I believe hall of fames and museums are important in collecting, preserving and exhibiting history and this sports nerd just can’t get enough.
I recently strolled by the Elite Athletes Wall located inside Genesis Place Recreation Centre and must give credit where credit is due to the City of Airdrie, which has done an admirable job celebrating a small group of athletes with photo plaques.
Since its launch in 2011, the Elite Athletes Wall has honoured Olympic luger Eric Pothier, national champion arm wrestler Darrell Belyk, gymnasts Janelle Desmarais-Moen and Corissa Boychuk, martial artist Emily Lambert and curler Keely Brown.
When visiting the Elite Athletes Wall, however, I couldn’t help but feel that something was amiss.
Don’t get me wrong, a fantastic foundation has been put in place by the City of Airdrie, but so much more could be done to celebrate our exceptional sport personalities and their world-class achievements.
Where are the artifacts and exhibits on display? Where are the prestigious trophies and medals? How about an interactive area to intrigue the next generation and to provide them an opportunity for a hands-on experience with historical artifacts?
For example, a touch-screen interactive where visitors to Genesis Place Recreation Centre can browse through photos, listen and watch videos and read all about the inspiring stories of each individual and team honoured.
How about housing Jimmy Brown’s BMX bike from the recently contested Pan American Games, Pothier’s sled used at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, the Western Canadian and provincial championship winning banners captured by the Airdrie Xtreme bantam hockey team, a pair of gloves and skates from hockey player Dana Tyrell (first Airdrie native to be drafted into the NHL), or a vast collection of memorabilia from the Airdrie-hosted 2014 Alberta Summer Games, etc., etc.?
The educational potential is endless for school groups and visitors to our city, not to mention it would be inspiring for our next generation of athletes and possibly provide them with something to strive for.
One of the stipulations for nominating an individual to the Elite Athletes Wall, according to the City of Airdrie’s Elite Athletes Recognition Policy, is that he/she must have “obtained an exceptional level of athletic achievement at a sanctioned national or international competition, or set national or international records, or achieved national or international titles while competing.”
I strongly disagree with this policy as there are a great number of Airdronians, specifically coaches and organizers, that never have, nor never will, step foot on the national or international stage but who have still made a huge and priceless impact on the youth of this city.
With a deep and rich athletic history of coaches and athletes that once called or still call Airdrie home, it’s not only time to give them the respect they deserve but an opportunity to inform the next up-and-coming generation that, yes, real sports heroes do come from their own backyard.
