2020 Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame inductees unveiled

· Jolene Watson (Schweitzer) for soccer (athlete category): Watson’s soccer skills and determination took her from Lethbridge to Oklahoma, where she established a record-breaking university career. She started playing in Lethbridge and led the 82 Chargers program to a combined seven indoor and outdoor provincial championships between 1996 and 2000. She made provincial teams and won a national U-17 gold medal in 1999. Leaving Lethbridge, she made her way to the Oklahoma State University for four seasons of NCAA Division 1 action. She graduated as the Big 12 Conference’s all-time leader in goals, points and shots, while setting numerous school records. Watson made the All-Big 12 first team in 2003 and second team in 2004, while earning conference academic honours in both years. She was named Big 12 Player of the Week four times and was named OSU Offensive Player of the Year in three of her four campaigns. After her time in the U.S., she returned home to play for the Lethbridge FC of the Alberta Major Soccer League.

· 1983 Schwartz Angels – Canadian slo-pitch champions (team category): The Lethbridge team became the best slo-pitch crew in the country during the summer of 1983. They won the Alberta senior men’s championship to qualify for the nationals in Kentville, Nova Scotia. Following a loss to Windsor (Ontario), the team beat Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Yukon to qualify for the playoffs, where they earned a rematch with the Ontario team. Ontario earned the first win. The Angels followed that loss with wins against Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan and B.C. to advance to the final against their Ontario rival. In the epic third battle between the teams, the Angels earned the 6-1 win. In a final battle between the clubs, the Lethbridge team won 8-5 to collect the Canadian championship.

· Eunice David – figure skating (builders category): Eunice David is known by many as the face of figure skating in Lethbridge, starting her time as a volunteer involved with the sport in the early 1970s, as she sewed costumes for the Lethbridge Skating Club when her children joined the organization. Within two years, David was named a member of the club’s board of directors. From 1974 through to 2011, she served in a variety of roles including president and treasurer. In 1983, she received her judging certification and judged multiple competitions across western Canada for 36 years. David eventually founded the Chinook Open Skating Championship in 1992 and chaired the event for over a decade. She volunteered at the 1975 Canada Winter Games as well as Skate Canada International events in 1990 and 2015 and has earned many volunteering awards from Skate Canada.

· Mary Dyck – soccer, volleyball and wheelchair basketball (builders category): Dyck transferred to the University if Lethbridge in 1980 as a university volleyball player, but had to sit out due to transfer regulations. She took on a spot as an assistant coach. After her time with the Pronghorns volleyball team, she became the first coach of the U of L women’s soccer program in 1986 and led the team for the next four seasons. She returned to British Columbia as head coach of the Trinity Western University women’s volleyball team, where she won a conference championship in 1991 and led the team to seventh place at nationals. On her return to southern Alberta, Dyck spent the next three decades coaching high school soccer and volleyball, club and provincial team levels. In 2013, she began the Lethbridge Wheelchair Basketball Association and has managed the Lethbridge Steamers wheelchair team. She planned and facilitated a women’s soccer symposium at the Women’s World Cup in Edmonton in 2015 and since then, she has managed Canada’s men’s and women’s deaf volleyball national teams.

· Cliff Nelson – multi-sport (builders category): Nelson has made an impact in hockey, curling, golf, slo-pitch, the Alberta Summer and Winter Games, the Hockey Hounds, the Lethbridge Oldtimers Sports Association and the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame. He created the Silver Streak old-timers hockey team and later became chair of the Lethbridge Oldtimers Hockey Tournament committee. Nelson has served as president of both the Lethbridge Oldtimers Sports Association and the Lethbridge Hockey Hounds. He was the construction committee head for the 2007 Scotties Tournament of Hearts and a volunteer for the 2012 Alberta Summer Games. He also served as a president of the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame.

· Howard Rasmussen – volleyball (builders category): Rasmussen’s coaching career started in Drumheller in 1972 when he took off the fall summer at university. He coached the local high school boys’ volleyball team to a provincial title. He had stops in Edmonton and a return to Drumheller before being appointed the head coach of the men’s volleyball team at the University of Lethbridge in 1983. He coached the ‘Horns for three seasons before moving to Hamilton Junior High School and then at Lethbridge Collegiate Institute. He coached the Rams from 1989 to 2000. With the team, he recruited football, basketball, baseball and track athletes to join the volleyball program. In 2000, Rasmussen moved to Japan to teach English and coach volleyball before returning to Lethbridge. He’s now retired and was honoured with an induction into the Alberta Volleyball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Mary Dyck spoke with Lethbridge News Now and said sport has made a huge impact on her life and has given her the opportunity to pass along her joy of physical activity to others.

“It’s [her induction] a recognition of 40 years of working for the community to make it better,” she said.

Jolene Watson, a highly decorated soccer star, said she’s very grateful for the induction and it’s given her an opportunity to look back at all the great moments she had on the field and all the connections she made with fellow players, coaches and trainers.

She said the soccer scene in Lethbridge has grown so much over the years and continues to evolve. She also had a message for aspiring athletes.

“I just hope that, especially for females, I can be an inspiration for those young girls to come up. They have so much to look forward to. We have such a great, strong soccer system here [in Lethbridge] and I hope that if they want something, they should go get it,” she remarked, adding sports can help people grow character.

“The camaraderie you build, and the friendships and the connections are pretty amazing.”

Watson added that playing sports can be very challenging, but perseverance and grit are important ingredients for success.

“You just keep on it, you keep trying and you believe in yourself and I think you can do what you want.”

This year, the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame is celebrating its 35^th anniversary.

Hall of Fame Chair Dave McMurray said they plan on installing a permanent Hall of Fame display at the ATB Centre in west Lethbridge. To see past inductees, visit www.lethbridgesportshalloffame.ca.

by Justin Goulet

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2020 Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame inductees unveiled

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