2014 Builder Nominees For Chatham Sports Hall of Fame

The Chatham Sports Hall of Fame recently announced their 2014 nominees for the Induction Ceremony which will take place this coming September. Below are the nominees for the builder category. The winning selection will be announced before July 11.

The nominees:

Ron Coristine – For 36 years (1964-2000) Ron was involved locally as a coach, official, and administrator, all with excellent results. His contributions to athletics in Chatham were wide spread and involved 5 different sports. In the late 1960’s he co-founded the initial Chatham Legion Track Club and initiated the CK Relays. He coached track and field at CKSS for 14 years and took the school’s first track athlete to OFSAA. Ron was the CMBA supervisor in 1973, the year that the Kinsmen Pee Wees won the national championship. He was an OBA registered umpire from 1975 to 1971. He co-coached football at CKSS for 5 years when the team won 3 Kent championships including the school’s first senior championship in 1970. That team also won SWOSSAA. He coached 10 senior boys basketball teams at CKSS including the OFSAA Championship in 1977, the school’s first such title. He helped raise the profile of basketball in the city to an all time high in the 1970’s. Ron helped in hosting OFSAA in 1977 and again in1982. He also ran feeder school tournaments to increase the profile of local basketball. Ron was involved in local hockey from 1965 to 2000. He coached high school hockey, houseleague, travel teams, and the Junior Maroons. For a time he was co-owner of the Junior Maroons and later was GM of the Bothwell Bullets. In the 1970’s, he developed the “Fundamental and Practice Manual” for CMHA. For 10 years he served on the Board of Directors for the Junior Maroons as the “Supervisor of Education” which entailed working with the players, their families, and their schools to help ensure academic progress. Throughout his high school career, Ron was involved in KCSSAA serving in several different capacities.

Ed Coyne – Ed was involved in many athletic activities over the years. For 31 years (1951-1982) he coached and umpired for Chatham Minor Baseball. In the 1980’s he coached Pee Wee hockey for 2 years and then referred every Monday night for 14 years. Ed was devoted to badminton beginning his playing in 1946. In 1947 he bagan playing at the Chatham Armories and was appointed president for 25 consecutive years. He coached badminton at CCI from 1980 until it closed in 2003. His teams went to OFSAA for 13 consecutive years. He also coached at CKSS for 15 years from 1996 to 2010. He continues to coach at The Pines. For the last 15 years Ed arranges games and offers instruction at St. Paul’s Congregational Church every Monday night. Ed served on the executive of the Chatham Shuffleboard Club from 1998 to the present day. In the 1990’s he was Tournament Director for the Chatham Lawn Bowling Club and served as President for 2 years.

Jim Maynard – Jim Maynard’s first love was hockey, but in 1976 his daughter started bowling in a youth league and Jim became involved. Thirty-five years later, he is still at it. He started out as scorekeeper, became a coach, a supervisor, and for the last 25 years he has been program director. With help from other volunteers, he runs the league and tournaments, orders trophies and crests, raises money, and makes sure that the results are published in the paper. Number wise, the program peaked in the late 1990’s with over 300 kids, making it the 2nd largest 5 pin program in Ontario. He has coached countless teams to Provincial finals over the years and has taken 5 teams to the Canadian National Finals. Jim spends weekends at Bowlerama with the kids and a couple of other days a week doing the jobs necessary for the program to run successfully.

Art Provost – This native of Raleigh Township participated in hockey and baseball while growing up and then turned his attention to officiating and to administration of players and officials. In all, Art was involved in building sports in the Chatham area for over 30 years particularly in umpiring softball and baseball. In 1961 he formed Chatham and District Umpires Association and began to conduct clinics to interpret new rules and to teach new umpires the skills necessary to be effective. For 15 years, 1961-75, Art was Ontario Amateur Softball Association (OASA) umpire-in-chief and assignor of umpires for this area. He conducted umpire clinics throughout Southwestern Ontario for OASA Because of his longevity and his dedication, he received numerous honours for his work. In addition, he found time to volunteer for many causes, particularly with St. Ursulas Church and the Knights of Columbus.