LSHOF celebrates class of 2020 during Friday banquet
By Lethbridge Herald on May 6, 2022.
SUBMITTED PHOTO BY JAMIN HELLER From left, Jolene Watson (Schweitzer), Greg Kveder of the 1983 Schwartz Angels, Eunice David ,Cliff Nelson, Howard Rasmussan and Mary Dyck were a part of the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame’s 2020 induction class.By Justin Seward
Lethbridge Herald
The wait was finally over on Friday night as the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame finally got to induct their class of 2020 during a banquet at the Enmax Centre.
The initial ceremony was cancelled due to COVID.
The 2020 inductees included Howard Rasmussen, Cliff Nelson, Eunice David, Mary Dyck ,the 1983 Schwartz Angels slo-pitch champions and Jolene Watson (Schweitzer).
Dyck was a University of Lethbridge volleyball player beginning in 1980.
It was shortly after her arrival that Dyck got involved in coaching after having to take a year off due to transfer regulations and took a position as an assistant coach — which ignited her passion through 40 years of coaching, organizing and mentoring.
It was after her time with the Pronghorns volleyball team, that she became the first coach of the U of L women’s soccer team and lasted for four seasons.
Her accolades included Canada West Coach of the Year in 1988 and also led the Trinity Western University women’s volleyball team to a conference championship in 1991.
She was a professor at the U of L and turned her attention to team competition where she spent decades coaching boys and girls soccer and volleyball and in the process guiding hundreds of young athletes.
“And then I was an instructor at the university,” she said.
“So that gave me a lot of other opportunity to work with students one-on-one and help them become leaders in their communities.”
Dyck is also a big advocate for inclusivity in sports and revived the Lethbridge Wheel Chair Basketball Association in 2013 and managed the Lethbridge competitive wheelchair basketball team to name a couple of organizations she was involved in.
“I’ve basically been involved in starting programs in the community where there’s a need,” said Dyck.
“I still run wheelchair basketball on Thursday nights and I’m the manager of the Canadian Deaf and Hard of Hearing volleyball. I just finished writing a book on Autism and Physical Literacy.”
“I mean you don’t do it for the recognition, but the recognition is nice,” she said, on being inducted.
“It’s always nice to be recognized by your peers and that you do work towards your community and you’re doing something bigger than yourself and you’re giving back.”
Eunice David contributed nearly 50 years to building the sport of figure skating in Lethbridge.
David, now almost 85-years-old, served in multiple volunteer roles including at Skate Canada’s international events.
She began at the Lethbridge Skating Club in the 1970s when her kids got involved.
“It was a great joy to see the kids progress and they remember you,” said David.
“They call me grandma and things like that. It’s just nice.”
From 1974 to 2011, David served multiple terms on the club’s board and also judged competitions for 36 years.
David founded the Chinook Open Skating Competition in 1992, which is still going and volunteered at the Canada Winter Game in 1975.
“It’s quite an honour,” she said, on being inducted.
David slowed down with volunteering after her husband Ken passed away in 2017.
The ceremony also recognized Kinsmen Sports Person of the Year for 2021 with the male winner being former Lethbridge Hurricane Dylan Cozens and former U of L rugby player Hailey Driscoll and former Lethbridge College soccer player Christine Moser shared the 2021 Female Sports Person of the Year and 2020 Male Sports Person of the Year Nico Pasquotti and Female Sports Person of the Year Evelyn Beaton were also recognized.
More information on inductees can be found at https://www.lethbridgesportshalloffame.ca.
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