By John DeCoste '77
As it marks its 30-year anniversary, the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame continues to fulfill its original mandate and purpose.
Established in 1988 in conjunction with the university's 150th anniversary celebrations, the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame was envisioned as a means of recognizing excellence and honoring those student-athletes and varsity teams which, through their successes, had made a significant contribution to Acadia's athletic program and, in doing so, enhanced the image and reputation of the university.
From the beginning, along with the athletes and teams, a Builder category was included to recognize those individuals whose contributions to Acadia were other than that of an athlete or team member.
Steve Pound, executive director of the Associated Alumni of Acadia University at the time, was responsible for the Sports Hall of Fame coming into being.
"I started the Hall," Pound says, "with the full support of then-Vice President (External Affairs) Bill Parker. It had been talked about for a few years, and I took it and ran with it as one of the projects for Acadia's 150th anniversary."
Pound did research into other Sports Halls of Fame then in existence, including the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in Halifax. He drafted the original by-laws and guidelines for induction, which, with some revision, are still in use today.
Pound also struck the first Sports Hall of Fame committee, which included (among others) Parker, Don Wells, Liz Vermeulen, Connie MacNeil, Dave Nutbrown and Laura Sanders. MacNeil served as MC for the first induction held during Homecoming weekend in October, 1988.
It was intended that the Sports Hall of Fame be jointly administered by the Associated Alumni (now under the Office of Advancement) and the athletic department, with both having representation on the committee.
Induction ceremonies have been held at regular intervals over the years. At one time, they were annual events. For the past several years, inductions have been held every second year, alternating with the Acadia Women in Sport celebration. The next Sports Hall of Fame induction is set for October, 2019.
"The magic of our program is that our student-athletes all understand that they're a part of something bigger, that's come before them. That's the storied history of Acadia Athletics. They get it. The Hall of Fame event is one of those special times we get to celebrate connecting the past with the present. We don't just talk about standing on the shoulders of those that came before us, it really is the foundation of our Acadia Athletics culture,"
To be considered for induction as an Athlete, a potential inductee must be an Acadia alumnus/alumnae (a graduate, or a student who attended Acadia for a minimum of two years and left in good standing), must have represented Acadia as a student-athlete, and must have competed, with distinction, at the highest level of intercollegiate athletic competition available at the time.
To be considered for induction in the Team category, a team must have represented Acadia as a team, and competed, with distinction, at the highest level of intercollegiate competition available at the time.
A potential Builder inductee must have made a significant contribution to Acadia Athletics other than that of a student-athlete or a member of a team.
Examples given in the by-laws for Builders include a promoter, fan, supporter or contributor. Varsity coaches are normally included in the Builder category unless they also excelled as Acadia athletes.
Normally, consideration for selection to the Sports Hall of Fame will be given after a period of 10 years following an individual's 'retirement' as a varsity athlete. Builders should have been 'retired' for a minimum of five years – though in both cases, exceptions can be made.
"I'm really pleased and proud that we did it when we did," Pound says of the Sports Hall of Fame.
"A big part of our pride in Acadia, both when we were in school and afterwards, was the successes of our varsity teams and student-athletes. The Hall was a way to recognize all our sports, and all our athletes, for the contributions they made to the life of the campus, town and surrounding community.
"For me," he says, "it was part of what made Acadia special. It touched all people, and all people touched it." The Hall of Fame concept, Pound says, "has worked at Acadia. We've touched a lot of people over the years."
As an example, Pound recalled the 2011 induction, at which time long-time Acadia Athletics supporters Connie MacNeil and Dr. Millard Cherry were both inducted as Builders. "That's what our Sports Hall of Fame is all about."
Anyone with an interest in Acadia Athletics can nominate an individual, team or builder for induction into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame.
Notices of the deadline for nominations, which is normally the end of February, appear annually in the Acadia Bulletin and also online on a number of Acadia's websites.
Nominators are encouraged to provide as much information as possible on the individual or team they are nominating. The selection committee has the final decision on inductees.
Up to and including the 2017 ceremony, there have been 84 athletes, 43 teams and 23 builders inducted into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame since its formation in 1988.
For more information on the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame, a full list of inductees, or to access a nomination form, visit the Sports Hall of Fame website at http://acadiahof.ca. Nomination Form - http://www.acadiaathletics.ca/nomination/index
Retired sports journalist John DeCoste '77 was inducted into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame, in the Builder category, in the fall of 2017.