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Manitoba Tennis Hall
of Fame
The
inaugural Manitoba Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony
took place in conjunction with the 2006 Tennis Manitoba
Awards Banquet. Tennis Manitoba continues with the Hall
of Fame induction process during the 2008 Tennis Manitoba
Awards Banquet.
Tennis Manitoba Awards
Banquet
Hall of
Fame: Builders
Tennis
Manitoba would like to recognize those people that have
provided exceptional contributions that have furthered
the growth, reputation and character of the sport, in
categories such as administration, media, coaching and
officiating.
Hall of
Fame: Players
Tennis
Manitoba would like to recognize those people with a
distinguished record of competitive achievement at the
Provincial level, with consideration given to integrity,
sportsmanship and character.
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Lloyd Borland
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Hall of Fame: Builder
Inducted: 2008 |
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Lloyd was born on a farm
near Crandal, Manitoba on July 8th, 1906.
There was not a tennis court within 250
miles! After attending local schools, he
moved on to Wesley College (the current
University of Winnipeg) and attended the
Arts program. He was elected Senior Stick in
1926/27. After receiving his Bachelor of
Arts Degree, he attended Normal School for
his teacher’s training.
Lloyd’s first teaching assignment was Birtle
High School in the western part of Manitoba.
Shortly thereafter, he took a teaching
assignment in Minnedosa, Manitoba. There,
two good things happened: 1) he met a local
girl named Olga McAdam who later became Olga
Borland, and 2) he was introduced to tennis.
He was fascinated by this game played on two
rough grass courts just off Main Street in
downtown Minnedosa.
Not long after, Lloyd and Olga were married
and moved to Winnipeg, where Lloyd began
teaching at Kelvin High School, where he
taught for 37 years. Judy was born in 1942
and Rick in 1945.
The family joined the Wildewood Club in Fort
Garry, and became heavily involved in
tennis. Lloyd quickly became Mr. Tennis at
the Wildewood Club. Since tennis was not a
thriving sport in Winnipeg during the 1940s
and 1950s, it was a bit of a lonely job. He
was responsible for preparing the courts for
play in the spring, maintenance and
operation during the summer, and preparing
the courts for winter, all this done on a
volunteer basis. The spring work involved –
removing the layer of silt left behind by
the flooding Red River (heavy work), putting
down the iron water pipes, preparing the red
shale courts, putting down the tapes, and
putting up the nets. The summer work
involved – hiring a groundsman, maintaining
the courts, running leagues and tournaments,
etc. The fall work involved – taking down
the nets, taking up the tapes, taking up the
iron water pipes. After many years of
undertaking the difficult task of taking up
the water pipes to prevent them from
splitting in the freezing weather, Lloyd
invented a method of “blowing out” the pipes
to make this task redundant. All of these
tasks were undertaken with the grudging
assistance of family members!
The tennis courts at Wildewood consisted of
4 “front courts” and 2 “back courts” located
where the present day curling rink and
swimming pool sit. Lloyd was instrumental in
getting the 2 “back courts” designated as
“junior courts,” where junior members had
priority and could play at all hours of the
day, and all days of the week.
Lloyd was never much more than a “club
player,” but he was intensely interested in
the game, and in particular the development
of junior players. He read extensively about
the game and how to teach it. The house on
Jessie Avenue was always full of “World
Tennis” magazines.
Being a school teacher, Lloyd had summers
available to spend at the Wildewood Club. In
addition to being Mr. Tennis, he was
President of the Club in 1949 when the Club
was destroyed by a devastating fire. That
was a very busy year!
Lloyd took an intense interest in the
development of young tennis players. If any
young kids from the Fort Garry community
happened to drop in at the Club, Lloyd would
show up the next day at their parent’s door,
asking if their child could be allowed to
play tennis at the Club. He would provide a
junior racquet free of charge until such
time as the youngster made the decision to
stick with the game.
He was available from dawn till dusk to
provide lessons at no cost. He was a self
taught tennis pro, learning it all from
books.
Lloyd started the Manitoba Junior Tennis
Tournament and put the arm on many former
tennis champs and companies to donate to the
cost of trophies. The winner of every event,
got to keep the trophy for the year, and
also received a pair of itchy white wool
tennis socks. The runner up just got the
itchy white socks. These socks were a very
sought after item.
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Lloyd Presenting to Geoff Dyer |
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After a number of years of real “grass
roots” development, Lloyd began to develop a
number of very competitive junior players on
the national scene. Trips to Ottawa in
August, with a group of juniors to compete
in the Canadian Junior Championships at the
Rideau Tennis Club, became a fixture of the
local tennis scene. Over a short period of
time, Lloyd developed a number of juniors
who won Canadian Tennis Championships – Judy
Borland, Maria Stubbs, Nancy O’Brien,
Eleanor O’Gorman, and Rick Borland. Not bad
for a “club player” who learned the game
from a book! It was also a very impressive
feat since these juniors were competing
against players from cities like Vancouver,
Toronto, and Montreal where indoor courts
allowed them to compete and train all year
long. A number of his other young protégés
like Geoff Dyer and Isabel O’Gorman became
multi-time Provincial Champions. Another one
of his young students during this time was a
cute little blond named Heather Holmes,
later to become Heather Borland. Rick
remains very thankful to this day for
Lloyd’s interest in the development of this
aspiring young tennis player.
During this period Lloyd also took on the
roll of President of the Manitoba Lawn
Tennis Association. In later years he headed
up a number of Sub Committees for the MLTA.
In 1962, the red shale courts at the
Wildewood Club gave way to a curling rink.
As a result, Lloyd’s “tennis factory” went
out of business. Tennis was non-existent at
the Wildewood Club for 10 years until the
Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club moved from its
Roslyn road site in 1972, and reintroduced a
very successful tennis operation into Fort
Garry.
Tennis was not Lloyd’s only passion. He was
an avid curler at the Granite Club. Not only
did he himself curl competitively, he ran
the junior program there (and at Kelvin High
School) for many years. He was president of
the Granite Curling Club, the year that Don
Duguid and his team from the Granite won the
Briar and the World Curling Championships.
In addition, for several decades Lloyd was
the coach of the Primary Boys shuttle team
at Kelvin High School, as well as being
involved in many other school related
activities.
Lloyd remained a very loyal supporter of
tennis in Manitoba for many years. In 1985,
Lloyd entered the Meadowood Personal Care
Facility as a result of Parkinson’s Disease.
He passed away on November 18th 1995, and
will be forever missed by his family and the
many young people whose lives he touched in
a very positive way.
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Packing up for Canadian Junior Championships in Ottawa |
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Posted: November 26, 2008
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Judy Peake
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Hall of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2008 |
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Judy was born to Olga and
Lloyd Borland on January 1, 1942. Naturally,
she was slated to be a tennis player, and
swears to this day that her first
recollection upon leaving the hospital was
seeing a can of Dunlop tennis balls and a
Junior “Bluebird” tennis racquet in her baby
crib. Early life, and the elementary
school years, were taken up with piano
lessons, school, reading as many books as
she could get her hands on - and last, but
definitely not least, tennis in the
summertime on the courts at the old
Wildewood Club. For a while she excelled at
the piano, winning several Manitoba Music
Festival classes – but as sports became more
important and more fun, practising the piano
became more of a chore than a pleasure. She
consequently learned to sight read very
well, winning three sight reading
competitions in a row. However, her music
teacher finally laid down the law – piano or
sports – and so the tennis career began.
By the age of ten, due to the coaching of
her father Lloyd, Judy was beginning to show
championship calibre and was often invited
to play with the older generation on the
“seniors only” courts – quite an honour!
As she wended her way through the junior
ranks, at various times Judy collected every
title that was available to her in the
Manitoba Junior Open, the City & District,
and the Clear Lake tournaments – in all
three events. Before she was out of the
juniors she was also collecting titles in
the senior events of these championships.
Her first trip to the Canadian Junior
Championships in Ottawa was a great success
– she won the Canadian Closed Thirteen &
Under Girls’ Singles championship and was
runner-up in the Fifteen & Under division.
Two years later she won the Canadian Fifteen
& Under Girls’ Singles and was runner-up in
the Eighteen & Under division. Two years
after that she was again runner up in the
Eighteen & Under championship, losing to
Vicki Berner of Vancouver who later was to
become a player on the Virginia Slims
circuit. She also acquired two ladies’
doubles trophies in the Canadian Junior Open
Championships, on both occasions partnering
with Pam Dewis of Halifax.
A highlight of her junior years was being
chosen in 1959 by Tennis Canada to play in
the United States Junior Tennis
Championships in Philadelphia – there she
met and hobnobbed with Billie Jean King, but
thankfully didn’t have to play against her.
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Judy Peake (right) with
brother Rick Borland |
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Tennis was not Judy’s only sport. During
her early years she also played badminton at
the Wildewood Club – winning the Canadian
Junior Ladies’ Doubles Championship twice
with Ann Murray and once with Maria Stubbs.
In junior high school, she was captain of
the girls’ softball team, and also won the
Citizenship award for sports and scholarship
in grade nine. In high school she was
captain of the girl’s volleyball team and a
member of the basketball team.
After grade 11 at Kelvin, she enrolled at
United College (then an affiliate of the
University of Manitoba) in the Bachelor of
Arts program. During the four years at
United she was twice named University of
Manitoba Female Athlete of the Year.
After earning her Arts degree, she worked
for several years in the reference
department of the old Winnipeg Public
Library on William Avenue. She then ventured
out to the University of British Columbia
and acquired her Master of Librarianship
degree. Upon arriving home she returned to
the Public Library as head of the West End
Branch, the bookmobiles, and elementary
school libraries.
In 1967 Judy was a member of the Manitoba
badminton team sent to the First Canada
Winter Games in Quebec City. She and Connie
Blamey lost a close match for the bronze
medal in ladies doubles – but enjoyed
themselves thoroughly. Later that year she
married Ron Peake, a golfer and tennis
player at the Winnipeg Canoe Club. In due
time they produced two strapping boys, Bryan
and Riley, who themselves have excelled in
both badminton and tennis. Since then Ron
and Judy have acquired a wonderful
daughter-in-law, Aimee Noyes, and a
beautiful little granddaughter, Rosa Peake.
In 1969, Judy outdid herself, winning
Manitoba Open Tennis and Manitoba Open
Badminton Championships in all three events
- ladies’ singles, ladies’ doubles and mixed
doubles. She also won the silver medal in
tennis ladies’ doubles at the first Canada
Summer Games in Halifax, partnered with
Eleanor O’Gorman. She was named Manitoba’s
Female Athlete of the Year in 1970,
nominated by both the tennis and badminton
organizations.
In 1970 Ron and Judy entered into their
own business – Dominion Antique & Auction
Sales. This, and her young family,
drastically cut into her leisure time, but
nevertheless over the next twenty or so
years she did acquire many more Manitoba
tennis and badminton titles. She and her
family played their sports at the Winnipeg
Canoe Club, and its demise a few years ago
made a huge difference in their daily
activities. Since then, Ron and Judy have
not played much tennis in Winnipeg, but do
continue to play in Florida where they have
vacationed for two months each winter over
the last fifteen years. As she says “we
mainly just hit the ball around”.
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Connie Blamey and Judy Peake |
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Judy and Ron Peake |
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Posted: November 22, 2008
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Rick Borland
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Hall of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2008 |
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Rick
was born in Winnipeg on July 12, 1945. Since
his dad Lloyd and mother Olga were very
involved at the Wildewood Club, he was
playing tennis and badminton as soon as he
could hold the racquet. He continued with
badminton until the age of 13, when finding
winters too busy, he dropped out of
badminton to continue with hockey and
curling. Two years later, hockey was dropped
in favour of curling, which became his
winter sport. At the age of 16, Rick skipped
his high school curling team undefeated into
the finals of the Provincial High School
Championship, only to miss out representing
the Province at the National championships,
by a last shot loss. Seven years later, he
led his team from the Granite Curling Club
into the semi-finals of the Provincial
Consol’s Curling Playdowns.
Despite his interest in other sports such as
badminton, hockey, curling, and football (in
1962 he was a Winnipeg High School All Star
from Kelvin High School, at the guard
position), tennis was to be Rick’s primary
sport throughout his school and university
years. By the time he was 10, Rick was
winning the Provincial 13 and under
championship. At the age of 11, Rick won his
first 18 and under title, taking the Junior
18 and under Boys Singles Championship at
the Clear Lake Tournament. By the time Rick
was 13, he was winning or making the finals
of the singles, doubles and mixed events in
most age categories at the Manitoba Junior
Championships.
In his final year in the 13 and under
category, Rick made the finals of the
Canadian Closed Tennis Championships. Two
years later, he was successful in taking the
15 and under Canadian Tennis Championship at
the Rideau Lawn Tennis Club in Ottawa. He
also reached the finals of the 15 and under
doubles in the open event, playing with
partner Tim Walker, also of the Wildewood
Club. That same year Rod Laver took the 18
and under singles Championship in the “Open”
tournament! That summer, Rick was chosen by
Tennis Canada to travel to Lake Placid with
the Canadian Junior Team to compete against
the United States team. He was also sent to
Kalamazoo to compete in the U.S. Junior
Championships.
At the age of 17, Rick was funded by Tennis
Manitoba to compete in the Pacific
North-West Circuit with tournaments in
Victoria, Vancouver, Portland, Tacoma, and
Seattle. Rick was unable to reach the finals
of the National Championships in either of
his final two years in 18 and under, because
of the emergence of several players from the
Victoria/Vancouver area who were superior to
all players from anywhere else in Canada.
Throughout his junior career, Rick was
successful in winning a significant number
of singles, doubles, and mixed titles in the
Winnipeg and Clear Lake tournaments.
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Rick Borland |
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In 1964 Rick won the first of his 4 Manitoba
Open Singles Championships. The others
occurred in 1966, 1969, and 1971. During
this period, he also won a number of “City
and District” singles titles as well as many
doubles championships with partners Geoff
Dyer and Gerry Parkinson, and mixed doubles
titles with his sister Judy Peake, and wife
Heather Borland.
In 1969, Rick represented Manitoba at the
first ever Canada Summer Games held in
Halifax. He played singles and finished 4th
behind only the powerhouse Provinces of
Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia. Four
years later, he again represented Manitoba
at the Summer Games held in Burnaby, British
Columbia. He played doubles with Geoff Dyer
and again finished fourth. In 1970, Rick and
Geoff Dyer played doubles together in the
Canadian Championships in Toronto, and lost
a tough hard fought match in three sets to
the team representing Canada in the Davis
Cup.
In 1973 and 1974, Winnipeg hosted the
Canadian Tennis Championships at the
Winnipeg Canoe Club. On both occasions, Rick
acted as the Drawmaster for the tournaments,
which were Chaired by his friends Eleanor
O’Gorman in 1973 and Gerry Parkinson in
1974.
Rick attended the University of Manitoba to
receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil
Engineering in 1967. In the fall of 1969,
Rick and Heather moved to Waterloo Ontario
where Rick attended the University of
Waterloo to earn a Master’s Degree of
Engineering in Transportation Planning. They
returned to Winnipeg in December 1970, where
Rick had a Transportation Engineering job
with the Metropolitan Corporation of Greater
Winnipeg. In 1972, Rick was appointed
Transportation Planning Engineer for the new
unified City of Winnipeg. In 1980, Rick was
appointed Director of Transit for the City,
a job he held for 24 years until his
retirement in 2004.
Rick was President of the Winnipeg Lawn
Tennis Club in 1972 overseeing the move from
the Roslyn Road site to the Wildewood Club.
He was President again for two more years in
1974 and 1975. In 1988 Rick was the
Commodore of the Winnipeg Canoe Club.
Because of the demands of his work and his
growing family (Jonathan and Trevor), Rick
did not play much tennis for many years
after 1975, but instead took up squash as a
new challenge. In 1978, Rick won the A event
at the Manitoba Open Squash Championships.
In subsequent years, he won a number of
Manitoba Championships in the Veterans
category. In 1996, Rick played in his first
Canadian Squash Championships, winning the
45+ age category. Since then, to date he has
successfully won a total of 10 Canadian
Senior Squash Championships in the 45+, 50+,
55+, and 60+ categories. He has also played
a key role in Manitoba winning 4 Western
Canadian Senior Team Squash Championships.
In recent years, Rick has returned to
playing a bit of tennis, primarily “to get
outside on nice days.” Although he plays
mainly doubles, he has entered a few
tournaments, winning the 40+ singles event
at the 2006 Manitoba Open Tennis
Championships. One of Rick’s most gratifying
wins since returning to the tennis scene was
winning the Men’s Doubles in the Club
Championships with his youngest son Trevor.
In doing so, Rick set a Club record for the
greatest number of years between wins! In
2005, Jonathan brought Lisa Fontaine into
the Borland family. Together, they have
produced the next generation of tennis
playing Borlands. Rick is looking forward to
his 2 1/2 year old grandson Owen being 8
years older so they can enter the 80+
doubles event as a team at the Manitoba
Open!
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Rick Borland and sister
Judy Peake |
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Rick and Heather Borland |
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Posted: November 18, 2008
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Gerry Labies
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Hall
of Fame: Builder
Inducted: 2006 |
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Gerry Labies was born in Friedeberg,
Germany on January 26, 1927. In 1949 he met
his future wife Traudel. In 1953 he came to
Manitoba leaving her behind. After a year of
separation Traudel decided to join Gerry and
start a new life with him. They married in 1954.
Five years later their daughter Helen was born
making their family complete.
Gerry pursued a career teaching History and
quickly became a favourite amongst the students
at Vincent Massey Collegiate.
In 1949, while landscaping, Gerry started to
watch a tennis court being built. This intrigued
him and as the court began to develop so did
his curiosity. Once the court was complete he
began to watch the players and decided that
maybe he would like a have a try at this interesting
sport. This was to be the catalyst for an amazing
journey into the world of tennis. Although he
didn’t really get serious about the game until
he came to Canada.
In every aspect of his life Gerry was a perfectionist.
If something was worth doing it was worth doing
right. His love for the game of tennis grew
quickly and he soon became competitive. His
love of gardening and his love for tennis were
soon combined when he agreed to take on the
job of groundskeeper for the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis
Club on Rosyln Road. Gerry soon found the right
combination of salt and water to make the clay
courts perfect.
With his intelligence and skills on the court
the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club trophy case was
soon filling up with Gerry’s name. Being the
accomplished teacher that he was he began to
teach tennis in 1964 in night school. Many of
his students went on to have rewarding tennis
accomplishments themselves.
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Gerry (far left) helps set
up a net at Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club’s former
home on Roslyn Road. |
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In typical Gerry fashion his
love of the game only grew. He decided that
it was time to learn officiating. In 1986 he
received his Level III Tennis Canada Officials
Certification. From there he began to officiate.
He became well known for his fairness and ability
to control the linesmen and ball kids as well
as the players. In 1987 it was no surprise that
Gerry was asked to officiate the matches between
Boris Becker and Kevin Curren and Vitas Gerulaitis
and Andrew Sznajder at the Winnipeg Arena.
Seeing the need for better officials, Gerry
took it upon himself to begin training sessions.
He recruited and trained some of Manitoba’s
best officials, some of which have gone on to
officiate on a national level.
Gerry’s commitment to excellence and training
caught the eye of the Pan Am committee. In 1995,
Gerry was asked to come on board. His task was
to train and organize the officials for the
Pan Am games. Gerry had 4 years to get a team
together, which was a daunting task. He began
having clinics and training sessions while still
attending Pan Am meetings and organizing sessions.
This became a full time job in itself. But true
to his word, Gerry has his team ready in time
for the 1998 Women’s Challenger Tournament,
a high level international tournament. This
event was the testing ground for the team, and
they passed the test. They were ready for the
Pan Am games. At the games their professionalism
and skills shone through. Gerry had left his
biggest legacy.
Gerry’s contributions to the tennis community
did not go unnoticed. He received the Tennis
Manitoba Certificate of Appreciation, the Unicity
Racquet Club Certificate of Appreciation, the
Manitoba Sports Federation Outstanding Volunteer
Sport Award and the Tennis Canada Distinguished
Service Award.
Sadly, on October 6, 2004, Gerry lost his battle
with cancer. The tennis community felt and still
feels his absence. He left his mark in so many
ways that he could never be forgotten. Tennis
in Manitoba is truly better because of the dedication
of Gerry Labies. His spirit lives on in every
one he taught and played with. His daughter
Helen and his granddaughter Victoria continue
to play competitively, with a love for the game
no doubt instilled in them by their father and
grandfather.
We want to thank his wife Traudel for her help
in putting together this tribute to Gerry, allowing
us to honor him for the man that he was to all
of us.
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Gerry serves as Chair Umpire
at the 1987 exhibition match at the Winnipeg
Arena, featuring Boris Becker versus Kevin Curren. |
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Gerry (kneeling) with the line
umpires at the 1998 Women’s Challenger at
Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club. |
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Mickey Williams (Bahamas),
Johnny Saldivias (Ecuador), Gerry, Fernando
Baron (Colombia) at the 1999 Pan American Games. |
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Tano Cruz from Mexico (Chief
of Officials at the 1999 Pan Am Games), Gerry
and Javier Moreno from Spain (Referee at the
1999 Pan Am Games) prepare for the next day's
matches during the 1999 Pan American Games. |
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Ian Melling (Past-President
of Tennis Manitoba), Tano Cruz (Chief of Officials),
Tony Cho (Director of Officiating for Tennis
Canada), Javier Moreno (Referee) and Gerry at
the Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club during the 1999
Pan American Games. |
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Rob Jackson (Chair Umpire from
New Brunswick) and Gerry at the 1999 Pan American
Games. |
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Gerry (third from right) at
the closing ceremonies for tennis at the 1999
Pan American Games. |
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Posted: September 19, 2006
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Art Foster
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2006 |
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At the age of 17 Art Foster
was asked by a friend to return balls for him.
This was the first time that Art had ever picked
up a racquet. He was very much involved with
basketball and until then he had no interest
in tennis. Once he took that racquet in his
hand everything changed. He instantly fell in
love with the game. Like everything in his life,
he wanted to be good at it, and he wanted to
learn his way. Although he never took a lesson
it didn’t mean he didn’t want to learn. Art
immersed himself in books and studying other
players. Most importantly, he practiced and
practiced and practiced.
It wasn’t long before he was a force to be reckoned
with on the courts. Art had a natural talent,
and with his baseline play and speed on the
court he could run down just about anything.
“Just keep the ball in play and let them make
the mistakes” was his motto, and it worked.
His doubles partner, Ken McRae was quoted as
saying “We have been playing together for 40
years and he still amazes me. He is not the
fanciest player on the court but he can certainly
get the job done.”
On the court Art was someone to be feared yet
admired. Off the court, he was always admired.
Anyone who ever played against him will tell
you that he was the nicest player to play with.
His competitive edge never kept him from being
the most sportsmanlike. He was kind and caring
and always had nice things to say to and about
his opponents. His modesty is real and refreshing.
This is who Art is.
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Art was a natural with a tennis
racquet in his hand. His opponents often felt
like they were chasing 3 balls at once! |
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He retired from his job at Great
West Life after 34 years. Everyone loves him
and words like “kind”, “gentle”, “modest” and
“patient” are often used when describing him.
For many years he was on the board of directors
at the St. Norbert Treatment Foundation and
Behavior Center. He was there representing Great
West Life.
Art’s interests are as diverse as he is. He
was a very accomplished athlete in many sports.
From 1945 to 1947 he played and lettered in
basketball for the University of Manitoba Bisons.
He later went on to play faculty soccer and
basketball. His university experience was a
full one. He worked as sports editor of the
Manitoban and was the business manager of the
Commerce Magazine. His fraternity brothers of
Sigma Lanba Phi knew that he was going to go
far. In addition to all this, he curled and
played badminton. He left the university with
an honours degree in Commerce. As if that wasn’t
enough to keep him busy he also learned to play
the piano.
He met his wife Gay while playing badminton
at the Winnipeg Badminton Club on River Avenue
(now demolished). They married in 1956 and their
children Christine and John came later. They
now have 4 grandchildren to be proud of. We
congratulate Gay and Art for celebrating their
50th wedding anniversary this year.
In the 100 years of the Manitoba Open Tennis
Tournament, Art Foster is the only one to have
won the Men’s Open Singles title 6 times. In
1957 he won the North Dakota Open Singles. In
1955 he and long time partner Ken McRae won
the Alberta Open Doubles. His tournament wins
mounted and continued to mount into his 60’s.
In 1988, at the age of 61, Art received the
Order of Sports Excellence for winning the National
Seniors 60+ singles, 55+ doubles and 60+ doubles
titles. Unfortunately, we are not sure just
how many wins he really had. Art gave his trophies
away to be used again for other tournaments
and he did not keep track of his tennis accomplishments.
It wasn’t about winning. He enjoyed winning
as much as the next guy but he loved the sport
even more.
Art was a hero to many kids. Once he retired
he devoted some of his spare time to teaching
juniors indoors at the Winnipeg Winter Club.
It was important to teach them to play well
and be good sports on and off the court. He
is a true role model for the game of tennis.
Sadly, in 1998, while vacationing in Portugal,
Art suffered a stroke. His memory of the game
that he loved was gone. He is now living in
a personal care home. Art gave so much to the
world of tennis and it is now our turn to give
back to him. His legacy will live on as long
as we keep it alive. Practicing, giving 100%,
being kind on and off the court, keeping that
competitive edge while remaining modest, and
giving back to the community. These are the
ideals that Art has left us and we are better
off because of him.
In 2005, his wife Gay was asked to give out
an award on behalf of Art at the 100th anniversary
of the Manitoba Open Tennis Tournament. It is
now our honor to include him in the Tennis Manitoba
Hall of Fame.
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Ken McRae (left) and Art Foster
enjoy some downtime off the court. |
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Long-time doubles partners
Dr. Ken McRae (left) and Art Foster accept one
of the many championship trophies at the Manitoba
Open. |
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Art takes a well deserved rest
from the action. |
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Posted: October 2, 2006
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Ray Daumler
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2006 |
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It was back in 1973 at the age
of 8 that Ray Daumler took up the sport of tennis
at the Kildonan Canoe Club. This was the start
of a tennis career that would span 28 years
and be filled with numerous highlights.
Success came quickly and it was not long before
Ray became a top junior player in the province
and won many singles and doubles titles in the
1970s and 1980s.
At the age of 13, Ray competed in the Orange
Bowl World Championships as a wild card. He
won two rounds in the feed-in consolations and
lost to the world’s # 1 U14 player. He represented
Manitoba at countless Junior Nationals and in
1983, Ray’s final year of junior eligibility,
he defeated Canadian Davis Cup player Mark Greenan.
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Ray chases down a wide ball
en route to one of many tournament titles. |
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Ray did find time for activities
away from the tennis court and a young woman
by the name of Lynne caught his eye back in
1983. Three years later they were married and
they now have two children, Bradley who is 15
and Alexa who is 12.
Although Ray was married in 1986, he still found
plenty of time to play tennis and continued
to compete at a very high level. It was actually
that very same summer that he captured his first
Manitoba Open Men’s Singles title. Ray went
on to defend his title the very next year and
then took home a third Men’s Singles Championship
in 1989. He was the dominant player in the province
at the time and was very difficult to defeat.
Ray was extremely tough mentally and willed
his way to many victories. He may not have looked
like the smoothest player on the court, but
he was very competitive, he battled hard for
every point and he knew how to win. Opponents
will testify to the fact that he was very difficult
to play against because you could not get Ray
off of his game.
Ray is a sports enthusiast and stays in shape
today by running, lifting weights and taking
part in Tae Kwon Do. He and Lynne are black
belts and the children are brown belts.
Ray works for the Provincial Government as the
Director of Capital Planning for the Manitoba
Housing and Renewal Corporation. He is also
trained as an electrician and gas fitter and
is an installer and designer of residential
ventilation systems.
Ray joined us on the final day of the 100th
anniversary of the Manitoba Open in 2005 and
was recognized as one of the past champions
of the tournament. It is our pleasure to formally
recognize all of his efforts, contributions
and successes in the sport of tennis by inducting
him in the Manitoba Tennis Hall of Fame.
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Focus and determination were
keys to Ray’s success. |
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Posted: October 3, 2006
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James A. Ioanidis
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2007 |
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Jimmy Ioanidis started playing
tennis in Portage la Prairie at the age of 11,
where he shared one racquet with his sisters,
Connie and Joan. With the help of friends, like
Jim Preece, Harvey Sparling, Doug Muirhead and
Ralph Rowley, at the Island Park Tennis Club,
it was not long before Jimmy was excelling and
winning local tournaments. His natural talent
and hard work quickly moved him up the ladder
of tennis success and he was soon hitch-hiking
to Winnipeg to play tournaments.
As a youngster Jim was involved in many sports
before tennis became his focus. He was an avid
curler, played basketball and won the Browns’
Limited Cup for Senior Boys’ athletics at Portage
Collegiate. He was also a Queen’s Scout.
In 1951 at the age of 14, Jim won the Winnipeg
and District Junior Singles Championship. He
continued to capture that crown for 3 years,
along with many doubles and mixed titles. His
perennial opponents and/or doubles partners
were Frank Kanovsky, Don Mugford and Don McKush.
He also teamed with Joy Campbell to win numerous
Mixed Championships.
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Jim at 19 years of age at the
Winnipeg Lawn Tennis Club |
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Moving on to the Open circuit, at 19 Jim
was one of the youngest to ever hold the Men’s
Singles title, a title which he retained for
5 years.
In 1959 Jim was chosen to attend the trials
for Junior Davis Cup Squad in Ottawa – a great
accomplishment for a small town prairie boy.
He was in the company of the nation’s tennis
cream of the crop which included Bob Bedard,
Harry Fauquier, John Bassett Jr., Francois Godbout,
Reider Getz, Yvon Leblanc and Don Fontana.
His many tennis successes also included winning
championships in the Northern United States,
Western Canada, Duluth and the Lakehead.
Jim dominated the Men’s Junior and Senior
Championships of Manitoba, as well as Doubles
and Mixed Doubles, over a 14 year period.
His achievements were repeated while he attended
the University of Manitoba where he earned a
Chartered Accountant degree. Jim, and his sister
Connie, along with Eleanor O’Gorman, lead the
Manitoba Bison Tennis Team to many University
victories from 1955 – 1962.
Jim continued to excel in tennis after he
married Joanne Woolley and moved to Montreal
in 1963 where he had landed a job with the prominent
chartered accountant firm of Price Waterhouse
& Co. Within a few years he was to become the
youngest person to be made a partner with the
firm.
In 1964 he was chosen to attend the Davis
Cup trials held at the Mount Royal Tennis Club.
He was in good company with the likes of Bob
Bedard, Mike and Keith Carpenter, Val Harit,
Reider Getz, Bob Puddicome, Brian Flood, Tony
O’Donnell and many hard battles were fought.
Also in 1964 Jim played Roy Emerson in the
Canadian Open Championships held at the Monkland
Tennis Club. The first set was magical as Jim
extended the famous Aussie who finally took
notice of the 28 year old Ioanidis and Emerson
finished by winning the match. However the next
day headlines in the Montreal Gazette dominated
the sports page: “Emerson Extended by Ioanidis”
A proud moment indeed.
Jim was President of the prestigious Mount
Royal Tennis Club from 1972 – 1974. His name
appears as champion on the singles, doubles
and veterans trophies numerous times from 1964
- 1994. During that period he played in the
company of many famous tennis players, with
the most notable being Greg Rusedski, an up
and coming junior at the time.
1982 was a stellar year in tennis for Jim
as he won both the Quebec Provincial Buick Challenge
and National Buick Challenge Mixed Doubles Championships
in London, Ontario with partner Denise Green.
He served as Treasurer of the exclusive Montreal
Indoor Tennis Club from 1994-96 and held several
club titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles
from 1986 - 2001.
Not to be outdone on the courts, Jim also
dabbled in fashion and modelled tennis clothes
in a tennis magazine. His famous backhand also
appeared on the cover of the Cote de Liesse
Tennis and Racquet Club’s Summer Brochure in
1983.
In 2000 he entered his first senior national
tournament in Mont Tremblant, QC where he reached
the men’s finals in the 60 plus category. He
unfortunately lost but it was a great show.
Along with his love of tennis, Jim was a
family man. Jim’s children were his pride and
joy. George, Don, Rob and Natalie were important
to him and he instilled in them his love of
sports and how it made one strong in mind and
spirit. They all in their own rights have many
academic and sports accomplishments. Jim’s strength
lives in his 4 children and 9 grandchildren.
Jim constantly gave a good performance and
was a true fighter often making his way to the
finals. Whether in tennis or in life he always
gave one hundred and ten percent.
His enduring laugh and ever present smile
were as famous as his backhand. His trademark
backhand was noted for its text-book form, power
and accuracy. It left many opponents gasping
for air and screaming in agony as the winning
shot exploded past them.
From 1999 - 2001 Jim was Treasurer of the
local Baie d’Urfe Tennis Club where his name
appears on numerous single, doubles and mixed
championships. He was directly responsible for
the construction of a new club house which opened
in April 2002. The Baie d’Urfe Tennis Club clubhouse
stands as a tribute to his contribution and
devotion to tennis. His picture and plaque at
the club reads:
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Jim Ioanidis
"His dedication, diligence and love
of tennis
made this new clubhouse his final triumph."
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Jim’s untimely passing occurred October 23,
2002.
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Jim at Winnipeg Canoe Club |
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Jim's famous backhand in motion |
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Ioanidis family: from left to right, front row, Jim and Joanne; back row, Rob, Natalie, Don and George in 1995 at son George's wedding |
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See also:
Ioanidis First Tennis Player to Enter Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame
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Posted: September 29, 2007
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Hilda Lewis
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2007 |
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Hilda Lewis (nee Burridge)
was the first dominant player in the
province of Manitoba, asserting herself as
the woman to beat in the 1920s. She was a
longtime member of the Wildewood Club and
captured many club championships over the
years.
Hilda holds the record for the most Women’s
Singles titles at the Manitoba Open Tennis
Championships. She won the tournament 9
times, including a streak of seven years
from 1920-1926.
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Hilda Lewis |
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Posted: October 2, 2007
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Eleanor O’Gorman
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Hall
of Fame: Player
Inducted: 2007 |
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Eleanor O’Gorman began
playing tennis in 1953 at the Wildewood Club
in the junior program that was coordinated
and coached by Lloyd Borland. Two years
later she participated in the U12 Junior
Nationals at the Rideau Club in Ottawa.
Through her junior years, she played the
Prairie Junior tournaments as well as
tournaments in Ontario, Quebec and
Minnesota. Following the Junior Nationals,
Eleanor was selected to play on the Canadian
Junior Team versus New England in Lake
Placid and Boston.
In 1960 Eleanor won the first of six
Manitoba Open Women’s Singles Championships.
A couple of years later she was selected to
a five member Girls’ Team that represented
Canada in the U.S. National Girls
Championships at the Merion Cricket Club in
Philadelphia. That same year she was also
awarded the Carl Pederson Memorial Trophy
for Manitoba Junior Athlete of the Year.
During her junior playing years, Eleanor
also excelled in badminton, winning the
Girls Doubles at Junior Nationals and
finishing second in singles.
In 1969 she teamed up with Judy Peake to
capture the Silver Medal in Women’s Doubles
at the Canada Summer Games.
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Eleanor (far right) with the
Canadian Girls Team at the 1962 United States
National Girls Championships which took place
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Eleanor was also very busy
away from the tennis court, as both a
student and a volunteer. In 1969 she
graduated from the University of Manitoba in
Education and began teaching at River East
Collegiate. She was also President of the
Manitoba Tennis Association in the early
1970s and assisted with the hosting of two
Davis Cup ties at the Winnipeg Canoe Club.
Eleanor was Committee Chair for the 1971
Canadian National Tennis Championships,
which was also hosted at the Winnipeg Canoe
Club.
She made the move down east and in 1975
began working at the Granite Club in Toronto
and became the Head Squash and Tennis
Professional. This did not stop her from
playing the game she loved and in 1985 she
won the 40+ Doubles at the World Masters
Games and two years later Eleanor won the
Canadian Mixed Doubles Championship in
squash. In 1991 she won the 40+ Doubles at
the Senior Nationals with her sister, Isabel
Feasby.
After spending time as the Sports Manager at
the Badminton and Racquet Club of Toronto,
Eleanor moved to her current position as
Manager of four Mayfair Racquet and Fitness
Clubs Sports Shops.
She is Director of the Doug Philpott Inner
City Tennis Fund, an organization dedicated
to funding and coordinating tennis coaching
for 11 sites in designated low income areas
of Toronto. Eleanor still plays tennis and
is a member of the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club.
It is our pleasure to recognize Eleanor’s
commitment and dedication to tennis and her
many accomplishments in the sport by
induction into the Manitoba Tennis Hall of
Fame.
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Eleanor at the Winnipeg Tennis
Club |
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Eleanor with sister Isabel
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Posted: October 1, 2007
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| Tennis Manitoba plans to induct
selected people into the Tennis Manitoba Hall
of Fame at future Tennis Manitoba Awards Banquets.
If you wish to make any comments or suggestions
about the Tennis Manitoba Hall of Fame, please
contact Tennis Manitoba.
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