Stettler man's more than 40 years in sport recognized by prestigious Hockey Alberta award
Volunteers can affect hundreds or thousands of lives in positive ways as they work to make their communities better. A Stettler man has been recognized for the decades of impact his volunteer efforts have had on central Alberta sport and recreation.
Robert "Bob" Rawlusyk was presented with Hockey Alberta's Robert Clark Legacy Award to recognize the Stettler man's over 40 years of playing, coaching, mentoring and leading hockey, while indirectly honouring the man's dedication to other sports and recreation in the province.
Obviously, a person so dedicated to a calling doesn't do such things for awards, and hence Rawlusyk was caught a bit off-guard by the recognition.
"I was kind of surprised but very happy," said Rawlusyk by phone Oct. 3, who observed that he discovered later a friend from nearby Drumheller had nominated him for the Hockey Alberta award that recognizes passion, leadership, collaboration and integrity in growing and improving hockey.
An athlete himself, Rawlusyk noted he also became a leader in sports at a very early age: at 15 years old he began coaching little league baseball, "... and had good success there."
Between his time living and working in both Stettler and Drumheller, Rawlusyk stated he enjoyed different sports and also became more involved in coaching, including coaching girls teams, but mused that coaching requires much time and effort and so had to sacrifice some of his own playing time.
However, along with the competition within sport came a reward he enjoyed: friendship. Rawlusyk stated he valued the time he spent getting to know the youth and their families.
"Just something there I really liked," said Rawlusyk.
"It can be really rewarding," added the veteran coach, who noted he coached one girls baseball team for four straight years and the athletes became like daughters to him.
As the years passed and Rawlusyk's name became more well-known within coaching circles, he was asked to help plan games for the 1991 Canada-Russia hockey series; Rawlusyk noted he was asked to look after two games to be played east of Red Deer in the communities of Castor and Coronation.
The coach noted the games were popular and also remembered Old Man Winter showed up as well, as the temperature those days dropped to minus 40 degrees.
Rawlusyk was also asked to advise the World Junior Hockey Committee in Red Deer and also enjoyed a trip to Japan where he not only taught hockey but also learned a lot about Japanese culture.
Rawlusyk served as the director of the World Under-17 Hockey Championship and shared his knowledge through coaching clinics. Of course, he also served as an amateur hockey official.
Looking back at his decades of coaching, Rawlusyk stated he enjoyed watching the young athletes respond to coaching as their skills developed.
The coach said he also tried to pass on some life experiences too, while worrying that he sometimes may have been too strict, "... but I hope I was fair. I wanted to make good citizens and players out of them."
One observation Rawlusyk made was that during his coaching career parents weren't as involved in youth sports as they are now, but he always enjoyed working with the athletes and their families.
According to a press release from Hockey Alberta, "The Robert Clark Legacy Award is named after Honoured Member of the Alberta Hockey Hall of Fame and Hockey Alberta Life Member Robert 'Bob' Clark, who was a monumental figure in the hockey community. For over half a century, Clark was involved in hockey in Alberta, displaying a passion for growing and improving the game for athletes and administrators."
Rawlusyk noted he keeps the memories of his coaching years close to his heart.
"It was a wonderful experience," he added.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Canada will be absolutely fine': Justin Trudeau, his ministers and Pierre Poilievre congratulate Donald Trump
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of his cabinet congratulated Donald Trump Wednesday morning on his second United States presidential election win, amid questions about how the federal government intends to navigate a second term.
What Donald Trump's election victory could mean for Canada
Following president-elect Donald Trump's decisive election victory, there are sure to be significant knock-on effects for Canada. Here's a look at the different areas in which a second Trump presidency may affect Canadians.
Kamala Harris concedes: Here's what she said in her speech
Democratic Vice-President Kamala Harris conceded the U.S. election to Republican Donald Trump Wednesday afternoon, telling her supporters that her 'heart is full.'
Canada orders wind up of TikTok's Canadian business, app access to continue
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok's Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Newfoundland hockey player suspended, banned from local arena after off-ice fight with fan
A combination of a thrown stick and thrown punches have given a senior hockey player in Newfoundland a three-game suspension and an indefinite ban from one of his league's six arenas.
Controversial Australian Olympic breakdancer 'Raygun' retires from competition
Australian breaker Rachael Gunn has told a Sydney radio station that she plans to retire from competition just three months after her unconventional routine at the Paris Olympics led to her being ridiculed and spawned conspiracy theories about how she qualified for the Games.
Sleepy during the day? You may be at higher risk for a pre-dementia syndrome, study finds
If you find yourself sleepy during your daily activities in your older age, you may need to consider it more than an inconvenience — since the fatigue may indicate you’re at higher risk for developing a condition that can lead to dementia, a new study has found.
Kamala Harris made a historic dash for the White House. Here's why she fell short.
"Sometimes the fight takes a while. That doesn't mean we won't win," U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris said on Wednesday in her concession speech.
Who won the popular vote? U.S. election vote totals from the past 40 years
Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency on Tuesday, and as of Wednesday morning, was also ahead in the popular vote. Historically, though, the candidate with the most votes hasn’t always won the contest.