Hockey, Fastball, Football
-
“Home Town Hero” Embodies the
True Essence of Sport in Wetaskiwin
Jerry Greene was one of nine children
born to Patrick and Rose Greene. The family lived on a farm
southeast of Wetaskiwin and shortly after Jerry was born the
family moved to Wetaskiwin. Jerry was a well known
sportsman in Wetaskiwin from 1948 when he began playing
minor hockey until 1984 when he was transferred to
Coronation by his employer Northwestern Utilities. Jerry
participated in football, fastball, and hockey. He was a
player, coach, fund raiser and executive member and
contributed to sports in Wetaskiwin on every level. As a
player and as a coach, Jerry Greene was on teams that won 18
championships.
In 1954 when Jerry was in Grade 9 at Sacred Heart Junior
High he was recruited to play in the new Wetaskiwin High
School football program. He then played for the Sabres team
in Grades 10, 11 and 12. Those three years, 1955, 1956 and
1957, the Sabres were Central Alberta High School League
champions. Besides football, Jerry was also a fastball
player and played on the Wetaskiwin Sports Shop team that
won the league championship in 1959 and again in 1964.
Hockey
- Greene's First Love
League All-Star Defenseman Five Consecutive Years
Of all of the sports he participated in hockey was Jerry’s
“first love”. He began playing in 1948-49 at the age of 10
and played at all levels: Peewee, Bantam, Midget and
Juvenile. After Juvenile, at 18 years of age, Jerry played
as a forward on the Wetaskiwin Colonels Intermediate Hockey
Team in 1956-57 and then again in 1957-58. At that time the
Colonels played in the Battle River Hockey League but the
team suspended play when the Wetaskiwin Arena was declared
structurally unsafe. When the new Civic Centre opened in
1962 the Wetaskiwin Colonels Hockey Club was re-organized
and the Colonels began to play in the new six-team North
Central Alberta Intermediate Hockey League. Jerry played
defense with the Colonels from 1962-1975 and subsequently
coached the 1975-76 team, that being the last year of the
league’s existence. During his playing years the Colonels
won four League Championships,
two
Provincial C Championships, and two Provincial B
Championships.
Jerry’s was a dominant force on the Colonels Hockey team and
his outstanding play was recognized by being named League
All-Star Defenseman five consecutive times, from 1963-64
until 1967-68. In 1969-70 he was voted the League’s Most
Valuable player. His own team-mates voted him MVP in
1964-65 and 1966-67. Jerry was the team leader and served
as captain from 1963 until his retirement as a player after
the 1974-75 season. Always a team player, he led by
example. At 6 ft and 175-180 pounds, he was a tough,
gritty, determined competitor. After a short absence from
hockey, Jerry joined the Wetaskiwin Relics as a
player-as-needed at various tournaments. He did play a
complete season with the Relics in 1978 when they won bronze
at the Pacific Cup Tournament held in Victoria. He also
played with the Relics again at a tournament in Victoria in
1983. When he moved to Coronation, Jerry continued playing
Old-Timer Hockey.
Coach,
minor hockey
Coach, minor fastball
Coach, Colonels Hockey Team
President, Colonel Hockey Club
President, Wetaskiwin Minor Hockey Association
President, Wetaskiwin and District Fastball
Jerry began coaching hockey during the time that Wetaskiwin
had no covered arena. He started with a Midget team and
moved up when they became Juveniles. Many of the players he
coached on those teams became Colonels in the 1960’s.
Besides coaching, Jerry also became involved in the
administration of the Wetaskiwin Minor Hockey Association
between 1970 and 1975. For three years (1972, ’73 and ’74)
he served as President while still continuing to coach the
Kinsmen Midgets. Besides this involvement, Jerry also
served a President of the Wetaskiwin Colonels Hockey Club
from 1971 until 1975. He, the directors and the arena
officials and volunteers were well organized. The Club
functioned effectively and was successful financially. A
club esprit de corps was evident. In 1968-69 Jerry served a
player-coach for the Colonels and that year the team won its
first Provincial C Championship.
Greene Honoured at Centre Ice
Because of his contributions, the Wetaskiwin Colonels held a
“Jerry Greene Honour Night” at centre ice during an
intermission at a game played February 11, 1972 at which the
master of ceremonies outlined Jerry’s participation and
awards received to that point in his career. Jerry and his
wife Earleen were the recipients of several gifts to
commemorate the occasion.
Jerry also served as President of the Wetaskiwin and
District Minor Fastball Association from 1970-1975. He
and Evva MacKay (another 2009 Inductee) were the driving
forces, and spent countless hours, in the administration of
the association, organizing events and carrying out all of
the other duties involved in running the leagues, playoffs
and provincials.
Jerry also coached and managed fastball teams. He was the
manager of the Wetaskiwin Bantam Fastball team that won the
Provincial Championship in 1959; he coached the Wetaskiwin
Sport Shop Midget Fastball team to a Provincial Championship
in 1970 and in 1978 coached the Wetaskiwin Tire Town Pee Wee
Fastball team to another Provincial Championship.
Jerry Greene’s devotion to coaching teams and administering
various organizations along with the way he ”played the
game”, especially hockey, embodies the true essence of sport
in Wetaskiwin. He was a “home town hero”, respected by his
teammates and the whole community. Many of his teammates
felt he instilled in them qualities which shaped their lives
positively. It is a privilege to induct Jerry Greene into
the Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame as an
Athlete-Builder.
|