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 Woody
Johnson has been a major force for sports in the Winfield
area. Throughout the years he has dedicated himself to the
enjoyment of sports for many people and athletes. Woody has
volunteered, coached, hosted and organized numerous events
and has contributed innumerable
hours to the betterment of sports for the community. It is
because of this commitment to young people through sport
that Woody is being inducted into the Wetaskiwin and County
Sports Hall of Fame.
Woody has
always recognized the benefits received by
participating in sports. He grew up in Breton and as a
youngster played hockey, fastball and basketball. As a
young man he played senior hockey in the Chinook League for
the Innisfail Eagles (1972-73) as well as playing and
coaching the Breton Eagles in the Oilfield Senior Baseball
League (1970-1975). When he began teaching in Winfield in
1975 he played hockey for the Winfield Warriors in the
Wetaskiwin Senior League (1975-1980).
Instrumental in Rejuvenating
Winfield Hockey Program
Before his involvement in the
hockey community of Winfield, Woody coached minor hockey for
a couple of years in Breton (1969-1971) and coached a Junior
Girls’ fastball team in Winfield (1983-1987). However it
was in 1994-1995 that Woody and a few local parents whose
children were playing hockey rejuvenated the Winfield Hockey
Program. They drafted a new set of bylaws and established
more formal protocols and procedures. The “Mighty Ducks”
were born and many great things were about to happen to the
small town of Winfield. Woody’s two sons were at the Atom
and Peewee levels and Woody volunteered to help coach their
teams. During the boys playing years he split his coaching
time between their two levels until they were both at the
Midget level. He coached these teams to numerous provincial
titles including: the 1998 Bantam B Championships, the 2000
Bantam D Championships, the 2001 and 2002 Midget D
Championships as well as the 2001 Bantam D Silver Medal.
Woody’s teams won six zone championships as well as four
tier 2 North Central Minor Hockey Association titles. For
the last few years Woody has coached the Initiation Ducks,
helping to get the new generation of “Mighty Ducks” off to a
good start. Besides coaching, Woody contributes by
volunteering in the administration of the sport. Currently
he is the Governor for the NCMHA Midgets and was governor
for the Bantams from 2006 through 2008.
Driving force in Major Fundraising
Ventures for Hockey
Woody has also been the
driving force in one of the Winfield Minor Hockey
Association’s major fundraising ventures. For the last 12
years, Woody and his volunteers have raised considerable
amounts of money through a woodcutting program for the
County of Wetaskiwin to supply wood for its campgrounds.
Woody maintains and sharpens the saws and organizes people
and dates for countless cords of wood to be cut, split and
piled for use. Woody has been known to be the only one at
the pile on some days, cutting wood so young boys and girls
can utilize the great hockey program in Winfield. Money
raised has been used for numerous and extensive improvements
and upgrades to the Winfield Arena as well as skill
development clinics, officiating clinics, coaches clinics,
uniforms, integrating of power skating and helping pay for
ice rental, officiating and other administrative costs. As
the principal of Winfield Elementary School, Woody has been
able to “recruit” players from the school who might never
have been able to afford to play. Woody always found the
resources and equipment that enabled them to participate.
Woody has always been a
positive motivator in other sports as well. During his time
as principal at the Winfield Elementary School, he always
hosted a Track and Field Day. Breton and Alder Flats
Elementary Schools were also invited to attend. Woody
showed great enthusiasm and created excitement in the
students, teachers and volunteers. Some years the other
schools decided not to attend but Woody still hosted a track
day for his school. The dedication he showed for this event
was appreciated by many.
Without the contributions of
Woody Johnson, the hockey success of the small town of
Winfield could not have been so great. Because of his
positive influence, enthusiasm, sacrifices, skills and
successes, Woody is more than worthy of being inducted into
the Wetaskiwin and County Sports Hall of Fame.
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