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TEN YEARS OF HELD HOCKEY IN THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION - 1969/79

Much of Canada’s sporting heritage can be traced to British and Western European sportsmen who immigrated to the country over the past couple of centuries.  Field Hockey is one sport with a more recent history of development and the "early" beginning of hockey in the Ottawa area probably typifies its development in other parts of the country.

1969

In 1969, when Doris Turner, former British County field hockey player, Ontario team member and national selector moved from Toronto to Ottawa, she was forced to revert to her “second” sport of tennis.  In the late summer of 1968 during inter-club tennis matches, Doris, a member of the Ottawa New Edinburgh Club, commiserated with Ken Baron of the West Ottawa Tennis Club on the absence of field hockey in Ottawa.  They discovered that between the two clubs, there were a number of hockey enthusiasts of varying ages and abilities.  They decided to organize a fun match.  Events fell into place when Doris was able to secure the use of the University of Ottawa field in September for the game.  Slogged-out in deep mud, the quality of the game was something to be desired but the spirit was there and all players demanded a re-match the following week.

The women, who were anxious to form a club, were aided by the Assistant Commissioner of Parks and Recreation for the City of Ottawa who had happened upon the second match.  His wife, Sheila Gaunt, a former player from Lancashire, England, encouraged him to offer the city’s services.

The winter of 1968/69 was spent planning the formation of women's club.  The first organizational meeting was held in March 1969 and was well attended by about 30 women.  With affirmation that a viable club could be formed, Doris was able to choose Brantwood Park as a site for a Field Hockey pitch.  The City of Ottawa supplied goal posts and lined the field according to her specifications.  The newly formed team, the Valiants, practiced in the spring of 1969 and arranged matches against teams in both Montreal and Toronto in its first year.

Victor Wallace, an individual who had been very involved in the development of hockey in the Hamilton area, became interested in promoting the development of the women's club.  In conjunction with Ken Baron and Geoff Burrows, Victor organized the men's Ottawa-Hull Field Hockey Club in the spring of 1969.  The men quickly organized themselves and in the fall of 1969 some members of the man’s team, Eric Sidebottom, Walter Kooiman, Freddy Dejonj, Victor Wallace, and Horst Klette joined with players from Montreal to compete in the J.F. Kennedy Memorial Tournament in Washington, D.C.  The team captured a silver medal finishing behind the Jamaican National Team. 

Horst Klette, a former youth international player for Germany and former Quebec provincial team member, along with Keith Newton, also a former Quebec and Ontario team member, were named as all--stars at the tournament and were invited to play for the J.F. Kennedy Memorial Team in an international tournament in Hamburg, West Germany.  It was through these players that many contacts were made with European hockey players. 

In one year, both the men’s and the women’s clubs had made great strides in developing the game of field hockey in the Ottawa area.

1970

The momentum continued and, in 1970, the men capped their playing season with a silver medal in the Stoke Rees Tournament in Montreal.  They played host that year to a touring team from Hamburg, West Germany.  The women that year continued to play friendly games between Toronto and Montreal teams. 

1971

The common interests of the two clubs with regards to its needs for acquiring playing fields, equipment and their own social contacts, precipitated their amalgamation.  A constitutional committee formed in the spring of 1971 (Keith Newton, Doris Turner, Debbie Fauquier, Ken Brewster) presented the document at a joint meeting in November.  The proposal to form the Outaouais Field Hockey Club was accepted and the new executive was elected.

The club colours were designated as red, white and blue and Walter Kooiman and Victor Wallace designed the club crest.  The red maple leaf represented the Canadian flag and the tepee made from the crossed field hockey sticks symbolized the Indian origins of the Outaouais region, while the blue represented the water of the Outaouais River.

At the time of the November meeting, Walter Kooiman presented his plans and proposal for the establishment of a number of pitches adjacent to the Sir Robert Borden High School.  The plans eventually materialized to one pitch on the proposed site. 

Walter, in his desire to promote the game and establish a home base for the new club, arranged for a free ten-year lease of the Piper Farm on a site south on Greenbank Road.  The plan, which was endorsed by the members, was to make two pitches and create a clubhouse from the existing barn on the site. 

The newly formed Outaouais Field Hockey Club was able to strengthen its domain as smaller clubs in Brockville and Deep River became affiliates during that year. 

Club players continued to gain momentum during the 1971 season and the men, once again, won a silver medal in Stoke Rees Tournament in Montreal.  The women placed second in the Oakville Tournament and sent a team to compete in the Washington Tournament in October. 

1972

The club ranks swelled to 69 in 1972 but the same core group of members filled the administrative posts.  The club accounts for the clubhouse, general fund and junior development continued to grow and enthusiasts committed to actualizing the clubhouse scheme formed work parties in the fall to begin transforming the barn into a clubhouse and a pasture into fields.  The workers had Hetty Nelemans to thank for the continual supply of soup and sandwiches on the site. 

The 1972 competitive season was very successful and very active for both the men and women.  In March, the club hosted the Berliner Hockey Club who was on tour in Canada.  Players were billeted among club members and an indoor game was played in the Ottawa Coliseum.  The inter-club socializing was obviously very successful as evidenced by the number of German players who joined the OFHC as social members. 

In October, Victor Wallace coordinated the hosting of the Keiler Hockey und Tennis Club from Keil, West Germany.  Horst Klette and his team of women coordinated the billeting of players who were mostly students from Keil University. 

At the Maple Leaf Tournament, in June 1972, the club’s entry of two men's teams and two women’s teams was highlighted by the men's 'A' team.  They were undefeated in the tournament up to the final match and in that match; they edged out the opposition when teams had to break a tie by going to penalty flicks.  Later in the season, two women's teams competed in the J.F.K. Tournament in Washington, while the men travelled to Philadelphia to play in the United States Spring Tournament. 

In the Montreal League; the men placed first, third and seventh respectively with their three teams and of the women’s two teams, the 'A’ side won the spring league.  This successful season coupled with contacts made from German teams prompted plans for the organization of a spring European tour. 

During the 1972 season the club laid claim to several outstanding hockey players who competed in various provincial teams in the national championships.  Ontario 'B' squad members were: Nick Baets, John Bishop, Ken Brewster, John Clegg, Horst Klette, Keith Newton, Reg Plummer and John Struyck.

Development for future teams was not overlooked and Matthieu Fisher coached the junior boy's team, which was recognized as a top class team in Eastern Canada.  Two junior girls teams were entered that year in the Montreal League and three boy's teams were playing in the Mannor Park area. 

1973

The 1973 season commenced with a men's tour of Europe in April.  Fourteen players competed in the Easter Tournament in Holland and then went on to a tournament in Keil.  They were undoubtedly treated to the finest European hospitality and the team continued to widen its international hockey contacts. 

The women captained by Tessa McKecknie and with Esme Forteath as vice-captain, competed in a round robin in Montreal; an Oshawa Tournament in July sponsored by the Ontario government and went on to play in the Oakville Tournament in late July.  

The women's team played regularly in the Montreal League. 

Tuesday evening practices were organized by Tessa, Esme and Beryl Newton.  Horst Klette umpired and Keith Newton, Ken Baron and Reg Plummer provided coaching assistance.  The team philosophy was: "to field the best available team” and the ladies succeeded in naming Tessa McKecknie and Lyne Garvey to the Ontario squad that year. 

In September, John Clegg organized the first Outaouais Festival which drew both men's and women's team from the provinces of Quebec and Ontario.  The season was capped by the visit of the Heinfield Hockey Club from West Germany in October.  The OFHC had a chance to reciprocate as hosts as the men's team had stayed with the Heindfield team on the European tour. 

Tessa McKecknie and Walter Kooiman were responsible for coordinating junior development and 1973 marked the first year that hockey was introduced in high schools in Ottawa. 

The plans for developing the Piper Farm were terminated by the club executive as it was decided that the venture was too costly a commitment for the members.  Horst Klette, the club President, assisted by Doris Turner was assigned the task of approaching the city with a proposal to update the Brantwood Park facilities.  The club was growing and the demand for more and more adequate fields was a major concern of the club administrators. 

1974

The women were the travelling team of 1974 and they initiated the season with a trip to the Jamaica Easter Festival in April.  Player-Manager of the team, Beryl Newton, declared that the team was overwhelmed by the hospitality of the hostesses. 

Sheila Robertson, the former women's coordinator and a very dedicated hockey player, in leaving Canada for Australia donated a trophy to be awarded at a women's Six-A- Side Tournament.  Organized for the first time by Clare Gillespe, this May tournament proved a welcomed addition to the list of annual tournaments in Ontario and Quebec.  The women’s competitive team, coached by Keith Newton, was formed by a core of seven players.  The team played in the Oakville tournament in June, entered two teams in the Montreal League and placed second in the spring portion of the league.  The women finished the season at the October Dufflecoat Tournament in Montreal.  In recognition of their development and promotional, work the OWFHA incorporated Ottawa as a regional association of the provincial body.  Both the Men and women had city leagues in 1974 but the men expanded their to four teams which included one team from Ottawa University. 

The major success of the 1974 season belonged to the junior boys team, which won a gold medal in the Ontario Summer Games and a silver medal in the Junior Olympics.  The junior girls’ hockey was given a boost by the initiation of a fall high school girls’ tournament, which was organized by club members. 

The officiating side of the game of field hockey was being well handled for OFHC by Denis Cooper.  In 1974, the club with 16 active and 12 assistant umpires boasted more umpires per team than most clubs in Canada. 

Club members were well represented in provincial and national circles and in 1974, Beryl Newton vas elected vice-president of the OWFHA and named as a national selector.  Keith coached the Ontario women's under 23 team to Bermuda in July.  Walter Kooiman was asked by the CFHA to work on the national coaching certification program.  Doris Turner was a provincial selector and Victor Wallace and Denys Cooper were nationally ranked umpires. 

1975

Denys and Jenny Cooper prompted the hockey clan to begin thinking of the coming season on grass by hosting a skating party in February of 1975.  Unfortunately, difficulties loomed early in the season for the executive which was chaired by Walter Kooiman.  Plans to have a fieldhouse built at Brantwood Park were postponed indefinitely and the club’s claim to this site remained an issue, which had to be negotiated annually.

The limitations imposed by the facilities were certainly overcome by the players.  The women's Six-A-Side again organized by Clare Gillespe was held on the May 24th weekend and eight teams attended.  Further evidence of the women's interest in competitive hockey was shown by the turnout at the June clinic given the women's national coach, Brenda Reid.  The number of team players prompted the formation of four teams in the Tuesday evening city league. 

The competitive squad, coached by Beryl Newton, entered the Maple Leaf Tournament in June, the Ontario Summer Games in London, the Dufflecoat in Montreal and the Quebec Provincial Tournament.  They placed third in the Quebec Tournament and second in the Montreal League.  The Women had the opportunity to host the Southhampton Team from England in August.  The team was billeted and feasted at a barbecue at Pauline Gee's.  In the fall, a game was arranged between the women's side and the St. Laurence University Team from Canton, New York.  The outstanding player of the season was Esme Forteath who was named to the Ontario squad.

Outaouais members continued to play an important part in the development school girls' hockey by organizing a clinic for teachers and again, the fall tournament, which had 10 schools participating. 

The women concluded the season with a potluck dinner at Jenny Cooper’s, which by then had become a seasonal tradition. 

The major accomplishments of the Men’s team in 1975 was at the large North Jersey Tournament where the team led in scoring by Steve de Rosenroll, narrowly missed the playoffs. 

Team member Tobias Fisher and Reg Plummer were named to the Canadian Team and competed in the Eight Nations Tournament at McGill Stadium.  Reg went on to play that year in the Pan American Games in Cali, Columbia. 

1975 was a pre-Olympic Year and many club members were becoming involved with the preparations for 1976.  Victor Wallace was the coordinator for field hockey in the pre-Olympic competitions and Denys Cooper was the technical coordinator of the tournament, 

1976

Club activities in 1976 focused on McGill Stadium in Montreal- where final preparations for the long awaited Olympic Games began.  Outaouais Field Hockey Club was well represented with Beryl Newton as chief statistician, Denys Cooper and Keith Newton as statistics crew chiefs, Sue Dodge and Les Harbottle as statisticians, Tobias Fisher, Steve de Rosenroll, Doug Rimmer and Sheila Mitchell were members of the field staff.  Aubert Teriera was equipment manager and oversaw the baII boys who were headed by Vic Wagner.  Horst Klette had the task of accompaniator to the German Field Hockey Team.  Most importantly, Reg Plummer played as a member of the Canadian Team.

Close ties were developed with the Canadian team as the club organized the “bash in the country” held at Eric Donegani's farm near Russell, Ontario.  The barbecue provided the team members with a welcome opportunity to relax and escape from the close quarters of the Olympic Village.

The Olympics attracted several foreign hockey teams to Canada and in August, the club billeted the Purpole’s team of London University Alumni

Club members not involved with international hockey were occupied with affairs closer to home as the Outaouais Field Hockey Club organized the field hockey portion of the Ontario Summer Games, which were held in Ottawa. 

The women's competitive team had earlier succeeded in winning the gold medal in consolation side of the Maple Leaf Tournament.

1977

In 1977 the new executive chaired by Mary Sedgewick, the Sport Canada consultant for Field Hockey, established and achieved two major objectives.  These were to provide club members with an accurate record of the financial situation and to increase the communication between sections of the club and their respective provincial levels of hockey activity.

The women's section took full advantage of the program opportunities offered by the OWFHA.  No less than three women’s teams competed in the Ontario Summer Games in Waterloo and because transportation was covered the group travelled together in a renovated school bus.  It was a great experience and the women's first team placed third in the tournament.  The team, which was coached by Doris Turner, also entered two teams in the Dufflecoat Tournament and the first team placed second.  The team also achieved second place in the Bishop's University tournament in the fall and placed second in the Montreal League.

Three club members, Mary Wilson, Heather Kennedy and Karen McBride were named to the Ontario Junior squad that year.  Laura Branchaud was named to the Quebec Provincial Junior Team and at the National Junior Championships was voted most valuable player of the Quebec team by her feat of scoring nine goals in the tournament.

The men coached, by Horst Klette competed in the North Jersey, the Toronto six-a- side and the Outaouais Festival.  They managed to place second in the six-a-side.  After the Outaouais Festival, club members got together for a dance at the New Edinburgh Club. 

Three members of the men’s team were named to the national team that year.  Tobias Fisher went to Rome in September as part of the national team.  Reg Plummer was selected to the team but unfortunately could not compete due to illness and. Steve de Rosenroll played for Canada in a test match against the Dutch National Team. 

Several club members were active at provincial and national levels of administration.  Denys Cooper just recently retired from the Board of Control from the CFHA after five years.  He: was elected president of the Umpires group of that body.  Malcolm Rimmer was named to the Board of Directors of the OFHA.  Beryl Newton an Ontario selector was President in Winnipeg at the National Championships as a national selector. 

1978

The executive of 1978 again chaired by Mary Sedgewick was faced with a task of raising Club fees to $30, which was double the cost of the 1973 membership fees.  Much of the increased fee was to cover the cost of the affiliation fees with the provincial and federal associations.  The club executive was convinced that the benefits accrued from this affiliation such as selection of players to the provincial and national squads and grants and organizational assistance certainly justified the cost. 

The women's side increased dramatically in numbers in the 1978 season due to the solicitation of many juniors from the Ottawa schools.  To better administrate the city league and the competitive team a women's committee was formed.  Marilyn Booth did a very thorough job of coordinating the city league into two divisions of four teams each.  Under the capable leadership of Keith Newton and Janet Beverley, the women formed a competitive squad and began outdoor training early in the season.  It was an odd site to see women chasing balls on the parking lot of the RA Centre in early March.  As an incentive for training, the women entered a team in the Annual Men's Rugby Run held at Mooney's Bay in late April.  The team finished the grueling relay dead last but were honoured by the men with a set of bar glasses each to commemorate their efforts.  The team vowed to return!

The women's season began in earnest with the six-a-side tournament organized for the third consecutive year by Sue Dodge.  Twin Elm Rugby Park became the new location for the tournament and therefore enabled even more teams to enter the two day event.  Women’s "Away” included the Quebec Invitational Tournament in June, which the Overdrive team won, the Toronto Maple Leaf Tournament, which three squad teams entered, the Montreal Dufflecoat, which Overdrive won, and the Lee High Tournament in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania where a joint junior/senior team reached the semi-final.  Overdrive, the; squad's first team also won the Montreal Spring League and narrowly lost to the Quebec provincial team in two matches at Brantwood Park. 

The Junior women coached by Clare Gillespe and Jill Vyse after training indoors regularly all winter were very active in the playing season.  They entered the Montreal League, Maple Leaf and Quebec’s Invitational Tournaments as well as joining the Seniors in the Dufflecoat in Lee High Matches.  The success of the Junior's development program was certainly illustrated by the individual achievements of Laura Branchaud and Mary Wilson who were named to the Quebec provincial team and the Ontario training squad respectively. 

As the season drew to a close the women gathered for a pot luck supper at Marilyn Booth's where the second annual “Bully Awards” were presented by Sue Dodge and Karen Carson.  In November the competitive squad held a wine and cheese party at Norine Smith's in order to reflect on the season's successes, Laura Branchaud topped the season's scoring with 39 goals in competitive play.

The Men's side had a very active season in 1978 competing in the North Jersey, Maple Leaf, Toronto six-a-side, Montreal Dufflecoat and the Lee High tournaments as well as the Montreal League and Ontario League.  The team was undefeated in the Montreal League and placed second at Lee High.  The men had the opportunity to host the Essex Angles from Great Britain and the Hotspurs from Western Australia in the fall. 

Outstanding team members were Reg Plummer, Tobias Fisher, and Steve de Rosenroll who played for the Canadian team on its ‘78 Caribbean tour.  Reg and Tobias were funded by Sport Canada as carded athletes and Steve was joined on the national training squad by Doug Rimmer, John de Rosenroll, Ajay Dubé and Geoff Ware.

Janet Beverley the new technical director for the CWFHA was a welcome addition to the Club and she joined with Moira Stevens, one of the club’s nationally ranked umpires, in giving clinics for aspiring umpires.  These umpires had an opportunity to practice in the fall as Outaouais organized the umpiring for the Ottawa school girls’ league.  The men, for their part, were well represented on the national umpiring scene as Denys Cooper, Nick Baets and John Clegg umpired at the National Championships. 

The close of the 1978 season was celebrated by the first annual club dinner in November.  Organized by Hetty Baets, the dinner included as special guests, several members of the national executive of the Canadian Field Hockey Council who were in Ottawa for meetings. 

Although the 1979 season has not yet been completed, both club teams have faired well, and several players have succeeded in being selected to the Ontario and National squads. 

The club can be especially proud of 18 year old Laura Branchaud who was selected to play on the Canadian team at the World Championships.  Because Canada hosted the World Championships several club members including Mary Sedgewick, Janet Beverley, Sue Dodge and Norine Smith were able to watch the team compete in Vancouver. 

The women's team was again organized on the squad system this year and they played, in much the same fixtures as past years.  Chris Jensen and Janet Beverley coached the Overdrive team to a victory in a Quebec provincial tournament and a third place in the Ontario provincial tournament.  Three teams including the newly formed Valiants (a team of experienced players who do not practice with squad members) competed in the Toronto Maple Leaf Tournament.  The six--a-side was held again at Twin Elms and this year four squad teams and two Valiants teams were entered.  The Overdrive managed to win this year against a tough field of Toronto and Montreal teams.  The women are planning to host the Harvest Cup in September of this year. 

The men competed in the Maple Leaf Tournament in which they were runners-up, the Huronia, the G.O.A. Gold Cup and the Toronto six-a-side as well as regularly participating in the Ontario provincial league. 

The boys under 21 used some of the funds they raised from last year to travel to Halifax in June.  The team gained much experience and proved their worth by naming Vikas Desai, John de Rosenroll and Geoff Ware to the Ontario Under 21 team.  Pat Burrows and Ajay Dubé were selected from the Ontario team to the National Under 21 team, while John de Rosenroll was selected as a non-travelling reserve. 

The well organized umpiring training sessions for the women culminated in a rating exam, which was held in June by Madelaine Gaunt, from the OWFHA.  The club now has several local C and/or B rated umpires as well as our growing list of nationally ranked umpires. 

The club’s executive this year has been busy planning the details for the club accounts.  The task of managing Wintario grants, fundraising efforts coordinated with the National Capital Amateur Sports Council and the funds generated by the Club’s membership have made this position very demanding and Denys’ expertise is greatly appreciated. 

Outaouais members have continued to serve at the higher executive levels of amateur sport and this year Mary Sedgewick was elected Umpiring Chairman for the OWFHA and Beryl Newton was elected National Vice-President Finance for the C.W.F.H.A. as well as continuing her position as a National Selector.  Denys Cooper, John Clegg and Nick Baets are again umpires at the Men’s National Championships and Moira Stevens serves in this capacity as well at the women’s National Championships. 

This year's Outaouais Festival marks the tenth anniversary of competitive field hockey in the Ottawa Region.  The Club hopes to bring together a large number of past members of the club and involve them in a weekend of hockey followed by a dinner and dance on the evening of September 8th. 

In ten years, field hockey in Ottawa has progressed from a friendly mixed game played on the muddy turf of a football field to a well organized club structure.  The Outaouais Field Hockey Club offers a program for recreational players and serious junior and senior competitors.  Development of the game in the Ottawa area has come a long way and the results of the 1979 men's national championships held in Winnipeg over the Labour Day Weekend clearly illustrate the OFHC's impact on the national scene.  Ontario won the championships over B.C. 2-1 in the final game.  The club had 13 past and present members as players and officials.  All but three of these learned the fundamentals for their position while members of the OFHC.  The team members which included 3 Olympians* were:

B.C.

Doug Rimmer (GF)

Tobias Fisher (3 goals)

Reg Plummer (6 goals)

Eric Donegani (Manager)

Alberta

Kelvin Wood*

Ontario

Pat Burrows

John de Rosenroll

Steve de Rosenroll

Nick Baets (Umpire)

Denys Cooper (Tech. del)

John Clegg (Umpire)

Malcolm Rimmer (Judge)

Quebec

Kuldip Gosol*

The strength of the club’s coaching and umpiring system maintained by dedicated senior players ensures that the junior ranks are well organized and enthusiastic and always improving.  The game's future is in the hands of these juniors and from their recent successes on the national and provincial teams it would appear that field hockey will continue to grow and develop in the Ottawa region.