Exceptional Alberta athletes may have a chance at recognition with the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum (ASHFM).
A call for nominations has been made by the hall of fame for exceptional Alberta athletes or builders in sports. ASHFM program director Debbie Brigley says the main criteria for nominations is that those individuals are from Alberta.
From there, a nominee has to have achieved a national or international standard while a permanent resident of Alberta. “It has to be something that stands out,” said Brigley.
Those nominees also must show they have given back to their community or sport.
Among the categories are for athletes who must now be retired from that sport, except for evergreen sports such as bowling or golf.
Builders are those who direct athletes in a leadership role. They could be a coach, trainer, manager or official in another capacity.
For instance, Ponoka’s Marilyn Chidlow was inducted in 2016 for her contribution as builder for figure skating in Canada. Chidlow was recognized for raising the standard of figure skating across Canada.
The team category includes athletes on teams with disabilities. The nucleus of the team must be retired from national or higher levels of competition.
The Pioneer Award is for male or female athletes, builders or teams who made an impact on athletes or their sport in Alberta.
Again in 2016 Ponoka brothers Tom, Vernon and Brian Butterfield were inducted for their contribution to the sport of rodeo in Alberta. The brothers helped raise the standards of rodeo athletics, in part, due to their work with the Canadian Professional Rodeo Association.
Brigley says a committee made up of past inductees and an ASHFM board member review the nominations, around 30 to 40 each year, before coming up with a final list.
“We try to have representation from all over the province,” said Brigley.
“People get in on their own merit,” she added.
The deadline is Jan. 31 and Brigley says there is a step-by-step process on the ASHFM website: www.ashfm.ca. She added that staff can be called for assistance or help with the nomination process.
The big thing, says Brigley, is to ensure getting the nomination package in by the Jan. 31 deadline. From there hard copies can be sent in after. Brigley added that nominations are kept for three years if they are not chosen for the current year.