By Mark Squibb | Vol 8 No. 4 (March 3, 2020)
Prominent athletes and other builders of the sports community were honoured Friday night in a gala event at the Reid Community Centre.
The annual Mount Pearl Sport Alliance Hall of Fame dinner and Athletic Awards saw Gerald ‘Jed’ Butt, Keith Hoyles, John Nolan, Jonathon Kelly, and Ron O’Neill inducted into the hall.
The evening’s format intertwined the induction of the Hall of Famers with the awards for the newest generation of athletes.
Butt was the first to be inducted. He is best known for his time playing baseball in the Mount Pearl Senior League and representing Mount Pearl in the St. John's Senior League. He was also instrumental in re-establishing Mount Pearl Minor Baseball in the early 1980s and helped form the Mount Pearl Baseball Umpires Association in 1994.
“It is indeed an honor and a privilege for me to have been selected for the Sports Hall of Fame,” said Butt, who thanked the committee, his friends and family. “I have some fond memories of my playing and executive days.”
Next up, Jesse Devilla took home the Peter Halliday Memorial Executive of the Year Award.
Devilla served as treasurer with Mount Pearl Minor basketball for several years, and also coaches Celtics Club basketball teams. He is currently secretary-treasurer with the Newfoundland and Labrador basketball Association.
John Nolan was posthumously inducted. Nolan became a big part of the city’s hockey and soccer communities after he moved to Mount Pearl in 1983. He served as head coach and executive of St. Peter’s Minor Hockey. He joined the Mount Pearl Minor Hockey Association, and coached players from Novice through Bantam, and even coached the Junior Blades from 2000 to 2002. He also coached and served with the Mount Pearl Soccer Association, holding various positions including president.
As per Nolan’s will, a cheque for $10,000 was presented to both Mount Pearl Minor Hockey and the Mount Pearl Soccer Association.
“I think our father would be completely honoured and overwhelmed by this moment here tonight,” said Nolan’s son, Adam Nolan. “This moment is the accumulation of years of commitment, loyalty, dedication, hard work, accountability, and leadership.”
The Coach of the Year Award went to Mount Pearl - Paradise Youth Bowling (YBC) coach Gayle Cave, who coached the senior girls team to a gold medal at the NL Youth Challenge. She was also selected as provincial coach for the nationals, led her 5-Pin open mixed team to gold at the provincials, and was named the 5-Pin Coach of the Year.
Jonathon Kelly was the next Hall of Fame inductee. Kelly began playing soccer in Mount Pearl at the age of six, and over the following years would play with eight minor teams representing Newfoundland and Labrador, 11 Challenge Cup teams, and five Memorial University Sea-Hawks teams. He also coached.
The Team of the Year Award went to the Mount Pearl- Paradise Skating Club’s Open Starlites. In 2019, the team had many successes, including winning gold at both the provincial championships and the Atlantic Regional Championships. That latter accomplishment was especially impressive as 10 of the team’s 12 members were struck with a stomach bug the week before the competition. It was the fifth consecutive year winning gold at the competition. The team also placed tenth in the national competition.
Keith Hoyles was inducted next.
When the Smallwood Drive Arena opened in 1976, Hoyles hit the ice. Over the next decade, throughout minor, high school, and junior divisions, he would prove his leadership skills, captaining his high school hockey team and many provincial all-star teams. In the 1985-1986 season, he set a new league record of 98 points, and helped the Mount Pearl Junior Blades capture both the Junior League Championship and the Atlantic Championship’s Don Johnson Cup. He also played for Team Newfoundland and Labrador at the 1987 Canada Winter Games, where the team placed fifth, the highest Newfoundland had ever placed at that point in time.
“There’s no better place than Mount Pearl to raise a family and participate in sports,” said Hoyles, who thanked the selection committee and others for the honour.
Next, Laura Pittman was awarded Female Athlete of the Year.
Pittman is the Female Captain of the Memorial University Sea Hawks Swim Team, and was the winner of the 2019 Memorial University swimming bursary. Balancing athletics and academics, she was also named to the Dean’s List for the Faculty of Science and is an Academic All-Canadian. She is also heavily involved with the Marlins Swim Team.
Ron O’ Neil was the final inductee of the night. O’Neil began coaching soccer in Mount Pearl in 1999. He started by coaching his daughter’s house league team, and went on to become a successful all-star coach. He coached provincial teams in national championships in 2006 and 2009. He was elected to the Mount Pearl Soccer Association’s (MPSA) board of directors in 2007, and served on the executive for eight years, including as president and vice-president. He developed the first computerized registration system for the MPSA, and developed several Hall of Fame by-laws and procedures.
“It is truly a great honour to be inducted as a builder, because those who knew me in my playing days knew I never had a chance in hell getting in as a player,” he joked. (Editor’s note: O’Neil was actually a pretty good forward and mid fielder in his high school days).
The final award of the night went to powerlifter Glen Chaytor, who was awarded the Male Athlete of the Year. Chaytor began lifting in his 20’s, but following injury, he stepped away from the sport for several years. In recent years, Chaytor has established himself as a powerlifting force to be reckoned with, competing at national and international competitions. In 2019, he represented Team Canada at the Commonwealth Powerlifting Championships, and has been named to the Canadian powerlifting team for the 2020 World Championships in Sweden.
The youth male and female athletes of the year will be announced this spring in conjunction with the Mount Pearl Focus on Youth Awards.
