COACHES, OFFICIALS & VOLUNTEERS - Training Camps & Competition

COACHES, OFFICIALS & VOLUNTEERS

Beyond the bright lights and the roar of the crowd of the boxers in Olympic, Commonwealth, Pan Am Games or other
International amateur boxing competition, there are the thousands of volunteers, officials and coaches. Most are rarely
recognized or remembered, but without this solid foundation, there would be no fame or glory for the boxers.

However, a few will be recognized in the pages of the black and white newsprint of a local or national newspaper, or their face
may flash by in a TV sports presentation. And, some will be recognized in a local or provincial sports hall of fame.

On November 21, 2009 one of the many former Canadian coaches that trained an Olympic boxer, Mike Caird
was recognized on a local level with induction into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. Victoria boxer
Donny Orr Jr. was part of the 2000 Canadian Olympic boxing team.

VOLUNTEERS

I remember the gathering of Canadian boxers at the 1984 Canadian Olympic boxing team training camp
as they prepared for the Los Angeles Olympics. At the higher level of volunteers, there was National coach Taylor Gordon,
but others included BC official Vic Murdoch, the 1944 Seattle Golden Gloves flyweight champion. Between Taylor and Vic,
two BC Golden Gloves Alumni, there were many others including the Canadian boxers that came to spar with the Olympic team such as Steve Beaupre, a multi-year Canadian champion and a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Sports Hall of Fame.

1994 COMMONWEALTH GAMES - VOLUNTEERS

I remember those interesting days in 1989, 1990, 1991 and 1992 leading up to the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Greater Victoria. It was interesting how the process flowed into the building of the team of volunteers that began in 1989 with the formation of the Boxing Committee of the Victoria Commonwealth Games Society two early volunteers were former boxing coach Mike Sartori of Victoria and Boxing BC representative Glynn Jones, but has 1989 turnedinto 1990 there would be many more that would participate in the organization or volunteer recruitement such as former Vancouver Island Boxing Commissioner Eighties) Rick Brough, and former 1954 Vancouver Island Golden Boy Bert Wilkinson, and even the
1960 BC Golden Boy Alan Curtis and many more including Ian Weir, Dan Wright and

                Don Orr Sr.. and many more such as "Pud" Smith.

                                            Mike Caird in the middle