JACK KIRBY, Player Jack started playing lacrosse in 1945 at the age of thirteen. Two years later he was part of the Isaac Brock bantam box lacrosse team that won the 1947 Manitoba Bantam Championship. The following year Jack moved up to play at the juvenile level with the West End Memorials, culminating with the second provincial title of his budding career as the team won the Manitoba Juvenile Championship. In 1949, at the age of 17, Jack was recruited to play for the Deer Lodge senior club. In 1952, still of junior age while competing at the senior level, Jack was selected for the Manitoba Junior All-Stars as they entered into the regional playoffs for the Minto Cup, emblematic of Canadian Junior A box lacrosse supremacy. Jack was integral to the Deer Lodge team winning the 1952 Winnipeg Senior League Championship. The following year Deer Lodge captured its second consecutive Senior League title. Ranking among the Senior League’ s top scorers in each of the ten years in which he competed, Jack is recognized as one of the elite, if not the very best, defenseman to play during the 1950s.
MERES DUCH and HARRY ROSENBAUM, Builders In 1969 a small group of community leaders in Winnipeg’ s North End, led by Meres Duch and Harry Rosenbaum, came together to establish Boyd Park Community Centre where they served, respectively, as president and vice president. Subsequently, the group was approached by the Nor’ Westers lacrosse organization to develop a youth lacrosse program for the area, a necessary building-block for the successful continuation of the existing Nor’ Westers midget and juvenile teams. Once exposed to the sport, both Meres and Harry fell in love with the game and the Boyd Park Nor’ Westers were formed. Incredibly, through the tireless efforts of both men, a comprehensive minor box lacrosse program for ages 8-17, plus a competitive junior team, was established within the period of just one year. In time, a senior team was also formed. Harry and Meres then turned their attention to joining forces with similar fledgling lacrosse organizations in other communities across the city, giving birth to the Greater Winnipeg Minor Lacrosse Association. Through the efforts of Meres and Harry and the many lives they touched, either directly or indirectly, a strong foundation was created for lacrosse in Winnipeg`s North End where the game continues to thrive.
BILL CROOK, Player Bill grew up in Elmwood, just a couple of blocks from the Kelvin Community Centre, where he played his first game as a goaltender on Kelvin’ s juvenile box lacrosse team. From that beginning Bill proved to be a natural at the position, back-stopping the team to the Provincial Juvenile Championship in 1965. With the Kelvin Terriers, Bill captured consecutive Provincial Junior B Championships in 1966 and 1967. Upon graduating to the senior level he initially played for the South End Olympics. The team reorganized in 1971 to become the St. Boniface Clubs, where Bill played for the remainder of his senior boxla career. Bill was the Clubs key to success, proving to be the main difference in his team being on the right side of the final outcome of a game or series despite, in some instances, having been badly outshot and outplayed. His MVP performances led the Clubs to three Provincial Senior Championships in 1974, 1975 and 1978. Bill is generally recognized as the best goalkeeper of his era. Aside from his accomplishments as a player, Bill was involved in refereeing junior and senior boxla games during the 1970s. Notably, he also served as president of the Manitoba Lacrosse Association, 1972- 1973.
DOUG KROCHAK, Builder Doug started playing minor lacrosse in 1966 for Northwood Centre, marking the beginning of his continued involvement and contributions to the game of lacrosse in Manitoba over the next fifty years. In 1969 he founded Nor`Westers Lacrosse, comprised initially of just two box teams, one midget and one juvenile. Doug coached at various levels during the following decade, including taking the Nor’ Westers junior club to the Provincial Junior B Championship in 1976, which then advanced to complete for the national title at the Founders Cup Tournament in Windsor, Ontario. While coaching, Doug continued to compete as a player as well with the St. Boniface Clubs. His hard-nosed style helped the Clubs capture consecutive Provincial Senior B Box Lacrosse Championships in 1975 and 1976. In total, Doug served as coach of six provincial teams: two midget, two junior and two senior. Notwithstanding all his accomplishments as a coach, Doug is especially praiseworthy for his contributions at the administrative level. Doug has been the recipient of a number of awards for his contributions to the sport, including: The 2013 Manitoba Lacrosse Alumni Sam Thompson Award, the 2014 Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Medal and the 2015 Ukrainian Sportsman of the Year, 2015.
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