Carleton Place native wins prestigious award for lifetime of volunteering in hockey
Posted Feb 4, 2010 By EMC News
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By JEFF MAGUIRE
Courtesy Joel Brown
Don Brown and his wife Joyce are shown with the 'Mark Lowry Memorial Award' which he received during the annual Ottawa Sports Awards ceremonies held at Algonquin College Jan. 20. The prestigious honour is presented for lifetime achievement in sports volunteerism or administration. Brown, a Carleton Place native, has devoted 32 years to his second career as a hockey administrator.
EMC Sports - Don Brown remains humble about his long and distinguished second career as a volunteer in Canada's official winter sport, hockey.
The Carleton Place native and former president of the Central Junior Hockey League (CJHL) was recently in the spotlight however. He was named the recipient of a prestigious honour during the Ottawa Sports Awards.
Brown, who is a long-time Kanata resident, accepted the Mark Lowry Memorial Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sport Volunteerism or Administration. He received the honour during this year's awards dinner held Wednesday, Jan. 20 at Algonquin College in Ottawa. The awards have a 57-year history which began as the Associated Canadian Travelers (ACT) Sportsman's Dinner.
The retired educator, who continues to work as a volunteer for the Ottawa District Hockey Association (ODHA) of which he is a life member, says he was especially proud to receive the Mark Lowry award.
"I knew Mark while I was working with the ODHA. He was executive director of the CIAU (Canadian Interuniversity Athletics Union - now Canadian Interuniversity Sport).
"Later he held a similar position with the Canadian Olympic Association before he died prematurely. A terrible loss," Brown observes.
Lowry, 51, of Ottawa died in October 2005 following a two-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He served as director of sport for the Olympic committee and prior to that headed the interuniversity sport body from 1992 to 1997. Previously he was director of Rowing Canada from 1986 to 1992.
Brown, the affable amateur sports executive, received the memorial award named for Lowry during a sold-out dinner attended by 450 people. The ceremonies recognized athletes from more than 50 sports for their success in 2009. A total of 12 major trophies were presented during the prestigious annual venture.
Brown says he was especially pleased to receive the honour from Lowry's wife Jennifer and son Brendan.
"It's a tremendous honour of course and accepting the award on stage from Mark's wife and son was a special moment," he acknowledges.
Brown's wife Joyce, their three sons Andrew, Joel and Derek and other family members were on hand to see the patriarch of the family receive the honour.
"It was a wonderful night," he recalls.
As for his more than 30 years as a hockey executive he laughs saying, "It's been a long journey - but I have really enjoyed it."
As a life member of ODHA he continues to sit as a member of the association's Discipline and Appeals Committee, adjudicating individual infractions by players.
He stepped down from his previous role on Hockey Canada's (national association) Governance Committee following the 2006-2007 season. It was one of many local, regional and national postings Brown has held during 32 years in the sport.
"During my time with Hockey Canada I traveled from Moscow to Minneapolis," he says proudly.
WJHC work
He acknowledges that perhaps his proudest moments came in relation to the World Junior Hockey Championship (WJHC).
Just one year ago he was a key member of the team which successfully staged the WJHC in Ottawa. Team Canada won a fifth consecutive gold medal, defeating Sweden in the championship game played Jan. 5, 2009 at Scotiabank Place (SBP) in Kanata.
The competition was the biggest sporting event in Ottawa history!
As members of the Host Organizing Committee (HOC) Brown and Frank Libera, another long-time hockey volunteer from Richmond, were co-directors of the 'Hospitality and Protocol' division under the carefully defined and highly functional tournament structure.
There were eight separate sections under the direction of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which oversees the annual tournament, Hockey Canada, the governing body for amateur hockey in this country and the Steering Committee of the HOC, who were in overall command of the venture.
The men were part of an army of 1,500 volunteers under the direction of Ottawa Senators' owner and HOC chair Eugene Melnyk. It was Melnyk and Sens who successfully applied for and secured the prestigious competition.
In something of a milestone, the Ottawa tournament marked the first time in the history of the event that all of the games have been played in one city. With two major facilities, SBP and the Ottawa Civic Centre (now Urbandale Centre) the nation's capital had a tremendous advantage over most centres in Canada and the world when it came to hosting such an event.
Both Brown and Libera have held key positions with Hockey Canada (formerly Canadian Amateur Hockey Association) during their long careers as hockey executives.
Brown explains the former CAHA became the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) and eventually "merged into" Hockey Canada which already existed in a different guise. He says the switch to CHA was made in response to the fact that "we (board) recognized the game was no longer amateur."
Brown notes most of his time in hockey has been spent behind the scenes. He was part of "the off ice team" which is so necessary to keep the sport balanced and moving forward.
"The rules and model are there of course. The expectation is that we (current participants) comply with it."
He admits to having had "a few headaches" along the way but says it was generally "a lot of fun."
As far as rules, discipline and the executive side of the sport Brown says it is very important in terms of maintaining the credibility of hockey in this country.
"The sport must live on," he stresses adding that off-ice decisions are all about maintaining the future and integrity of the game.
While most people only see the on-ice product, Brown and countless other volunteers work on important behind the scenes issues.
"I've been more focused on governance than anything," he states.
LESSONS LEARNED
Brown was a teacher and school administrator for 33 years, retiring as principal of Leslie Park Public School in Nepean. He says his professional career as an educator was great preparation for his lengthy second career as a hockey volunteer.
"I learned a great deal in education," he observes, saying some of those lessons could be applied in his long career as a hockey executive.
Besides his roles with Hockey Canada, the local ODHA and Ottawa minor hockey, Brown also headed junior and senior hockey leagues in Ottawa and the Valley.
He was CJHL president from 1985-1990 and held the same capacity with the former Eastern Ontario Senior Hockey League from 1983-1985. Brown is also a past president of the National Capital Minor Hockey League (1978-79) and a past president and vice-president of ODHA.
Richard Sennott, the long-time executive director of the ODHA, is a great admirer of Brown. He worked with him on the ODHA board when he (Sennott) was director of public relations for the organization.
"The branch prospered under Mr. Brown's direction," he told the EMC Friday. "He was a tremendous influence on the game of hockey in the ODHA.
"When I first met Mr. Brown he was involved with the National Capital Minor Hockey League as its chairman.
"He was a strong leader who always demonstrated the true meaning of volunteer and what the game is about - the players," Sennott observes.
"As a supervisor Mr. Brown always demonstrated a calm, cool and collective leadership which energized people to do their best at all times and to follow his lead in doing whatever was best for the youngsters in the game," Sennott explains.
"Last year Mr. Brown's administrative and interpersonal skills were a tremendous addition to the World Junior Hockey Championship Committee.
"It has been a pleasure for me to have worked with Don Brown, a dedicated volunteer, administrator and organizer.
"He is a true ambassador and gentleman in the game of hockey and most of all in the game of life," Sennott states.
Also during his more than 30 years in the sport Brown served as Hockey Canada (then CHA) vice-chairman from 1996-2001.
In an interview with the EMC prior to last year's world juniors Brown said, "This is the most intense experience I have had in hockey."
"Frank (Libera) and I have been involved for over two years. We were on the (original) bid committee and then moved to the host committee.
"Ten teams, 31 games, one city. It is a huge undertaking."
Looking at a massive binder of related material he had accumulated, Brown smiles and said, "On Jan. 6 (day after the final game) the first thing I am going to do is burn this.
Asked about the frequent organizing meetings they were required to attend - some of which last seven to 10 hours - Brown shook his head and admitted the process took a major toll on their personal lives.
LONG HISTORY
His volunteer commitment goes back to 1977-78 when he joined the executive of the National Capital Minor Hockey Association (NCMHA). He served as association president and executive council member for two years (1978-79).
More recently, in 2001, Brown was honoured with the ODHA's development award. The same year he was named an ODHA Life Member.
In 2002 and 2003 Brown served as a member of the ODHA constitution review committee and in 2003 joined the ODHA's World Junior Tournament Bid Committee.
He was nominated for the Mark Lowry award by the ODHA.
"The ODHA feels strongly that Don Brown epitomizes the true volunteer who plays such a pivotal role in making hockey in Canada the great game it is - our game."
Although he has not officially left the game Brown, who is now 73, says that besides governance issues he is proud of the role he had in the elimination of the red line in hockey ("look at how that has opened up the game - there is nobody with long arms and lead feet anymore") as well as working to establish workable age categories in hockey ("we needed to change that again - the focus is now on Midget hockey, where it should be").
As for his involvement at the national level that isn't completely over either.
"The phone still rings," he says, noting he is still "in regular contact" with officials at Hockey Canada.
