by George Gross, Jr.

Thank you, mom. Thank you, dad. Can I ever repay you?

It’s six o’clock in the morning and pitch black. The alarm has sounded, and I’ve stumbled downstairs, swim suit in hand. There, waiting with coat on, is my mother. Too young to drive, I need a lift to workout — and a ride to school afterwards. Then another ride to afternoon workout and home again. This ‘only’ goes on 11 months a year — for SIX years.

Dinner? Never at normal times. Though hungry and tired after a day’s work, my dad never complains. Nor are there any complaints when weekends are taken up driving to out-of-town meets.

And now, after representing Canada in the Olympics, I reflect on the tremendous sacrifices of effort, scheduling, finances, and time that my parents put so unselfishly into my career. A career they backed because I had chosen it — not because they wanted it.

We hear so much about the importance of the ‘volunteer’ in sport — coach, manager, administrator, official, and so on. These volunteers (many of whom are also parents of competitive amateur athletes) should receive the recognition they deserve for making amateur sport possible in Canada.

Yet, I feel that we, the athletes, are not giving enough credit and recognition to those not classed as volunteers because they do no visible work for the various sport associations. Every parent who drives his or her child to workouts, competitions, alters domestic schedules, and puts money towards an athlete’s career is, in my mind, an essential volunteer to sport.

I hope I speak for the majority of amateur athletes when I say thank you to all the parents for their ceaseless and dedicated commitment to amateur sport.

The past often conjures up images of disdain I had for my parents’ attendance at meets and their insistence on my adhering to a training regimen as I inwardly struggled for independence. But now there isn’t any competition that I would want to deter them from attending. In fact, I welcome their presence.

Thank you, mom. Thank you, dad. Can I ever repay you? Materially, probably not. But somehow I know that saying thanks is enough — and that’s a heck of a good feeling.

GROSS TIDBITS . . .

By the time you read this, former swimming ace BYRON MACDONALD (fifth, 1972 Olympics, gold medal 1970 Commonwealth Games) will be the new head coach at the University of Toronto. He is leaving York University after two very successful years as head coach there . . . JIM DAY (gold medal, 1968 Olympics in equestrian) is a thoroughbred trainer near Toronto . . . DARRYL SKILLING (1976 Olympic team) has recently retired from swimming . . . Four time Olympic team member in track and field ABBY HOFFMAN has joined Sport Ontario as a consultant . . . CLIFFORD BARRY (water polo Olympian 1972 and 1976) married Sue Wheeler last year and is coaching swimming in Guelph … NANCY ROBERTSON (1968, 1972 Olympics, gold medal 1971 Pan Ams) has just been hired as technical program coordinator of the Canadian Amateur Diving Association … And for those of you who think Olympic athletes never make it to the pros, what 1968 Olympian is now playing hockey for the Toronto Maple Leafs?

. . . . AND REPLIES

Dear George:

Reading your column in the March Champion has inspired me to write … I’m the wife of 1500m runner Peter Spir, which puts me in close touch with the track community in BC and Alberta. If you need another writer, say with an occasional feature or sport result, I’d be more than happy to help.

Kim Spir

Vancouver

Dear Kim:

Thanks for your interest. Your letter is a good first step in setting up an intelligence network around the country. Keep those cards and letters coming, folks.

George

Pas de version française