Highest regards

There isn't much Gerald Wheeler hasn't accomplished in the world of sports.

For the past 31 years, the long-time Gill Memorial Academy volleyball coach in Musgrave Harbour has served as School Sport Newfoundland and Labrador (SSNL) zone president, regional director, vice-president, president and past president. He represented SSNL at the national level five times, and has served on many district and provincial committees for physical education curriculum development.

He also coached various Gill Memorial Academy volleyball teams to 10 provincial titles, two team sportsmanship banners, and has numerous Newfoundland and Labrador Volleyball Association provincial titles.

For all of this, and more, Wheeler was given the SSNL Honour Award at the association's AGM earlier this month. The Honour Award is the highest award given out by SSNL, and is reserved for the individual who has contributed to school sports in a variety of ways over a large time frame.

Wheeler said winning the award was a humbling experience, and he had his athletes in mind when he accepted it, as well as the coaches he's coached against from the time he started in Baie Verte, to now at Gill Memorial Academy.

"It is a nice award to win. I was proud SSNL recognized the efforts we've made over the years. I accepted it on behalf of the student athletes I've coached over the years, and the coaches I've come in contact with. Not only in my own school, but the coaches on this board," he said. "When you're talking about coaches like Dennis Lush (Smallwood Academy, Gambo), Bob Dyckson (Gander Collegiate), Steve Harris (Glovertown Academy), Wayne Oates (retired teacher, Gander Collegiate), Murray Fudge (retired teacher, Smallwood Academy, Gambo), John Abbott (Gill Memorial Academy), you're talking pretty good coaches."

Although Wheeler has made a direct impact on the players he's coached throughout the years, the soon-to-be-retired teacher said he's learned a lot from his players, as well as opposing players and coaches.

"When you go into the gym to compete, your team better be prepared, or somebody's going to teach you a lesson, and a lot of times it isn't a good lesson. Being with the students, and being around other coaches, you take something away that shapes your character and who you are," he said. "The tournaments you go to in this region are quality tournaments. You know what volleyball is like down here around the loop, and how hard the kids compete, and that made it easy to put the time in, I must say."

SSNL passed a resolution by Dyckson last year that allowed an executive member to win certain SSNL awards. At the SSNL AGM in St. John's on June 4, president Dennis Lush introduced Wheeler, and presented his award. The two are close friends, and the emcee for the evening put a memorable take on exactly how close the two are.

"When the emcee, Shawn Doyle (of Mobile Central High School) got up to introduce Dennis, who introduced me, he said, 'Everybody knows the two fellas on the Muppet Show, Statler and Waldorf. Well, Statler is going to come up now and introduce his buddy,'" said Wheeler. "That was his take on it. We always have good fun, and Dennis is a good friend."

Wheeler knew about a week before the AGM that he was going to win the Honour Award. He said winning the award wouldn't have been possible without the support given to the school by the community, or without the support he got from his wife Cindy, who's also a teacher.

"I couldn't do it without the support from my wife, Cindy. She's an art and music teacher, and she knows the commitment it takes," said Wheeler. "To be gone three or four weekends out of a month...I couldn't do it without her support. It goes without saying, but a lot of times we should say it.

"The community also supports what we do. They're not here criticizing other teams or other players. They're here to support their own, and when our team isn't playing, they'll support the other teams that are playing. It's easy to go into the gym with expectations that the kids will work hard, and the parents will support you."

Now that he's retiring at the end of the year, Wheeler said he'll always remember the students he coached throughout the years. Although he's been a coach of 10 provincial championship teams, and even though he'll think about the banners when relaxing in his cabin in Quebec, those banners aren't the highlights of his coaching career.

"It's not about the hours that you practice, it's the effort you put into the hours you have, and that's what I told the kids. The student athletes down here have always had that commitment. If I wanted to practice at 6 a.m. in the morning, they'd be there; If I wanted to practice at 9 p.m. at night, they'd be there. It's been like that ever since I came here," said Wheeler. "You always think about banners, but you know what? The highlight for me is when the athletes come back who've been gone for years, even athletes I coached against, come up and say, 'Remember when we went on this trip? Remember when we played the tournament in such and such a town.' It's never, 'Remember when we won this banner? Remember when we won the gold medal?' For most of them, it was about going somewhere to compete. When you get an email from a former student saying, 'It was great having you as a coach,' you know you helped shape them, and that's the highlight I'll remember."

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