Best of the best

Page 9

While almost a century has passed since Tom Longboat began running marathons, the memory of his many victories and accomplishments has stood the test of time, making his name synonymous with outstanding athletic achievement.

Longboat, a member of the Onondaga Nation, was born on the Six Nations Reserve in 1886. He won his first marathon in 1906, and went on to win the Boston Marathon in 1907. Other highlights of his running career include representing Canada in the 1908 Olympics, and winning the world professional marathon championship in 1909.

In 1999, 50 years after his death, Maclean's magazine voted him the number one sports figure of the 20th century.

Since 1951, his name and accomplishments have been honored through the Tom Longboat Award, given out each year to two of Canada's top Aboriginal athletes.

The Tom Longboat Award is co-ordinated by the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC), the national sports body for Aboriginal sport development. The ASC also coordinates the annual National Aboriginal Coaching Award, handed out each year to two certified coaches that have demonstrated both their coaching skills, and their dedication to their players, and to the community.

Although the awards are handed out each year to recognize the most outstanding Aboriginal athletes and coaches in Canada, the awards criteria goes beyond just athletic achievements, explained Gina Doxtator, ASC program manager.

"Part of the criteria is also to have more of a holistic approach to their development. So it's not all about athletics. It's also about their personal lives, and their cultural lives. And just how they're developing as a whole person and not just athletically."

Every year, the ASC's member organizations, representing different regions across the country, recognize athletes and coaches with regional Tom Longboat Awards and regional Aboriginal Coaching Awards. Those regional winners then become the nominees for the national awards.

To be eligible for the Tom Longboat award, athletes must be of Aboriginal descent, and must have amateur status in the sport for which they are being nominated. Nominations must be based on the athlete's achievements during the award's current calendar year.

Each of the regional Tom Longboat Award recipients receives a Tom Longboat Award medallion. The two National Tom Longboat Award winners receive Tom Longboat Award rings, and have their names added to the Tom Longboat Award Trophy, which is displayed in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. Both national recipients also receive a cash bursary of $500 to help support their ongoing training and competitive programs.

To be eligible for nomination for an Aboriginal Coaching Award, a coach must be of Aboriginal descent, and must be certified through the 3M National Coaching Certification Program. Nominees must be non-paid coaches, and must be actively coaching during the award's current calendar year.

Each regional recipient of the Aboriginal Coaching Award receives a limited edition wind suit. The two National Aboriginal Coaching Award winners receive a trophy, and a $250 cash bursary to help support their coaching development.

The call for nominations for the 2002 awards will likely go out sometime in May, with a submission deadline in December.

Nomination forms are available on the Aboriginal Sport Circle's Web site at http://www.aboriginalsportcircle.ca, or at the ASC national office at 613-938-1176.