Hall of Fame 2017 Inductees

The Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame continues its celebration of the best in community’s sports with the induction of two athletes, two teams and three builders for the class of 2017. Joining the accomplished list of Hall of Fame members are soccer’s Carlo Corrazin, football’s Nick Hebeler, Centennial Secondary’s senior girls basketball teams of 1987 and 1988, and builders Barry Parish, Vivien Symington and Ken Winslade. The athletes being honoured have elevated their game and their sport to higher levels through determination, skill and dedication, from football’s Nick Hebeler, the Centennial senior girls basketball teams of 1987 and 1988, and soccer’s Carlo Corazzin.

ATHLETES

CARLO CORAZZIN – soccer
At every level, Coquitlam’s Carlo Corazzin was known as a goal scorer. From his pro debut with the Canadian Soccer League’s Winnipeg Fury, through an eight-year stint in England, to his glorious appearances for Canada on the international stage, Corazzin was a striker of the first order. After one season with the Vancouver 86ers in 1993, where he scored seven times in 24 games, the Cape Horn soccer product began an eight-year stint in the English leagues, playing for Cambridge United, Plymouth Argyle, Northampton Town and Oldham Athletic, including back-to-back 16-goal campaigns. For Oldham, he counted four goals in one game. He returned home to star with the Vancouver Whitecaps of the USL A-league. Among many highlights, Corazzin was a major contributor to Canada’s victory at the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup, beating Colombia 2-0 in the final. He led the international tournament with four goals, earning the Golden Boot Award. Corrazin completed his international career with 11 goals in 59 games, and retired as a Whitecap in 2006. He’s remained an active and popular force in the sport, both in Coquitlam and nationally.

NICK HEBELER – football
A powerful defensive end with the BC Lions, Hebeler joined the Canadian Football League team as a territorial exemption, having honed his craft at Simon Fraser University. As a rookie in 1979, the charismatic local boy established himself as an up-and-comer with a team of young guns. He was a rarity on the defensive end – usually stocked by strapping, beefy American imports – and became a key piece in the Lions’ emergence as a Grey Cup contender in the early 1980s. Hebeler could invoke fear in an opposing quarterback’s eyes while bringing fans out of their seats as a flamboyant, colourful member of the Orange Crush. In 1981 he racked up an impressive 12 quarterback sacks, then upped that total to 14 in 1982, getting named an All-Canadian all-star in the process. His final season with the BC Lions was capped with a 37-24 victory over Hamilton for the Grey Cup at BC Place, ending the franchise’s 21-year championship drought. Hebeler ended his career in 1986 with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, totaling 56.5 career sacks in 113 CFL regular season games. He was inducted into the BC Lions Wall of Fame in 2012.

TEAM

CENTENNIAL CENTAURS senior girls basketball teams 1987-88 – basketball
During a two-year span, Centennial proved to be the dominating force on the provincial senior girls basketball circuit. In 1986-87, a team with big aspirations but an underdog status racked up major victories en route to the BCs, including beating Abbotsford for the program’s first Fraser Valley title in 14 years. Ranked 4th entering the 1987 BCs, Centennial went on a stellar run that culminated with a 68-53 win over favoured Salmon Arm in the final. Chrystal Caldwell was named the tourney MVP, with Chris Marshall earning a first all-star team position. A year later, the Centaurs started the season as the defending champions with five returnees from the previous year. After a slow start, the squad came together, despite a couple of tough losses in tournament finals to their rivals from Salmon Arm. At the provincials they caught fire and peeled off three wins before besting Windsor 71-59 to repeat as champions, with Tarys Gerrard cashing in 32 points to earn a spot on the first all-star team, alongside teammate Laura Betcher.

The Centennial Centaurs are: (1987) coaches Steve Pettifer and Kim Elliott; Pat Ashworth, Laura Betcher, Crystal Caldwell, Sheila Corbould, Tiffany Cooper, Lisa Elliott, Tanys Gerrard, Tara Kendrick, Chris Marshall, Hjorleifson Moraine, Mary-Anne Parolin, Marci Robertson, Becky Severy; managers Stacey Berghauser, Christine Coupe and Tiffany Cox. (1988) coach Steve Pettifer; Laura Betcher, Tammy Bolton, Shawna Clarke, Tiffany Cooper, Sheila Corbould, Chrissie Flouris, Tanys Gerrard, Jill Harris, Tracy King, Maria Klassen, Jody Lindsay, Becky Severy, Milene Sibble, Miriam Valois; managers Fiona Herbert, Tara Kendrick and Jennifer Wilshire.

BUILDERS

BARRY PARISH – swimming
From his lengthy volunteer involvement with the Coquitlam Sharks swim club, to a 40-year commitment as a swim official, Barry Parish has been the epitome of dedication. He has served at nearly every level, including as director of officials for the Simon Fraser region of B.C. Summer Swimming for six years, and a regional director for another seven. His involvement at the committee level over saw major changes as BCSSA aligned its rules to international FINA rules. Helping others learn how to officiate, Parish has seen swimmers make the move to volunteers on the deck and conducted numerous officials clinics around the region. The first person to be awarded a lifetime membership by the Coquitlam Sharks, Parish has volunteered with Special Olympics, B.C. High School swimming, Swim BC and Coquitlam-hosted 55-plus Games in 2016. After the death of his son Jason in 1991, Parish established the Jason Parish Memorial scholarship, awarded to deserving BC summer swimmers. His involvement in the sport of swimming, as both a tireless volunteer and mentor, has been a major contribution factor for the sport thriving not only in his hometown of Coquitlam but across the province.

VIVIEN SYMINGTON – gymnastics
In a sport where much of the glory belongs to teenagers, Coquitlam’s Vivien Symington has played a role in making gymnastics inclusive and empowering for all levels of participants. Exposed to the role and science of sports rehabilitation through her father’s studies, Symington obtained degrees in Physical and Health Education at Queen’s and Dalhousie universities, specializing in adapting physical education and gymnastics. She in turn applied that knowledge, as well as her many years of experience and passion for helping others, by making the sport more accessible. With 40 years of coaching experience and as owner of one of Coquitlam’s largest gymnastics centres, Symington opened her gym and has offered programs for recreational, competitive and non-traditional users. In 2002, she established a program for children living with Autism Spectrum Disorder, that has grown into the Empowering Steps Movement Therapy Program. It serves 120 children and youth every year who are living with neurodevelopmental delay issues. The program has produced significant results in improvements that benefit students at home, school and in the community. Her club has also produced numerous provincial and national-level competitors. In her pursuit of helping others, she created the Symington Endowment Fund, held in trust at the Coquitlam Foundation, to financially support children with neurodevelopmental delays, youth at risk, and high performance gymnasts. In 2013 Gymnastics BC awarded Symington with the Member of Distinction honour.

KEN WINSLADE – basketball
As an administrator and volunteer, Coquitlam’s Ken Winslade played a major role in the transformation of the B.C. High School Boys Basketball championship tournament over nearly 50 years of involvement.

Coming off a stellar playing career, both at Duke of Connaught and UBC, Winslade stepped up as a volunteer in 1965 in a variety of capacities – in fact, his involvement began prior to the end of his UBC playing days. He served as tournament director from 1968 until 1991, seeing the tournament flourish and grow as boys basketball gained in popularity. In 1991, he served on the BC 3A championship tournament executive committee, and volunteered in a similar capacity when the provincial league expanded to a 4-A division. He continues to serve as an advisor. Through his guidance, the association was able to reach fiscal certainty and purchased a portable basketball court, now known as the ‘Ken Winslade Court,’ presently used at the Langley Events Centre. A longtime Coquitlam resident, Winslade served as an executive director and treasurer within the provincial high school basketball association, and was a member with the scholarship committee for 32 years as well as a historian for the association. Boys basketball in BC has grown and expanded under the guidance of volunteers like Ken Winslade.