CONNECT, Fort McMurray

by Curtis J. Phillips

It may be one of the greatest sporting moments in Fort McMurray history.

The year was 1994. A tall lanky kid from Westwood Community High School was about to play the perfect volleyball game.

At least as perfect as one can get.

It was only two years prior that the same kid was sitting the bench.

Now before a large crowd at the Abyss he served the ball. Ace.

He served another powerhouse. Ace again.

This would continue 23 more times. Final score 25-0.

An achievement like this is akin to striking out 27 batters in a baseball game with only two or three times someone actually making contact with the ball! Or having someone scoring 50 points in a basketball game with only one field goal missed. Or a player scoring seven goals in a hockey game with only seven shots on net.

The player of question was named Jonathon Michael Walsh.

Born July 12, 1977 in Fort McMurray, young Jon was a true statement to dedication and persistence.

For the last 15 years, whenever I talk to local young athletes about how to never give up and to continue to reach for their dreams, I tell them about Jon Walsh.

He did not make his team in Grade 9 and sat the bench in Grade 10.

With determination and drive he made the starting line-up in Grade 11.

In Grade 12, as attested to the above feat, he was one of the best high school volleyball players in the province.

He would go on to play volleyball at Red Deer College assisting the Kings to a No. 1 ranking in the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association for three consecutive years 1996-1999.

He would then shift over to the Calgary Dinos program where the team was ranked 3rd and 5th nationally in the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) from 1999-2001.

The dream of playing professional volleyball presented itself when the 199 cm universal position player suited up for the FT 1844 club in Freiburg, Germany (2001-2002).

His talents – 254 cm standing reach, 350 cm approach reach – would also find him playing for in Ponta Delgada in Azores Portugal (2002-2004), Mont St Guibertin in Belgium (2004-2005) and Brother Martinus in Amstelveen Netherlands (2005-2007).

Remember this is the sport of volleyball where hundreds of millions of people play around the globe and only a few may be called professional!

After his professional career he took on the role of volleyball agent for Bring it on Promotions based in the Netherlands and represented professional volleyball players in 26 different countries.

Big Jon was guest speaker at the banquet during the 2009 CCAA Men’s Volleyball Championships which were held here in Fort McMurray.

A local hero for local athletes to look up to.

Volunteering my time to do play-by-play for all 13 tourney games, I had only a few quick minutes to catch up with Jon that weekend.

I could tell that he was enjoying life and of most importance, giving back to the sport he loved.  I was happy for him.

We kept in touch the next few months through Facebook messages and such.

One of our last e-mail conversations were in regards to the inductees getting into the 2010 Wood Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame which was only a month away or so. It was a great discussion.

A few weeks later I received an e-mail that Jon had passed away April 27, 2010 in Lausanne, Switzerland of cardiac arrest shortly after playing a game of beach volleyball.

Shock to say the least for everyone.

Showing you what sort of guy he was in life, there are now annual volleyball tournaments played in his name in both Red Deer and Fort McMurray at the respective colleges.

Come June 15, 2011, Jon will have his name added to the Class of 2011 for the Wood Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame at the 5th Induction dinner.

This is not a knee jerk action but one that he deserves as his name had been on previous nominations.

Jon will join baseball’s Joe Young, golf’s Stuart Anderson and hockey’s Brian Shantz. All young men who learned their early skills here in Fort McMurray. All young men who went on to become professional athletes. All Fort McMurray heroes.

Not bad for a kid who sat the bench in Grade 10.

Catch you on the rebound.