The Top 15: Nova Scotia’s Greatest Athletes
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The Top 15: Nova Scotia’s Greatest Athletes
The old story goes that a softball batter took a called ball. The catcher complained to the umpire who said “It was low.” The batter chimed in, “It sounded low to me, too, ump,” knowing the pitch was almost impossible to see.
Mark Smith threw an awful lot of “sounded” pitches in his twenty-five-year career as one of the best softball pitchers in creation. The left-hander threw hard. He threw accurately. And he piled up a lot of wins for his teams.
Batters (we won’t call them hitters because they didn’t hit very often against Smith) would probably tell you the ball smacked the catcher’s glove before it left Smith’s hand. He was that good.
Whether it’s personal interest or family tradition, everyone, regardless of interest in sports, seems to have a favourite player or team. J. E. Morton, former mayor of Halifax, came up with the idea for the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame in order to recognize the birth of hockey in Nova Scotia. Since it’s opening on November 3rd, 1964, the diversity of sports and athletes has grown immensely.
Beginning with a list of 102 athletes capturing some of the greatest athletes in Nova Scotia, not restricted to Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame inductees, the names were whittled down to the 15 highlighted in The Top 15, including individuals who overcame gender barriers, racial barriers, illness, disabilities, and poverty to become some of Nova Scotia’s greatest athletes. From original inductees to those inducted over the years, and some who the committees felt belong in the top 15 who haven’t been inducted (yet), even the least athletic reader will feel a connection to the athletes included in The Top 15 as well as those who receive honourable mentions.
The text, a mix of biography and anecdotes told in a uniquely Nova Scotian way, makes it clear that these athletes were chosen for their greatness in sports and in life. Readers will learn Aileen Meagher, who won a bronze medal as a member of the 4 x 100 relay team at the Berlin Olympics, is recognized for her contributions to opening sports to women and that she was also a beloved teacher and became a well-known painter. Charming stories, such as that of how Meagher chose to run to work, (which earned her the moniker “The Flying Schoolmarm”), and then used her tram fare to buy doughnuts instead, serve to humanize these athletic idols.
Via copious illustrations, primarily colour photos, boxes with quotes from the athletes and short lists of facts, readers get a first impression of the subject before reading the full chapter. Whether reading cover-to-cover or just thumbing through, readers will enjoy the numerous timelines covering a variety of topics including memorable moments, accomplishments of pioneers, and unique nicknames. Educators may find the lists useful in creating activities for students, whether they’ve read the book or not, and readers may be inspired to do some research of their own. A space at the end of the book invites readers to add “My Top 15”, a list that may grow and change as new Nova Scotian athletes take their place in the spotlight.
Readers who don’t have a favourite Nova Scotian athlete will have at least one name to add by the end of the book.
Crystal Sutherland (MLIS, MEd (Literacy)) is the librarian at the Nova Scotia Advisory Council on the Status of Women in Halifax, Nova Scotia.