A native of Woodstock, Ontario, Kerry Leitch reached the junior ranks as a figure skater and was also a professional baseball player. After his competitive days ended, he turned his attention to coaching which led to a career that spanned six decades. His early mentors were world-renowned coaches Otto Gold and Marcus Nikkanen. He was the long-time head coach of the Preston Figure Skating Club and he coached both pair and singles. A world championship and Olympic coach, his Champions Training Centre in Cambridge, Ontario, was home to both Canadian and international competitors. He and his coaching team led 48 Canadian champions to the top of the podium, including Lloyd Eisler, Katherina Matousek, Christine (Tuffy) Hough, Doug Ladret, Cynthia Coull, Mark Rowsom, Cindy Landry, and Lyndon Johnston.

As a former Figure Skating Coaches of Canada President and board member of the Canadian Figure Skating Association (now Skate Canada), Leitch helped to push the sport forward through his roles as a coach and sport administrator. He authored figure skating coach certification courses in both Canada and the USA, and was a featured presenter at many Canadian, US and ISU seminars for coaches, skaters and judges.

Inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The ProRodeo Hall of Fame is excited to announce it will be celebrating 35 years in the Pikes Peak region with an open house on Aug. 6.

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the Hall of Fame grounds, is free to the public, and will feature food, entertainment and music throughout the day.

There be fun for all ages, including pony rides and face painting for kids, stage coach rides, caricatures and roping demonstrations.

Additionally, the open house will feature several different forms of entertainment, including the Gold Canyon Wild West Gunfighters, trick roper Craig Ingram and the Pikes Peak Rangerettes Drill Team.

Country music artist Trinity Seely will perform at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:15 p.m., and the Flying W Wranglers will close out the day’s festivities, performing from 5-7 p.m.

“The ProRodeo Hall of Fame has 35 years of proud history to celebrate since first opening in 1979 here in Colorado Springs,” HOF Director Kent Sturman said. “This open house is a way to showcase our history and achievements to both tourists and local residents alike. We hope the community of Colorado Springs, as well as many people from across the country, join us to celebrate this milestone. We are proud to call Colorado Springs home.”

The event will feature vendors in the pavilion area and autograph sessions with state rodeo queens and 2014 Miss Rodeo America Paige Nicholson, as well as past and current inductees and world champions.

“A Look Back at the ProRodeo Hall of Fame and Professional Rodeo” historical exhibit featured in the 101 Gallery opened May 1, and will be open through September. In the gift shop, 35th anniversary merchandise will be featured.

The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame and “Music City” are preparing for the delegates to experience the 44th annual ISHA conference.  Come early, stay late! With such a diverse lineup, Music City’s set list has something great for you and your family!

“The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame is truly honored and excited to host the 2014 International Sports Heritage Association Conference,” said Executive Director Dr. Bill Emendorfer. “Nashville is one of the great cities to visit in the United States. Tennessee is a blend of great food, fabulous entertainment and true southern culture. This year’s conference will provide an opportunity to hear exclusive features from experts in a wide range of fields. The conference will set your stage for your success with the help from the many experts presenting at this year’s event.”

The opening session will begin on Monday, October 27, taking the delegates on a behind-the-scenes trip to 1220 Exhibits where a hands-on session in the art and craft of mount-making will take place. The visit will conclude with a catered barbecue lunch, courtesy of our host and Gold Medal Sponsor 1220 Exhibits. The Welcome Reception Monday evening will be held at the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, located in the heart of downtown Nashville, with light hors d’ouevres and adult beverages.  This will give you a great opportunity to network with your colleagues, who are facing the same struggles, and challenges you are, and the vendors who are there to help solve them.

The Evening of Champions dinner will be held on Tuesday evening at Bridgestone Arena in the Patron Club Luxury Lounge with keynote speaker Hope Hines, author of In Hines’ Sight: The Ups, Downs and Rebounds of 40 Years in Sports Broadcasting
The final Wednesday session will hit home with all institutions — Where Have All the Women Gone? This session will be presented by Joan Cronan, Athletic Director Emeritus at the University of Tennessee. Cronan helped build and oversee one of the nations most respected and popular women’s programs, which grew to 10 sports and had a multi-million dollar budget. Dr. Amy Baker, Sport Management Associate Professor at Belmont University, will also present on Wednesday. Her topic focuses on the importance of the achievements made by women in sports and how Title IX played a huge role in creating opportunities in all areas of sports and those of us who honor these individuals.

The conference will conclude with the Farewell Lunch Wednesday afternoon. We have the pleasure of hosting Ralph Schultz, President & CEO of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. Most importantly, Ralph was very instrumental in taking the Adventure Science Center from off the map to a main attraction in Nashville. He will explore this topic and more as we send you off with a book full of ideas.

October is the perfect time to visit Nashville.  The conference is in the heart of all things music with the County Music Hall of Fame and Honkey Tonk row offering you and your family a chance to see the next great country music star…and maybe a few of your favorites, too.

But Nashville is not just about the music.  While you are here, visit The Hermitage, presidential home of Andrew Jackson, which has more original furnishings than any other presidential home. Check out the winery at Belle Meade Plantation, take a stroll through Edwin and Percy Warner Park or cheer on the hometown teams, the Tennessee Titans and the Nashville Predators.  If you are a foodie, Nashville has 8 restaurants that made Southern Living’s list of 100 Places to Eat Now. And don’t forget the shopping. The nearby Opry Mills mall was named the “Top Shopping Destination in the Southern Region” by Groups Today Magazine and Nashville as a whole was voted #4 of the Best U.S. Cities for Shopping by readers of USA Today and 10Best.

So come to set your stage for success with your Hall, and enjoy all Nashville has to offer!!!

IMG_1650 LCSHoF has been involved in the 150th anniversary of the 1864 Charlottetown Conference in PEI by installing an exhibit featuring our Maritime Honored Members as well as showcasing some of our Special Treasures. Special artifacts featured are the Olympic relay torches used in each of the Olympic Games Canada has hosted, miniature replica Grey Cup belonging to Wayne Gretzky, 1887 shotput trophy from the World’s Fair won by George Gray, and a Gold Medal from the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam won by the Women’s 4x100m team.   This exhibit is located on the Waterfront in Charlottetown until Sept. 7, 2014.  A special thank you to PEI 2014 for their support of the creation of this major off-site exhibition.

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame’s (CSHoF) 2014 Induction will be held in Toronto on Oct. 22, 2014 at the Mattamy Centre. The Athletes who will be recognized with Canada’s highest sporting honor are Ski Jumping champion, Horst Bulau, pioneer of the Superpipe event, Sarah Burke, dual sport champion, Pierre Harvey, Women’s hockey pioneer, Geraldine Heaney, Figure Skating superstar, Elizabeth Manley and Canada’s gift to rugby, Gareth Rees. The Builders who who will be honored are wheelchair basketball pioneer, Tim Frick and renowned basketball coach, Kathy Shields.