Yarmouth area’s sports Hall of Fame inducts 3 individuals, 1 team
Local sports heritage group holds induction dinner for 21st straight year
Another Hall of Fame induction ceremony is history for the Yarmouth Town and County Sports Heritage Association, which honoured its newest inductees at a May 19 dinner at the Rodd Grand Hotel.
Entering the Hall of Fame this year as individuals were Tessa Boudreau (hockey), Bryan Hipson (runner) and Shannon Smith (swimmer). Inducted as a team was the Yarmouth Concrete and Gravel mosquito D baseball squad of three decades ago, recognized in particular for their provincial and Maritime titles in 1987.
The evening also included the presentation of the Nate Bain award, which is given annually to the previous year’s Yarmouth County athlete of the year. The male award went to volleyball player Derek d’Eon, the female award to basketball player Allie Berry.
Mike Scott received the Jim Hatfield award in recognition of his contribution to baseball. Like the Nate Bain award, the Jim Hatfield award presentation has be- come a regular part of the Hall of Fame banquet.
With three individuals and a team entering the Hall of Fame, this year’s slate of inductees was the smallest in the 21-year history of the local sports Hall of Fame.
In a departure from the traditional schedule for the induction banquet – where the formalities normally are done after the dinner portion of the evening – this year’s event had Bryan Hipson being inducted prior to the meal. This was done so that he could get on the road to Halifax, where he was slated to run the following morning’s Blue Nose Marathon. (Hipson ended up placing second in the city’s full marathon – a race he won two years ago – in 2:53:56.)
Shannon Smith, who lives in California – in La Jolla, San Diego County – was not here for the Hall of Fame induction dinner. His mother, well-known longtime Yarmouth Whitecap swim coach Ginny Smith, represented him at the ceremony.
The Hall of Fame banquet has been held annually since 1998. Over the years the number of inductions has grown to 137. That includes 105 individuals and 32 teams.
The Hall of Fame plaques – along with photos of the inductees and biographical information – are on display at the sports heritage association’s facility at 435 Main St., where visitors also will find a variety of other items related to the Yarmouth area’s athletic history. Tessa Boudreau (hockey) was one of this year’s Yarmouth sports Hall of Fame inductees.