Pike, Humber Jumps to be inducted into NLVA Hall of Fame

After moving to Corner Brook from his hometown of Windsor in 1960, he started Grade 9 at Amalgamated Regional High (the current Corner Brook Regional High), where he was introduced to the sport of volleyball. Four years later, he was playing for Memorial University of Newfoundland’s volleyball team, a stint which lasted five years.

He returned to Corner Brook to teach at Herdman Collegiate in 1969-70, coaching both men’s and women’s team, before teaching for a year at Templeton Collegiate, where he coached male and female volleyball as well.

He got a full-time position at G.A. Mercer Junior High in 1972, coaching volleyball there for 26 years until it closed in 1998. He coached at G.C. Rowe for one last year and then retired in 1999.

The Humber Jumpers, meanwhile, were a 16U team put together by coaches Finton Gaudette and Henry Hounsell — who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010 in the builders category — in 1995.

That year, the team went a perfect 5-0 in the provincial championships, and also competing above their age level in the 18U B championships, capturing a silver medal. At the national level, the Jumpers won silver at the Eastern Canadian Championship.

They captured several NLVA awards that season, including player of the year honours for Chad Keats; co-coaches of the year honours for Gaudette and Hounsell; and the team of the year award.

The team continued for two more seasons, winning a silver at the 18U provincial juvenile championships in 1996, before snagging the gold medal at the same tournament the following year. They also won the 1997 national juvenile championship.

Many of the players went on to represent the province at the national and varsity level.

Also being inducted on Saturday is Mike Murrin of Bay Roberts, who once coached at the U16 level in Corner Brook.

Saturday’s banquet will take place 6:30 p.m. in Studio 2 of the civic centre.