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Darts Alberta members are exploring and contributing
to the sport in many different facets. Member news is about
Darts Alberta Members and their stories.
Listed in reverse chronological order. Scroll down for past years.
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2008
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DA Member Profile: Family Legacy in
Darts - By Dean Lawson (DA 1st Vice-President)
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As most of us are able to relate to, a legacy is not unfamiliar in every day life. What truly varies would be what the legacy is. For some it may be a family heirloom, an old book or even something from genealogy.
But how many of us can claim a legacy being passed down from one generation to another based on a sport? Not too many of us, especially if the sport is darts! And no one that I know of can stake a claim to passing this legacy not just from one generation to another, but to a fourth generation!
Though I agree that we can “encourage” our kids and other family members to play a sport, how is it that the passion for the sport is passed down? Though I am no psychologist (thank God), the only way I feel you can pass on a legacy such as this is to truly love every aspect of the sport. If you love the sport, you strive for excellence and enjoy every experience to get you along the way.
Well, such a family lives in Medicine Hat and is very well known throughout the “dart” community. Who is it? Of course, this family could only be the Dooley’s!
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Back: Kay Dooley, Doug Dooley, Anne Marie Coroluick
Middle: Jacob and Nathan Collins
Front: Shauna and Scott Collins
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Starting with the leader of the pack, we have Mr. Doug Dooley and his blushing bride Kay. Coming from St. John’s, Nfld, they moved to Medicine Hat where they kept the passion of darts going. Doug and Kay are still actively playing and very proud to say that children Derek Dooley and Anne Marie Coroluick carried on these traditions.
Of course, some may not know this, but Anne Marie has become the ambassador for Medicine Hat as she continues to vie for a position again on Team Alberta. Plus, Anne Marie holds a position on the Executive for Darts Alberta. Obviously, we all wish Anne Marie the very best as she pursues this journey once again. Her husband Darryl is her greatest supporter!
So what happens when other children see what their parents and grand parents do? Well, obviously they join in the fun.
And, when Anne Marie saw something special in her son Scott, she decided to encourage him to learn all aspects of the sport and enrolled him in the Youth Darts in Medicine Hat when he was coming of age. It was there, where Scott got to learn the tactics of the sport and hone his skills under the expert guidance of our resident “pro” Taf Hatter. Of course, Taf was highly motivated as a mentor as his son Chris was also developing his skills. Together, Scott and Chris developed their dart skills and a strong friendship while competing locally and out of town.
Anne Marie’s daughter, Tammy Murschell, also plays darts, though she is currently too busy parenting to be as active as she would like to be.
Well, hard to believe, but Scott isn’t so young anymore! Sharing his passion, his lovely wife Shauna is also an avid dart player and together they have two adorable young men (Nathan & Jacob), gearing up to become the full-fledged fourth generation of dart throwers.
In fact, Nathan has already started to hone in on the bulls-eye, just like his father does! Which means, the rest of us better watch out, as given the family’s history, he will become quite the adversary!
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So, given the history of the family, especially Scott and Chris Hatter, what better time to pose for a “Fourth Generation Dart Pose” than the Chris Hatter Memorial Dart Tournament, as depicted below? It was here that we even got to enjoy watching Nathan throw a few darts at the bulls-eye, giving us a taste of what is yet to come.
From Doug all the way to Scott, there is a talent and passion in this family that few of us will ever be able to experience, unless we challenge them on the oche, only then will we be “educated”.
I am honoured to have been able to play either with or against all of them, except Nathan and well, I’m sure that day will come soon enough. We are very proud of each and every one of them for what they represent as a family member and as a dart player.
Never lose focus and keep the pride and tradition alive!
- Dean Lawson
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Brody Chapman: A Tribute to a
Champion - By Dean Lawson (DA 1st Vice-President)
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What is a champion? We all have our own perception as to what a champion is, or what a champion should be. But, do we really know what a champion is? According to Oxford, a champion is precisely this:
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Photo courtesy of Brody’s website
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Champion: noun
1. someone who has won a competition,
2. a person who fights or argues for a cause or another person,
3. (verb) support the cause of…
Now, as we play the competitive sport of darts, we have all experienced and can support definition
#1. What about number 2 or 3? How many of us can honestly make reference to using those definitions with every day life? Very few, if any!
What if I told you, there happens to be such a person?
Would you believe me if I told you there happens to be a young child that fits the profile?
And, how would it make you feel knowing that such an honourable person lived in our great province of Alberta?
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Well, such a person does exist…his name is Brody Chapman, and he is only 11 years old. Brody resides in Eckville with his mom and dad- Carmen and Jim Chapman. Though many aren’t familiar with Brody, most DA members are familiar with his mom and dad.
A few years ago, Carmen was the Youth Coordinator for the Central Alberta Youth Dart League and held that position for some time. While being the coordinator for this youth league, Carmen continuously promoted youth darts and to this day, continues to promote it. Carmen and Jim were so involved that she actually created the first ever Youth Ranked Tournament (The Silver Cup). Carmen and Jim’s passion for promoting darts also included the organizing of the Darts Alberta Ranked Red Deer Open (formerly the Northhill Classic), as well as creating an adult league in Red Deer and most recently in
Eckville. It is quite apparent that Carmen and Jim have sheer determination and a great understanding as to the importance of not giving up on dreams and they strive to achieve success. So, how does this fit in with Brody, what does it matter and what makes Brody an ambassador to champions?
Very simple! Brody has Leukemia and has been undergoing treatments since Easter 2007. What truly makes Brody a champion though isn’t just his willingness to succeed in defeating his illness, but he really wants to help others strive for the same victory. A startling statistic is that each year, over 550 children in Alberta are diagnosed with cancer, and throughout Canada, over 16000. We don’t stop to realize how close to home this is until we are faced with the adversity. Most of us are fortunate enough that we don’t understand the pain and hardships a family must endure when dealing with such illnesses as cancer. But, what happens when it hits home?
Well, Brody has created a unique method to help kids of all ages deal with their illnesses and approach the road to recovery with a positive approach. As the old saying goes “you are what you see” is quite apparent with Brody as he has adopted many of his parent’s traits when it comes to striving for success and facing life with a positive outlook. To the tune, Brody has created the “scrapping with cancer” concept. Through the support and guidance of his family and medical personnel, he has been passing this novel idea onto other children whenever possible. It all began because of his passion for photography and of course, a lot of time during the treatments. Just seeing Brody in action, draws the attention of other children and before long, they too are scrap booking either with or along side Brody. As encouraged from the medical personnel at the hospital, a project such as this can have therapeutic attributes to the treatments.
And talk about determination! As of December 2007, 100 of these kits had been distributed to the Stollery Hospital in Edmonton. By March 2008, another 200 kits will be delivered. It is Brody’s goal to have one of these scrap booking kits in the hands of each child fighting cancer, starting in Alberta and working his way through Canada. The kits cost about $60 each and Brody is hoping to raise at least $35000 annually to ensure that all children stricken with cancer will be able to have one of these scrap booking kits. As a result of Brody’s efforts, he has managed to draw the attention from the media and countless people.
Brody’s actions and dreams are not only honourable, but they are extremely noble and could only be achieved from someone with the heart of a champion. And, as quoted by Brody, “I know I can’t make them better but I can help make them feel better.” Spoken like a true champion! We can all learn from Brody and all that he represents.
After researching the possibilities of contributing and some heartfelt meetings amongst the DA Executive, though it was deemed that DA could not make a direct contribution, their prayers continue to go to Brody and his family and wish them success with this
endeavour.
For more information on how you can help Brody, please visit:
http://www.freewebs.com/scrapingwithcancer/
Or by email at:
chappy63@persona.ca
- Dean Lawson
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Carl Mercer Participates in WPDC in January
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2007
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Dianne Greening, Alberta Youth Director, Receives NDFC
Life Membership
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Darts Alberta is proud to extend our special congratulations to Dianne Greening on being
awarded a life membership with the NDFC for her years of outstanding volunteerism in our
sport. The award was presented at the 2007 Youth Nationals Awards Banquet held in Montreal
on Sunday, May 20, 2007. When the NDFC Membership Director, Kip
Morrish, announced that an NDFC Life Membership was being awarded to one of the
Provincial Youth Directors in attendance, no one could have been more surprised than Dianne.
Dianne has been an integral component of Darts Alberta and our Youth Program since the mid-
90’s. She has been a solid and consistent member of the Executive throughout her many terms in
office and has brought her wisdom and knowledge to new executives throughout these years.
Dianne has also been involved in a number of projects of national scope over these years,
including being the organizer and tournament director of ten Youth Provincial Championships,
the organizer and host of the 2002 Youth National Championship in Edmonton and being an
integral component in the development of the NDFC National Coaching Program project.
Dianne dedicated a significant number of volunteer hours to the project and continued to ensure
that the youth perspective, at the community, provincial and national levels, was taken into
consideration when developing the coaching program.
Even with all of the volunteer hours spent at the provincial level, Dianne still finds time to
continue to be actively involved in coaching and organizing youth darts at the community level
with the Morinville Youth Dart League.
Congratulations Dianne. It is a well deserve recognition for someone
who has given as much time, energy and passion that you have dedicated to our sport.
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Sandi Orr, Dart Volunteer, Receives Provincial Sport Award
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Bi-annually, the Alberta Sport Parks Recreation and Wildlife Foundation recognizes volunteers
who have, through their commitment and dedication, advanced the development of sport in
Alberta. The recipients are selected based on their outstanding contributions at the community
or municipal level through a personal commitment to sport development, a consistent and
continuous record of service to the public, and community leadership in sport.
Darts Alberta is proud to extend our special congratulations to Sandi Orr on being recognized as
one of Alberta’s outstanding volunteers in sport. The award was presented at the 2007 Alberta
Sport Summit held in Banff on Friday, April 13, 2007.
As the President of Darts Alberta, I was extremely proud to be in attendance at this prestigious
awards ceremony and to be able to share in recognizing an individual with such passion and
dedication to our sport.
Involved with the sport of darts since 1987, Sandi has made an outstanding and
significant contribution on a provincial, national and international level. She has coached at numerous
national and international events as well as officiated at various national and provincial events.
Sandi lead the project team responsible for developing a coaching program, now recognized
by the NDFC. As Darts Alberta’s learning facilitator, she has trained the first-ever accredited
coaches in Canada for the sport. We are fortunate to have her as a member of our Executive.
Click
Here to View Award Presentation for Sandi Orr
Congratulations Sandi on earning this well-deserved recognition from Alberta Sport.
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2006
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Bill Hatter NDFC Life Membership Achievement
- By Sandi Orr (DA Secretary)
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Congratulations to Bill Hatter on being awarded NDFC Life Membership. The award was presented during the 2006 Adult Nationals Awards Banquet in Halifax and to say Bill was shocked and surprised would be an understatement.
Although it may not come as a surprise to many, Bill has been an integral component of Darts Alberta since the early 1990s. Bill currently serves as your President and Provincial Director and has been fulfilling these duties since 2003, in addition to serving as your Drawmaster since 2001. He has also served as the Darts Alberta Publicity Director and Medicine Hat Regional Youth Coordinator. Bill holds designation as an NCCP Competition Development Coach and has put these competencies to practice while coaching at regional, provincial, inter-provincial and national competitions for youth and adult competitors.
Bill has contributed thousands of volunteer hours to the sport of darts. His dedication to ensuring darts remains recognized as a sport by the Government of Alberta is second to none. In additional to his dedication within Alberta, Mr. Hatter has provided significant contributions to the development of the NDFC National Coaching Program project, in volunteer hours, planning and content development in an attempt to broaden the national profile of darts and increase the potential of darts being recognized nationally as a sport.
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Bill Hatter & Kip Morrish (NDFC Membership Director)
2006 National Awards Banquet, June 2006 – Halifax
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Congratulations Bill. It would be a challenge to find a more deserving individual with the passion you dedicate to our sport.
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2005
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Alberta’s Own Len Worrell Inducted to NDFC Hall of Fame
- By Sandi Orr (DA Secretary)
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Len Worrell & Sandi Orr (Darts Alberta Secretary)
at the Alberta Centennial Awards Ceremony held in Red Deer
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A special congratulations to Len Worrell on his recent induction into the NDFC Hall of Fame.
Len has contributed tens of thousands of hours to the sport of darts as an athlete, builder and volunteer since the early 1950’s.
Len has served in many capacities on several Boards of Directors of many dart organizations over the past five-and-ahalf decades – regionally, provincially and nationally.
Len is one of a select group of 100 Albertans recently recognized to receive the Alberta Centennial Award for Sport & Recreation.
As part of this award, his name stands proudly amongst many infamous sport figures such as Kurt Browning, Ron MacLean, and Peter Lougheed on a special Centennial Plaque that hangs prominently in the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame in Red Deer.
Congratulations and thank you for years of dedication you have contributed to our sport.
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Cindy Pardy Experience
at Dessert Classic /World Masters Letter
to Darts Alberta and NDFC
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TO: Darts Alberta, NDFC
RE: DESSERT CLASSIC /WORLD MASTERS
I would like to take this opportunity to thank both organizations for their sponsorship, allowing me to attend both the Dessert Classic and the World Masters in 2005.
Both events were quite an experience for a kid like me.
The Dessert Classic allowed me the opportunity to meet and get photos taken with some of the dart greats like John Part, Phil Taylor and Trina Gulliver just to name a few. It being my first time in Las Vegas was quite an experience also, but I can’t wait until I’m 21 so I can check out a few things I had to miss this time around.
The World Masters was quite a thrill, hundreds of people from all over the world participating, many like me, for the first time.
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Ken MacNeil (Edmonton), Cindy Pardy (Calgary) and
Gerry Hull of Qubeec
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The excitement was very overwhelming. Although we did not go as a team all of us Canadians stuck together and had a great time not only playing darts but exploring Bridlington, trying out the fish and chips and the Stella.
Everyone seemed to like the Canadians and we all made new friends and received lots of invitations to come and play in many different places.
In my opinion our shirts were the best - a quick scan of the room and you could locate us in a second.
I am attaching a photo we had taken at the event of us all except Dan Olson. (sorry Dan - we had not met up with Dan until later.)
Thanks again for the experience.
Merry Christmas to all.
Cindy Pardy
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2004
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Kevin Thorsteinson NDFC Life Time Membership
Award
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2002
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Eileen Haddon Inducted into the NDFC
Hall of Fame
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Tony Holyoake Inducted into the NDFC
Hall of Fame
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Sandi Orr NDFC Life Time Membership Award
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1998
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Gayl King Inducted into the NDFC
Hall of Fame
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Carl Mercer Inducted into the NDFC
Hall of Fame
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Len Worrell NDFC Life Time Membership Award
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For all News info, to submit an
article, for DA Publicity of any kind, please contact
the Publicity Director
(publicity@dartsalberta.com).
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- last updated
April 5, 2008
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