ARRIVAL LOUNGE
IT’S ALL ABOUT GOALS AND GETTING THERE
Rhonda Lewis was honoured and inducted into the Hall of Honour at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, Scarborough.
By LOVINA D’SOUZA
During one of my regular visits to the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, my gaze caught a familiar face: Rhonda Lewis, my children’s field hockey coach, surrounded by media and photographers.
Rhonda was honoured and inducted into the Hall of Honour at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre, Scarborough.
Her love for sports began early. “My passion for sports started at a very young age in school in Bombay (now Mumbai),” she shares. “I was lucky to attend a school which was known for its athletic prowess where my passion was fostered. Although I participated in several sports, I found myself veering towards field hockey which complemented my skills and expertise at the time.”
Rhonda quickly advanced in the competitive scene. “As I grew with the sport, I was selected for several national events including captaining the Bombay women’s team and the Indian national camp.”
When she moved to Canada, field hockey was almost unheard of, overshadowed by the popularity of ice hockey.
“When I migrated to Canada, I was surprised that there were no opportunities for kids to play field hockey. It was a sport that was played at that time only at the girls’ high school level in Toronto. So I decided to start a field hockey program focusing on kids aged four and up. I approached several authorities to apply for and obtain gymnasium facilities, field hockey equipment, etc. This program was started at no cost to the kids, purely on a volunteer basis, since I wanted to attract kids from the community and be affordable.”
With that vision, Rhonda laid the foundation for something extraordinary: the Toronto Titans Field Hockey Club. Starting from scratch, she rallied volunteers, trained coaches, and recruited young players, all while eliminating financial and social barriers for families. The program grew exponentially by word of mouth, coached by qualified NCCP coaches and grew to be the largest junior club in Ontario.
“Players from our club program soon started representing the province and even on national team,” she says.
By welcoming everyone, regardless of age, gender, or skill, Toronto Titans went on to boast over 350 medals, 112 provincial athletes, 35 national athletes, 15 qualified coaches, and teams in every male and female division from junior to masters.
Rhonda accomplished all this while balancing a full-time career and raising a family in her new home in Canada.
All the while, her passion for developing field hockey grew.
“I had expanded my volunteer work and became involved in the sport at the provincial and national levels. I led U-19 Ontario provincial teams to national championship crowns in both the indoor and outdoor games and was named the Ontario Coach of the Month in 2007. I served on the Field Hockey Ontario Board of Directors and the Field Hockey Canada Board of Directors. I was also a member of the International Year of the Youth Working Committee and the Coaching Development Sub-Committee at Field Hockey Canada. In 2013, I was appointed the Local Course Coordinator for the Pan American Hockey Federation High Performance Coaching Course held in Toronto.”
Despite her immense contributions, Rhonda had no expectations of a formal recognition. “After nearly three decades of volunteer service, I was inducted to the City of Toronto’s Sports Hall of Honour as a Community Sport Volunteer in 2018. My induction came as a surprise to me. I was doing what I loved to do without expecting any recognition. My goal was to help as many young athletes as I could to reach their all-round goals through core leadership values of discipline, determination, dependability and dedication. While scoring goals is important, I believe that achieving goals is paramount. I felt honoured and humbled at the same time. I am also grateful to have had the opportunity to impact many young lives and watch them grow into successful young professionals with exciting careers.
“Field hockey is well organized at the national level by Field Hockey Canada and at each provincial level by the provincial organizations. Anyone interested in pursuing the sport is encouraged to contact a club in their province. Clubs are listed on provincial organization websites,” says Rhonda.
Rhonda continues her mission through the Toronto Titans Field Hockey Club that offers both indoor and outdoor programs year-round and free community clinics.
“My goal at this point is to continue to grow the sport at the junior level programs.”
From a hockey stick in India to a Hall of Honour in Canada, Rhonda Lewis has written her legacy one goal at a time.
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• If you’d like to share the story of your arrival in Canada, please write to desinews@rogers.com or call 416-695-4357.