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Player / Builder / Coach
If the Hall of Fame were separated into categories Larry Doan could be placed in all the category. His contributions to the game of Touch Football both on and off the field were exemplary
Administrator:
President of TFBC from 1979-1983
"[ Paul Benwick ] and I basically ran Touch Football in 1979/1980. The President of the League quit part way thru the 1979 season and Paul and I stepped up to try and keep things going."
Member of a National Touch Football Working Committee that met in Ottawa 3 times a year 1982-1983
TFBC Senior Men's Rep 1984-85
Coach:
Coached Team Mardis Gras with Collin Farrell 1986-1987
Coached Mardis Gras on his own 1988-1990
Won National Championships all 5 years
Coached KATS of the Women's League 1991 - 1994
"(With Mardis Gras) I was handed this remarkable team. And when they broke up I wanted to see if I had any thing to do with them winning. Could I build a winning team… and that's why I chose the Kats."
Went to the Nationals all 4 years. Finished 3rd in 1991,1992
1st in 1993 and 1994
Player:
"I joined the league in it's first year of inception (1978). Following the 1978 season the Dolphins called and asked me to join their team. They weren't a particularly good team back then but they had more players than our team had (and I was tired of dragging guys out of bed on Sunday mornings so we wouldn't default for having less than 7 players) and they had nicer looking Jersey's so I agreed as long as they would give all our players a try out.
In the first Team meeting I attended, some skinny little 19-year-old, named Dale Baxter said he would like to try QB'ing and all his Teammates laughed.....Little did I know what a long and fabulous journey I was about to embark on. I often think about how different those years would have been if I hadn't left my Team and joined the Dolphins.
In my 1st Season (1979) with the Dolphins we won the Provincial Championships and went to Ottawa for the National Championships!! Little did I know that we would make the trip to the National Championships every year from 1981 - 1997. I was with the Dolphins for 19 years and we were fortunate to win 18 Provincial Titles. The Average White Team beat us in the semi-finals in 1980 to ensure we didn't have a 19 yr sweep!!
In those 18 trips to the Nationals we made it to the Championship Game a Canadian record 10 times and won the National Title a Canadian record 6 consecutive years from 1986-1991. We also won in 1997 for Canadian record 7 titles in total. These records still stand today!!
Most of my years I played center but in the earlier years (when I was actually fast) I played wide out and back-up rusher/corner on defense. I stuck around enough years that I managed to end up 3rd in the overall team scoring records.
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For almost all of my years my Coach was Larry Doan. He was fantastic. Larry was Competitive, knowledgeable and knew how to get the most out of his players. He knew how to handle each player and to help develop their gifts. Because our team was comprised of some National calibre athletes who had excelled at their sports, he did a good job of reigning in the egos, pacifying the Prima Donnas and yet motivating and inspiring everyone. I wanted to play well for myself and my team mates but I also wanted to make Larry proud. We all loved him and wanted to do well for him as well as for ourselves.
He always made time for us. Through all the years, even when he had his own career with the Dolphins, his Opera, his private life, work, etc he made time for us and was at our games and practices. He never let us down and always had new strategies for games, ... He gave us each individual tidbits to help us personally with our game and individual weapons to draw upon to be successful.
-Lynn LeClair
Larry Doan is one hell of a fine guy
-Hans Finken
Great guy. Very positive never had anything negative to say.
-Don Quart
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Larry was a significant
Larry was a significant contributor to the league. He had the stamina and put in many long hours over a considerable period of time, as well as the smarts to make good decisions for the entire league. His communicative, coaching skills and results (in both mens and womens top flite divisions) speaks volumes. Sincerest of congratulations Larry.
Paul Benwick