Whitey joins the hall
Beechwood head pro John White has been a mover and shaker on the local golf scene for decades.
The 61-year-old St. Catharines native founded the Niagara Junior Golf Tour in 1993, has served as the coach of the Brock University men’s and women’s golf teams and coached more than 75 players who went on to play golf at the post-secondary level.
The former Australian and Canadian Tour player has received numerous awards including the Ontario Teacher of the Year for Juniors in 2004, the St. Catharines Sportsperson of the Year in 2006 and the Chuck Smith Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by the Niagara Sports Commission in 2017.
White’s latest honour came Thursday when he was one of five people inducted into the St. Catharines Sports Hall of Fame.
“The highlight of my life is my kids, of course, but this would be right up there among the highlights of my career,” said the father of Jenny, Courtney, Kaylee, Emily, and Bobby.
White described himself as being ecstatic about joining the St. Catharines sports hall.
“It’’s just being recognized and included with all the other great athletes and sports people in my home city,” he said. “I’ve lived all my life in St. Catharines, it’s a great city and it’s great to be honoured by your home city for something you have done your whole life.”
Being in the spotlight is not something White is comfortable with. He’s one of those people who do things for the betterment of others and not for any recognition.
“I’m nervous and excited too,” he said, before the induction ceremony. “You don’t do what you do for this type of recognition. I do it because I love what I do and I love coaching the kids.
“I think that’s what I am getting recognized for. It might be my bowling but I am not sure,” he said, with a smile.
White has had lots to smile about in his role as a golf coach and junior tour organizer.
“It’s providing opportunities by coaching young athletes and watching them grow as human beings and go through their lives being successful, whether it’s being a high school teacher or an accountant.
“I lived and died with their accomplishments and seeing them get better.”
There were few challenges in his coaching career.
“I don’t know if there’s anything hard but — I don’t know if this should be in the publication or not — but it’s difficult when an athlete leaves you for another coach after you have put so much into it.”
But that being said, White describes that as the nature of the business.
“I understand when they have been with somebody for so long that they need another opinion,” he said. “There’s no downside to it and I am so passionate about my young kids, the 11- and 12-year-old who are going to be good.”
White has formed lifelong bonds with his former students.
“I am going out with (2010 Ontario junior champion) Jack Gibson Monday night for dinner and I see Matt Graham around who won in 2005. I keep in touch with them and they keep in touch with me.”
He has seen many changes in the sport of golf during his coaching career.
“As in any other sport, they are doing it all year, they’re training harder, there’s more information, there’s more tools to teach them with and there are more opportunities,” he said. “When I first started the junior tour, there weren’t many tournaments to play in, but there’s all kinds now and they could play every day.”
He has had a lifelong passion for the sport of golf.
“I fell in love with it early because of the people you meet through it and the challenge of getting up every day and playing,” he said. “You are playing against the golf course. There’s nobody to block your shot, there’s nobody to steal the ball from you and it’s a little bit of an inner game.”
He enjoys the mental aspect of the sport.
“I am very cerebral and I love that challenge because you are always battling yourself, the golf course and your nerves.”
Golf also imparts lessons on its participants.
“There’s no referee out there and we call our own penalties,” he said.
In addition to his career as a coach and builder, White had a successful career as a player.
Among his many accomplishments are (in chronological order): finishing first at zone and the Southern Ontario Secondary Schools Association championships and placing third at the Ontario Federation of Secondary Schools Association championships; competing in a number of Ontario and Canadian junior championships; being a medalist at the U.S junior; playing one year of scholarship golf as a walk-on at the East Tennessee State; finishing second at the Ontario university championships as an individual and team while a student at Brock; and, playing on the Australian and Canadian Tours.
