I started playing rugby when I was in grade nine at Central Junior High School. I played one year of football in Alberta the year before and I really liked it, but they didn’t have football at Central and so I joined the rugby team. I am not sure of the name of my coach at the time, but I think it was Mr. Bryant. I moved on to Victoria High School and played rugby for three years. Our last year, I played on the B Team as I was too old to play on the A Team. My Coach was Tillman Briggs.
The sport I also loved to play was football. I played with Chew Excavating Hornets for 2 years and in 1968, we won the B.C. Championships. We were undefeated. My coach was Roy Vollinger and Frank Hindle was the Head Coach. One day, Mr. Hindle asked me how I got to practice, and I told him by bus. He said, I go right past your house and I can pick you up. So, from that day on, Mr. Hindle picked me up for practice so I didn’t have to take the bus. Thank you, Coach!
As a result of loving football so much, we formed the Victoria Touch Football League. The league is still going strong today. All my brothers and some cousins and a lot of my friends played in this league. When I was 24, I decided to play soccer and I played for 10 years. My team, the Victoria Thunderbirds won the B.C. All Native Soccer Tournament with only 10 players.
I also played basketball for a year and we won the BC All Native Championships.
When I turned 34, I quit playing soccer and continued playing flag football for 2 more years. After that, I played touch football until I was 48 when the body told me it was time to hang up my boots. The greatest memory from my sporting days is the friendships I made, and the older we get, the better players we were!
Thirty-five years ago, I took up golf and I love it. I play once or twice a week and one of the players in my foursome is my from grade 3, Steve. This year we both turned 70.
Follow Richard’s carvings and his story on Instagram @dr.richardhunt or on his Facebook page Richard Hunt Artwork.
