Sports Wall of Fame

All submissions must include:

• Complete narrative
• Supported documents
• High-resolution photo of nominee

All nominations will be kept on file for a period of three years depending on the quality of the documentation submitted. If said nominee has not been elected to the Sports Wall of Fame in that time period, said nominations will be returned. If new information is obtained the nomination can be resubmitted for consideration following a two-year waiting period. It is the responsibility of the nominator to search out and supply all documentation.

1. Criteria: Restricted to Welland athletes and builders of sport. Please note athletes and builders must be nominated in order to be considered for induction.

   A) Athletes to be considered for admission to the Wall of Fame must:
   • Have been retired from their respective sport for five (5) years
   • Have been outstanding in their athletic field of endeavour or must have achieved better than average proficiency in a number of sports, even if not reaching the absolute top level in any one, in competition against peer athletes.
   
   This includes those competing on a strictly local level and/or those going on to district, provincial, national and international events, as well as those who enter professional sports. No consideration shall be given for any accomplishment made in their sport, prior to becoming a resident of Welland. The induction of an athlete on the Wall of Fame should be considered a lifetime achievement and, as such, they should not be nominated until they are no longer active at the highest levels of their sport.
   
   B) Builders - including officials (referees, umpires), sponsors, executives, trainers, coaches, etc., whose work for sport over an extended period of time has been outstanding, whether it be in organization of leagues and facilities, achieving a high degree of success in coaching teams and/or individuals, keeping a league or team active, providing services of a consistently high level over an extended period of time, etc. However, just because an individual has worked many years for a sport as a builder, does not necessarily mean inclusion into the Wall of Fame. His/her work over most or all of that period of time must have been of a consistently high level with regard to services provided or results achieved.
   
   C) Team Nominations shall be eligible for recognition by the committee under the following criteria:
   • At least five (5) years have passed since the team’s notable achievement or successful competitive year.
   • Team name and sport only shall be listed, except in the case of teams of four and fewer, or when a team places first, second or third in a national or international competition, when members may also be listed.
   
   A "team" for Wall purposes is defined as "any group of two or more athletes engaged in the same sport who work together as a unit in that sport". Example: a boxer and his manager do not constitute a team. A figure skating pair, tennis doubles, curling team, cross country running team etc. are defined as teams for our purposes. There should be a five-year waiting period for a team after their achievement, unless there are extenuating circumstances. This would allow youth sports teams and high school teams to have a run of a few years so all of their accomplishments can be honoured at the time of their induction.

2. Definition: Welland Athlete - for purposes of the Welland Sports Wall of Fame, a Welland Athlete shall be:
   a) Anyone born in Welland who spends his/her formative years and continues to reside in the City.
   b) Anyone who is not born here, but who comes to this City and has lived in Welland for at least ten years, and proves his/her worth in athletics in Welland. Said athlete may be considered even if he/she eventually moves away from this City.
   c) Anyone in a) or b) who, after a local amateur career, moves into professional sports elsewhere and who is deemed worthy of inclusion.
   d) Anyone in a) or b) who, after a local amateur career, moves into university sports elsewhere and who is deemed worthy of inclusion.
   e) Anyone in a) or b) who, after a local amateur career moves into amateur sports elsewhere and whois deemed worthy of inclusion.

3. Definition: Welland Builder - For purposes of the Welland Sports Wall of Fame a Welland builder shall be:
   a) As above section a), b), c), d), e). The definition of builder shall include all above sections involving coaching, officiating, sponsoring, training and executives.
   b) On an exception basis, a Welland builder may have never been a Welland resident, as long as most of their work for sport was in the City and benefited Welland athletes and teams.
   
   
4. Number of Inductees - The total number of annual inductees to the Sports Wall of Fame shall be a maximum of ten (10).
   
   
5. Automatic Selection - Must be nominated to be considered:
   a) Any Welland athlete or team who wins an Olympic medal (gold, silver, bronze).
   b) Any Welland athlete or team who finishes first, second or third in any international championship sanctioned by the I.A.F. (International Athletic Federation) and/or is considered acceptable by the Committee.
   c) Any Welland athlete who wins a Canadian championship in a non-team discipline sanctioned by a governing body affiliated with Sport Canada and/or is considered acceptable by the Committee.
   
   
6. Removal Clause: The Committee may remove an inductee from the Welland Sports Wall of Fame if, in the opinion of the Committee, the conduct of the person constitutes a significant departure from generally recognized standards of public behaviour which may be seen to undermine the credibility, integrity or relevance of the Welland Sports Wall of Fame, or detracts from the original grounds upon which the induction was based.