Sports Winners

Robbie International Soccer Tournament

Winner – (Group)

The Robbie International Soccer Tournament is still going strong after 43 years. The late John Wimbs founded the tournament and named it after his son Robbie who suffered from cystic fibrosis (CF). 

It has grown from a tournament of eight teams to more than 200 and has raised $1.35 million for CF research. Though diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at a time when many victims did not survive much beyond childhood,

Robbie Wimbs lived to the age of 33. He died in December of 1996.
 
John Wimbs died in 2004. 

The Wimbs were given a star on the Scarborough Walk of Fame in 2008. At the time, John Wimbs Jr. said his father would have been proud to have been honoured by Scarborough. 

“He was always very civic-minded,” said John Wimbs, Jr. “I think he would just be thrilled. I’m just over the moon.” 

He said his father was thrilled with the success of the Robbie and enjoyed watching it grow over the years. 

Mike Ellis, director of the Robbie International Tournament, said the continued success of the tournament is based on quality soccer, its charity involvement and the fact the City partners with them. 

“The Robbie has retained the reputation of the premiere youth soccer tournament of the summer,” he said. “Everyone who knows soccer thinks of the Robbie. It’s maintained that status since 1967.”
 
Its success is also because of its volunteers, he added. 

“We have about 300 who come out,” he said. “We couldn’t exist without the help from Scarborough soccer clubs. We go to them to do the convening.” 

He also gives credit to the referees who donate their time at the tournament. 

“They’ve never been paid in 43 years,” he said. “That’s absolutely unheard of. They’re our partners. We couldn’t do it without them. They’re our most important volunteers.” 

This year’s event will be held July 02 to 5 with 225 teams lined up to play.

The Robbie Mini-Soccer Festival is planned for June 26 and 27.

About 50 or 60 kids under nine years old participate. 

“It’s all about the kids having fun,” he said. “There’s a parade, the kids play some soccer and the event raises money for charity.” 

This year’s tournament is expected to raise $50,000.  For more information on the tournament visit their website at www.robbiesoccertournament.com

– Michele McLean

Gord Grills

Winner – (Individual)

If not for 82-year-old Gord Grills, there might very well still be grass outside the Centennial Recreation Centre on Ellesmere Road instead of the beach volleyball courts. 

“Scarborough parks and rec used to have a paid outdoor program at another location, but it flooded and the program shut down,” explained Karen Lai, who nominated Grills for an Urban Hero Award. 

“This did not deter Gord Grills. He scouted locations in Scarborough and found Centennial Recreation Centre...There was only a field of grass but that is not what he saw. He saw the potential. He convinced the centre to remove an area of grass and put in sand, got them to put in volleyball poles, buy volleyball equipment,” Lai said. “Then, he handed out home-made flyers and distributed them all around Scarborough. Got players to come out. The program started June 2001.” 

Grills didn’t stop there, of course; he’s continually been on hand over the past decade at the club’s twice-weekly summer informal pick-up games to set up and take down the equipment.

 “He would go to the building, fetch the nets and walk hundreds of yard to the sand to set up equipment.”

 Prior to the club getting volleyball boundary tapes, she said, Grills “bought white chalk powder” and laid down the lines “under the hot sun.” 

And did we mention he still plays? Married with two grown kids, Grills is a Belleville-area native, graduating from Belleville Collegiate, but is now a longtime Scarborough resident, having forged a 26-year career as a social worker in the pre-amalgamation Scarborough Board of Education. 

While inactivity and a lack of fitness is all the rage these days, Grills apparently hasn’t heard the news. 

He has a black belt in martial arts, still works out at a local Scarborough gym and is currently playing in two indoor volleyball programs, “one of which I kind of also started,” he said with a laugh. 

Concluded Lai: “We have one man to thank who brought us all together to play in a field of dreams. And that man is Gord Grills who believed that if you build it, they will come.” 

While a surprised Grills was appreciative of the Urban Hero nomination, he pointed out that it’s been a team effort right from the beginning, although he did concede,

“I sort of took the lead, asked parks and rec if we could have a sand volleyball court excavated and set up. And they did it starting in 2001.” 

Furthermore, he said his nominator “is more of a ‘hero’ type than I am,” saying Lai has been instrumental in growing the club. 

“She took names, and memorized everybody’s name. She started taking responsibility almost right away and various other people have taken responsibility too.”

 He also credited local councillor Glenn De Baeremaeker for helping to get lights in the last couple of years and “we should mention parks and recreation people have been great.” 

Two other club members, he said, have joined him on this year’s permit committee. The club ranges from beginner to national team-player, young adult to senior, male and female, and is multicultural. 

“It’s utterly delightful, the mix of people and how they get along,” said Grills.

 The club will kick off its 10th pick-up season next month, and new members are invited to drop by.

– Norm Nelson