In time of crisis, Canada Sports Hall of Fame inductees highlight what is good about sports

For cynics, it's easy to take a dim view of what's going on in the world of sports these days. 

What we for so long thought of as fun and games has been rocked by the ravages of the real world. These days we investigate sport because of its shortcomings at least as much as we celebrate it for its triumphs. 

At time of writing, Hockey Canada executives are testifying before the House of Commons heritage committee about its handling of reports of sexual abuse. An independent report documented a "toxic environment" at Rowing Canada.  Another investigation has revealed systemic sexual misconduct involving players who compete in the National Women's Soccer League, (NWSL).

Add to that the ongoing scandal at Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton which has been rocked by allegations of unprofessional and authoritarian leadership that has adversely affected the performance of many of its athletes. 

And to top it all off, the award bestowed on Canada's greatest individual athlete of any given year will soon be re-branded in order to remove its namesake who is accused of being racially intolerant. 

In the recent past, sport in Canada has been forced to deal with issues of inclusion, athlete safety, and myriad cases of widespread abuse, harassment, corruption, and incompetence on the part of those in charge. These are the people who are supposedly responsible for fair play as well as the overall welfare of the players themselves.

Sport is facing a time of crisis on many fronts and its relevance is being questioned, perhaps more than at any time in recent memory. 

The common wisdom is that sport must change — and change for the better.

Against this backdrop Canada's Sports Hall of Fame will induct the Class of 2022 at a lavish ceremony in Toronto and the hope is that it will be a talisman which reveals the kinds of sporting stars who are worthy of our admiration. 

Included in the group are those who have won games, races, and championships, but beyond that have contributed to the narrative which suggests that sports, when done the right way, builds stronger communities for everyone who takes part. 

John Tavares is one of the most decorated lacrosse players in Canada's history but he's also a mathematics teacher who continues to mentor the next generation of ambitious players. (Tavares is the uncle of the Toronto Maple Leafs captain of the same name.) Dwayne De Rosario overcame racial discrimination to become a soccer great. He has energetically grown the game at the grassroots level in an economically challenged part of his hometown.

Trailblazing teams

Visually impaired swimmer Tim McIsaac is a many-time Paralympic champion who remains competitive in Master's events and is an advocate for active living for persons with disabilities. Kayaker Adam van Koeverden is an Olympic champion and now a Liberal MP. Hayley Wickenheiser might be the best woman to ever play ice hockey. She is also a medical doctor and vocal proponent of equality in sport.

On the builder's side is Brian Williams, an iconic sports broadcaster who made it his mission to both showcase and challenge the Olympic movement. Tricia Smith is a four-time Olympian and lawyer who has become one of the strongest female leaders in international sport. Edward Lennie, the "Father of the Northern Games", is an Inuvialuit elder who made a lifetime commitment to promoting and preserving traditional Arctic sports.

Also entering Canada's Sports Hall of Fame will be two trailblazing teams which made their marks almost a century ago. The Chatham Coloured All-Stars were the first all-Black organized baseball team in Ontario. The Preston Rivulettes dominated women's ice hockey in the 1930's and were virtually unbeatable. 

Each of these inductees will also receive Canada's Order of Sport, the country's highest sporting honour. What ultimately distinguishes the group is that it is not only representative of the diversity of Canadian society, but it also reveals a great deal about what we have come to value in sport.

Unlike other halls of fame, the qualifications for entry are not so much based on performance as they are on the impact a person has made to the betterment of the Canadian sporting landscape. 

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While more people are included in the discussion, the selection committee has also come to carefully consider the character of each candidate and the contributions they have made to their respective communities. 

The end result is a sports hall of fame which not only recognizes greatness on the field of play, but a lasting legacy once the inductee's competitive days are done. 

Sport has long been trumpeted as history on the run. Many have said that it can be a battering ram for the tackling of difficult issues and also be a welcoming place for many people who make their first connection with others in their new homes in an arena, a swimming pool, or on a soccer pitch. 

It is also a given that sport, is a method by which people congregate in large numbers and share a common understanding of what it means to be inspired by human potential and achievement. 

That's why Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is, at least symbolically, an important institution in a turbulent time. The custodians of the hall recognize that sport occupies an important place in the evolution of the national folklore.

It's becoming clear that if we are to celebrate the people who write that story, that they be worthy of our admiration.  Increasingly the heroes of sport are not only the fastest, the strongest, or the most victorious — they are much more than that. 

They are elevated to hall of fame status because they herald positive, societal, change.  And they do it by transforming sport to make it better for everyone.