Hall of Fame – Sherman Greenfeld

Accomplishments

Sherman Greenfeld was the best racquetball player in Canada across generations of players when racquetball was at its prime. He was the top ranked male athlete in Canada from 1987 until his retirement in 1999. His results, longevity history as one of Canada’s great athletes and contribution to the sport make him a worthy member of Racquetball Canada’s Hall of Fame.

Greenfeld began playing the sport in 1978 in Winnipeg at age sixteen. He quickly made his mark at the provincial level and soon afterwards became dominant at the national and world level.

At the provincial level in Manitoba, Greenfeld won twenty titles; winning every provincial championship event from the age of eighteen until he retired.  He had his first elite podium finish at the Canadian Championships in 1985. Between 1986 and 1998, Greenfeld won ten Canadian Men’s Open Singles Championship titles, which was a record he held until 2017. He also won silver in Men’s Singles on three occasions and although he had success in doubles, his primary focus was on singles competition.

Greenfeld was first named to Racquetball Canada’s national team in 1987 and was a proud member of the national team program. He represented Canada on eighteen occasions internationally, including two Pan Am Games, six World Championships and ten Pan Am Championships. Greenfeld fulfilled his dream of playing at the 1999 Pan Am Games in his hometown of Winnipeg where he finished fourth in Men’s Singles. After twelve years as a national team member, he announced his retirement during the Pan Am Games closing ceremony in a live interview on CBC.

Greenfeld has won more international championships for Canada than any other athlete. He holds two World Championship titles in Men’s Singles, he was a member the teams that won gold in the Men’s Team Event at the World Championships on two occasions and he won gold at the Pan Am Championships three times. In total, Greenfeld won twenty-six medals in international competition, including eight gold, thirteen silver and two bronze.

Greenfeld was widely known as a gentleman and a fair player on the court. He often corrected calls to his detriment regardless of the importance of the match being contested. The most notable time was while playing in Winnipeg in the 1998 Pan American Championships. In the gold medal match he called back an important point on himself that the referee had missed. This was commonplace for Greenfeld and he was greatly respected by his teammates and competitors from around the World.

Greenfeld was the type of athlete who gave back to sport. He was a tremendous asset for Racquetball Manitoba and Racquetball Canada in the development and growth of racquetball. He was involved in many facets of the game due to his genuine love of racquetball and the positive impact the sport had on his life.

At the provincial level, Greenfeld volunteered as the Officiating Coordinator on the Racquetball Manitoba Board of Directors. He was an NCCP Level 2 certified coach and he traveled to many rural communities offering developmental clinics. He was named as the coach of the Manitoba Junior Provincial Team in 1991.

Greenfeld also volunteered his time outside of his home province. He authored and produced an instructional video that is still used in Racquetball Canada’s Let’s Play Racquetball program and the Community Stream Coach Course. He was committed to growing the sport around the world and worked and trained teams from developing countries including the Dominican Republic and Guatemala.  He was a mentor to many provincial and national team athletes.

Due to Greenfeld’s tremendous example, hard work, dedication and sportsmanship, the Sherman Greenfeld Award was named in his honour. The award is presented annually at the Junior Canadian Championships to the male athlete who displays excellence on and off the court as exemplified by Sherman Greenfeld.

Greenfeld has also been widely recognized for his accomplishments and contributions. He was:

• Awarded the Manitoba Sportswriters Male Athlete of the Year in 1994 and 1998
• Twice named as the Manitoba Male Jewish Athlete of the Year
• The recipient of the McDonald’s Fair Play Award in 1998
• The recipient of the Order of the Buffalo Hunt in 1995 (this is the highest honour the Province of Manitoba bestows on an individual).
• Selected by the Canadian Olympic Committee to read the Athlete’s Oath at the 1999 Pan Am Games
• Awarded Racquetball Canada’s Ivan Velan Award in 1990
• Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame in 2001
• Inducted into the International Racquetball Federation Hall of Fame in 2012
• Inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2015

Although Greenfeld remains a great fan of the sport and shows a keen interest in Canada’s elite racquetball athletes, he dedicates his time to supporting his son’s athletic pursuits as a high performance soccer athlete.

Sherman Greenfield’s acceptance remarks from the 2017 Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be here posted soon.

Photo gallery coming soon!

Career Highlights

1999

• Pan Am Championships: SILVER – Men’s Singles

1998

• World Championships: Gold – Men’s Singles
• World Championships: BRONZE – Men’s Team Event
• World Championships: SILVER – Overall Team
• Pan American Championships: GOLD – Men’s Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles

1997

• Canadian Championships: SILVER – Men’s Open Singles

1996

• World Championships: GOLD – Men’s Team Event
• World Championships: SILVER – Overall Team
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles

1995

• Pan Am Games: Bronze – Men’s Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles

1994

• World Championships: GOLD – Men’s Singles
• World Championships: SILVER – Men’s Team Event
• World Championships: SILVER– Overall Team
• Pan Am Championships: GOLD – Men’s Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles

1993

• World Games:  BRONZE – Men’s Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles

1992

• World Championships: SILVER – Men’s Team Event
• World Championships: SILVER – Overall Team
• Canadian Championships: BRONZE – Men’s Open Singles

1991

• Pan Am Championships: SILVER – Men’s Singles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles

1990

• World Championships: SILVER – Men’s Team Event
• World Championships: SILVER – Overall Team
• Pan Am Championships: GOLD – Men’s Singles
• Pan Am Championships: SILVER – Men’s Doubles
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles
• Canadian Championships: SILVER – Men’s Open Doubles

1989

• Pan Am Championships: SILVER – Mens Singles

1988

• World Championships: Gold – Men’s Team Event
• World Championships: Silver – Overall Team
• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles 

1987

• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles 

1986

• Canadian Championships: GOLD – Men’s Open Singles

1985

• Canadian Championships: SILVER – Men’s Open Singles