Award Bio – Ron Brown

RON BROWN

• 2018 Ivan Velan Award Recipient

Ron Brown has had a significant and positive impact on the organization as a whole as a volunteer, administrator and coach for over twenty five years. Racquetball Canada is honoured to recognize Ron for his contribution to the sport and to the organization in the coach category.

Brown’s early contributions to the sport came at the grassroots level in Manitoba through his work with developmental and high performance programs. He started coaching in 1983 and was assigned to coach Team Manitoba at the Canada Games. Brown was also the National Training Centre Coach for Racquetball Canada in Winnipeg where he coached numerous junior programs including Racquetball Manitoba’s High Performance Program from 2000 to 2008.

Brown’s first national team coaching assignment was in 1984 at the World Championships where Team Canada won two silver medals. Ron went on to coach Canada at nineteen international events over a period of twenty six years. During Brown’s history as a national team coach, athletes won 84 medals at the Pan Am Championships, World Championships and Pan Am Games, including 9 gold, 41 silver and 34 bronze medals. Brown was the personal coach for racquetball greats including Sherman Greenfeld, Jennifer Saunders, Kris Odegard and Corey Osborne.

In addition to Brown’s commitment to athletes, he has been dedicated to the governance of Racquetball Canada serving as the Executive Director and in many volunteer capacities on boards and committees. He also served on the Board of Racquetball Manitoba and as President with Coaches of Canada national coaching association.

Awards & Recognition

• Inducted into the Manitoba Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder in 2022.
• Inducted into the North American Indigenous Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder in 2022.
• Inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame as a Builder in 2014
• Recipient of the Petro Canada Coaching Excellence Award in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2008
• Recipient of Racquetball Manitoba’s “Vincent Award” for outstanding service in 1996