Three members of the Faculty of Health Sciences were honoured at Western's 37th Annual Alumni Awards Dinner on September 30, 2011. Former Mustangs football coach and Kinesiology instructor Larry Haylor was inducted into Western's 'W' Club Hall of Fame, while Kinesiology alumna Jenn (Symmes) Plaskett, BA'00, and Angela Schneider, BA'82, MA'85, MA'87, PhD'93 were both Elfrida Berzins Award Recipients (Women's Athletic Alumnae). Plaskett currently serves as the Graduate Program Coordinator in the School of Kinesiology, while Schneider is an associate professor in the School of Kinesiology. Larry Haylor is the winningest coach in Canadian university football history with a career record of 178 wins, 47 losses and 4 ties. It is a mark many Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) football coaches believe will never be equalled again. In 22 seasons as Head Coach for Western, Larry won two Vanier Cups, eight Yates Cups in 13 appearances and every season finished with a record of .500 or better. He is a six-time OUA Coach of the Year and a two-time recipient of the Frank Tindall Trophy as CIS Coach of the Year (1990, 1998). “I’ve been at Western as a teacher/coach since 1975 and my family has grown up around Western Football,” says Larry, who retired in June. “To a great extent Western has been ‘my life’ and the football team, coaches and players, have been an extended part of our family.” Born in Prince Alberta, Saskatchewan, Larry graduated from the University of Saskatchewan with an undergraduate and graduate degree before teaching and coaching football there for three years. Afterwards, he briefly taught and coached at Dalhousie in Halifax and then moved on to Western. In addition to coaching at Western, Larry taught third- and fourth-year undergraduate classes in the areas of physical growth, motor development, coaching and activity courses. In 2007, the Larry Haylor Recruitment Scholarship Fund was created in his honour, with over $250,000 committed from a number of donors. For the past three years Larry has been involved with Football Canada in putting together a ‘first- ever’ Canadian National Team to compete in the International Federation of American Football’s World Championship tournament. This past summer they took a group of 64 players, coaches, and support staff to Austria to compete with the USA, France, Germany, Austria, Mexico, Japan, and Australia. In their first foray into this tournament, Team Canada emerged with a silver medal and a second place world ranking. “This was a first step in Canada’s continued development in international competition and will provide the opportunity for young football players in Canada to represent their nation in a global competition. He is most proud of his family, who are all Western graduates - his wife Judy, BA’89, and children Matt, BA’03, Jordan, BA’96, and Jennifer, HBA’99. In retirement, Larry intends to spend his summers in London and winters in Florida, working on his golf game, guitar skills, reading, travelling, socializing, and enjoying his family, which now includes two grandchildren. And there is likely to be some football thrown in there somewhere. Jenn Plaskett is a great believer in positive visualization. So, even before she was accepted to Western, Jenn bought a purple, leather Western jacket. A month later she was excited, and relieved, to receive her acceptance letter from Western. That positive visualization and her commitment to achieve excellence have stayed with her all these years At Western, Jenn earned her degree in Kinesiology, while excelling as a Mustang athlete on the Women’s Field Hockey Team. She had discovered the sport of field hockey in high school and was hooked. She played multiple positions for Western from 1995-1999 and during that time, the team achieved a first place finish and two second place finishes in the league (OUA). Jenn became captain of the team and won several first colours, as well as the Most Enthusiastic and Dedicated Player, OUA All-Star and a Bronze W. “In my Mustang years, I learned that working with, and depending on a team, achieved results that far surpassed anything that I could have accomplished alone,” notes the Terra Cotta, Ontario native. “I found it more fun working towards a goal and sharing the success. Today, I continue to approach new challenges as a collaborator, as well as a competitor.” In 2004, Jenn coached the Ontario Under 16 women to gold at Nationals. In 2005, she retired from coaching for full-time employment in the School of Kinesiology, where today she is a Graduate Program Coordinator. “Western provided wonderful opportunities for me as an athlete and coach thanks to the exceptional contribution of women administrators and athletes who paved the way for me and my contemporaries.” Today, Jenn lives in Lambeth with her husband and fellow Western Kinesiology alumnus, Steve Plaskett, BA’94, whom she married in 2010. She continues an active lifestyle, which includes football, mountain biking and regular spinning classes. Angela Schneider had never seen or heard of rowing before attending Western. In fact, this track & field athlete had no idea she would soon outshine her dry-land accomplishments by winning a silver medal at the highest level of competition, the Olympics. “I was walking in front of Thames Hall during my second year and the women’s rowing coach, Jerry Patchell, said ‘You are tall and look strong - do you have a high pain tolerance, good flexibility, and enjoy good parties?’,” notes the Rodney, Ontario native. “That’s how I was recruited to the Western rowing team and it was definitely a good fit.” From 1978 to 1981 Angela received two first colours and one second colour, achieving as high as third place in Canada for track. She was also on the Nordic Skiing team in 1981-82 and garnered her first degree from Western in Philosophy and Kinesiology in 1982. From 1980 to 1986, Angela continued her education; pursuing two masters degrees, while also excelling in rowing. As part of the women’s coxed fours, she won two silvers and two golds in the OWIAA. In 1984, she and the four other women in her boat won a silver medal at the Olympics in Los Angeles. Angela retired from rowing in 1986 and went on to complete her PhD in Ethics and Philosophy in 1993. She became an Assistant Professor at Western in 1992 and Associate Professor in 1997. Over the years she has held several positions in the Faculty of Health Sciences including: Assistant Dean, Ethics and Equity in Health Sciences; Director of Health Ethics Resource Centre; cross appointment to Centre for Women’s Studies and Feminist Research; and Co-interim Director of International Centre for Olympic Studies. In 2002-03 she was the Director of Ethics and Education for the World Antidoping Agency. Today, her teaching areas at Western include Critical Thinking in Kinesiology; Philosophy of Sport; and Sport Ethics. Her research interests have included Genetic Doping in Sport; Olympic Studies; Women and Sport and Embodiment; Philosophy of Sport; and Sport Medicine Ethics. Angela tries to stay active but admits she finds it difficult to balance her hectic work life with raising her three sons. When she recently turned 50 years old, she decided to show her boys what kind of competitor she used to be. She teamed up with Western Rowing coach Volker Nolte and sculled their way to gold in the 2010 FISA World Rowing Masters Regatta. She also brought her sons to the 2010 Olympics where they were able to see the Canadian Women’s Hockey team win gold. That game, along with the medal ceremony was very emotional for Angela, and inspiring for them. “I wanted my boys to see me race and to experience the Olympics – they were able to do both and I was so proud to share those moments with them, to inspire them.” For what her future holds, she hopes through her current research, to contribute to bettering the lives of young women in sport, all around the world. FHS members honoured at 37th Annual Alumni Awards Dinner
Larry Haylor - 'W' Club Hall of Fame InducteeBuilder/Head Coach - Football (1984-2006)
Larry is a contributor and one of the original architects for Football Canada’s Coaching Certification Program. He continues to be involved in Football Canada’s Long Term Athlete
Development Program; Football Canada Cup competitions; and international competition initiatives.
Jenn (Symmes) Plaskett, BA'00
Elfrida Berzins Award Recipient (Women's Athletic Alumnae)Athlete/Coach - Field Hockey
After graduation, Jenn took on coaching duties for the team. She brought the team to a second place finish in the OUA and sixth at the National Championships. She was also named OUA and CIS Coach of the Year in 2002-03.
Angela Schneider, BA'82, MA'85, MA'87, PhD '93
Elfrida Berzins Award Recipient (Women's Athletic Alumnae)Athlete - Track & Field, Rowing
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