(File photo/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Minor Football

City will consider a Wendell Whitter field

May 3, 2022 | 11:00 AM

A request to have the space between John Diefenbaker School and Crescent Heights Arena named in honour of Wendell Whitter will see further discussion.

Council voted unanimously to have the Community Services department examine the request further following a presentation on Monday.

Past President Bob Coffin of Prince Albert Minor Football told council that Whitter was a key contributor to the development of minor football that has used the field for years.

“For 10 of those years, a remarkable man, Wendell Whitter, was personally involved in those programs as a coordinator and coach,” said Coffin.

The field is used to run the River Riders football program and Whitter, a born and raised Prince Albert resident, was a huge part of that program as a coach and part of the executive.

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He also volunteered as a team manager and mentor for training new assistant coaches.

Whitter’s mentorship for coaches was a huge boost for Taras Kachkowski, current president of the association.

“Wendell taught me and others that came after me to be firm but fair, but also to make sure that the kids had fun learning how to play football,” said Kachkowski.

Whitter died suddenly in mid-2018. He was to be recognized as an inductee into the Prince Albert Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 but a series of delays resulted in his posthumous induction on April 29.

The Minor Football Association has agreed to buy and place the sign with the words “Wendell Whitter Field” to mark the location.

Along with the verbal presentation, multiple letters of support from others, including players, were presented.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com