Sam Jacks

Samuel Perry Jacks (April 23, 1915 – May 14, 1975) more commonly known as, "Sam Jacks", was a Canadian soldier in World War II, Canadian inventor, military and civic recreation director, sports coach, creator of the Canadian sport of ringette, and the Canadian credited with codifying the first set of rules for floor hockey in 1936, a game which he created. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1915 and became a Canadian citizen after his parents immigrated to Canada in 1920.

Jacks was a part of the Greatest Generation, also known as the G.I. Generation and the World War II generation. People born in Jacks's generation are generally defined as people born from 1901 to 1927. They were shaped by the Great Depression and became the primary participants in World War II. Jacks's generation was the one which followed the Lost Generation but preceded the Silent Generation.

At the time of his death, Jacks had reportedly been working on another game for girls during his spare time, which he called "Net Ball".^[1] It is possible the game was related to or in actual fact the organized sport of Netball which had been introduced to Canada in the early 1960s. Had he lived and the sport had a different design, it's possible that a third sport could have been added to his many achievements.

Among his many achievements and honours was his posthumous induction into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.^[2] He was also posthumously inducted into the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame on February 27, 1982.^[3]

Biography[]

Early life[]

Toronto, Canada, where Jacks lived in 1920 after his parents immigrated from Glasgow, Scotland

Samuel Perry Jacks was born April 23, 1915 in Glasgow, Scotland less than a year after the outbreak of World War I in July of 1914. The war would end in November of 1918. Two years later in 1920 when Jacks was roughly five years old, he and his family moved from Scotland, immigrated to Canada, and settled in the city of Toronto.

Professional career[]

Food line at the Yonge Street Mission in Toronto, Canada, in the 1930s during the Great Depression

The early 1930s in Canada was marked by the Great Depression. Jacks began his professional career in 1935.

Toronto West End YMCA[]

Calvin Bricker at the 1912 Olympics

In 1935 at twenty years of age Jacks began his professional career in recreation becoming the Assistant Physical Director^[4] at the Toronto West End YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association).^{[5] [6]} The West End YMCA moved to its present West End branch at College Street and Dovercourt Road in 1912, present day Greater Toronto.^[7] Jacks would hold this position until 1940, a year after the outbreak of World War II in 1939.

The Toronto West End YMCA produced several successful athletes including George Burleigh (swimmer), Gordon Smallacombe, John Tait (runner), Arthur M. Jackes (high jumper), James O'Brien (athlete), Larry O'Connor (athlete), and Calvin David "Cal" Bricker (athlete).

Floor hockey[]

In 1936, a year after beginning his professional career at the YMCA, he invented and codified the first set of rules for the first organized version of floor hockey, a variant which used a straight stick and a felt ring.^[8] This achievement was later recognized by the Youth Branch of the United Nations.^[9] The United Nations itself was established in 1945.

World War II[]

A Commander (right) of the 3rd Parachute Brigade, briefs officers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, in England, December 6, 1943.

After the outbreak of World War II Jacks enlisted and became a member of the Canadian Armed Forces serving from 1940-1945. During his time with the Canadian military he served with the #1 Motor Transport Volunteer Reserve Depot, ,^[10] , and served with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion in charge of sports for South West England. On September 30th 1945, the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was officially disbanded after it had returned to Canada and hostilities in Europe had ceased.

Post War life[]

Agnes Jacks[]

While stationed in England during the Second World War Jacks met Agnes MacKrell at a dance while he was a recreation director in the army. The two eventually married. Agnes Jacks CM^[11][12] had been working at a munitions factory in England when she and Sam had met.^[13]

After the war the couple arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, then moved to Toronto, Canada with their first son, Barry. They later had two more sons in Canada, Bruce and Brian.

Agnes was a war bride.^[14][15] "War bride" refers to women who married Canadian servicemen who were stationed overseas then immigrated to Canada to join their husbands after the world wars. The term was popularized during the Second World War.

Return to West End YMCA[]

In 1946, Jacks returned to the West End YMCA in Toronto to continue his professional career. Among his numerous duties part of his time was spent working with post-war juvenile "gangs".

He also created the and became its first President.^[16]

AAU Junior Olympic Games[]

In 1947, Jacks became the head coach of the Canadian Floor Hockey Team which competed in the AAU Junior Olympic Games (Amateur Athletic Union) in the USA where the Canadian team finished in third place.^[9] Jacks also coached a AAU Junior Olympic Games track and field team in 1947 who won third place.^[1][13]

Move to Northern Ontario[]

A contemporary view of a street in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, where Sam Jacks moved in 1948

In 1948, Jacks was asked to become director of parks and recreation for the city of North Bay, Ontario in Northern Ontario. After moving to the city and accepting the position he then became a member of the (NORDA).

Soon after he became instrumental in developing the first (NOPHA) which encouraged youth to play ice hockey on outdoor rinks.

In 1961, the came into force in Canada whereby the Government of Canada made an official commitment to “encourage, promote and develop fitness and amateur sport in Canada.” A few years later, the Canadian government created two new directorates: , which was tasked with improving the lifestyle of Canadians, and Sport Canada, which was responsible for developing competitive sport.^[17]

In 1963 he created the (SDMRO) and served as its President for two consecutive terms.

Ringette[]

When he was 48 years old, after having created the (SDMRO) in 1963^[18] and now serving as its President, Jacks became responsible for his most well known achievement, his invention of the sport of ringette. Jacks had reportedly worked for two years to develop a presentation for the sport.

Jacks developed the first rough rules for ringette in the early part of the 1960s. While President of the Society of Directors of Municipal Recreation of Ontario in 1963 he asked for help from Mirl Arthur "Red" McCarthy to further develop them.

The sport of ringette was created to both address and remedy two ongoing problems. The first was the observation and criticism regarding the tendency by those organizing, developing and administering recreation programs to place most of their time, resources, and focus on running sports programs aimed at the male population to the exclusion of the female population. The second was to address additional criticism which almost immediately affected the newly created (SDMRO) of which Sam Jacks was President, pointing out the continual lack of success in Ontario in regards to gaining and maintaining participation in the only two winter-based team sports available to girls in North America at that time: girls broomball and girls ice hockey.^[19] In addition, the sport could help attract girls who had little to do in winter months, especially those whose families couldn't afford figure skating or who weren't otherwise inclined.^[12] While Jacks's sons were talented ice hockey players, with two of them eventually winning scholarships at renowned schools,^[20] this didn't prevent him and Agnes Jacks from recognizing the needs and concerns of girls:

"Our sons were tremendous hockey players, but Sam could see a drastic need for a game for girls on ice on skates; a team sport. That was the basis for his whole vision. He visualized the whole thing for ringette right up to part of the Olympics some day."^[21]

— "Ringette marks fruition of a dream", Winnipeg Free Press, Sunday, April 17, 1988

To date, ringette remains the only winter team sport to have been exclusively developed for and around the female physique rather than male as well as being driven by a female player demographic.

Among other events that year:

• America was still embroiled in the Vietnam War
• Beatlemania began
• the satirical Rhino Party was created in Canada and included promises such as turning Saskatchewan into the world's largest parking lot
• Civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and the "March on Washington," took place on August 28, 1963, where King gave his famous "I Have A Dream" speech
• President John F. Kennedy visited West Berlin and delivered his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech
• were introduced
• the population of the world was still only 3.2 billion
• the assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, took place in the final months of 1963

Ontario award[]

In Ontario, Jacks was awarded "The Citation for Outstanding Contribution and Dedication to Recreation",^[9] which was one of the highest honours of the . This honour was presented to him personally by the Premier of Ontario, John Robarts. Robarts served as the 17th premier of Ontario from 1961 to 1971.

Death[]

Samuel Perry Jacks passed away from cancer on May 14, 1975, roughly only twelve years after he created ringette.^[22] He was 59.

His wife, Agnes (MacKrell) Jacks, passed away of heart failure on April 1, 2005, at the North Bay General Hospital. She was 81.^[23]

Honors[]

• Head coach, (1947) AAU Junior Olympic Floor Hockey Team which competed in the USA and finished third.^[9]
• Coach, AAU Junior Olympic Games track and field team (1947) who won the third place trophy.^[13][1]
• Founder of the (SDMRO).^[3]
• President of the Society of Directors of Municipal Recreation of Ontario (1963 and 1964).^[9]
• "The Citation for Outstanding Contribution and Dedication to Recreation",^[9] was one of the highest honours of the .
• Ontario Achievement Award (1973)^[9] for his years of contribution to the field of Fitness and Amateur Sport.
• Induction into the Ontario Ringette Association Hall of Fame (1974) in recognition for creating and developing the sport of Ringette. The organization is now called "Ringette Ontario".
• Induction into the North Bay Hall of Fame, February 27, 1982.^[9][3]
• Ringette Canada Hall of Fame, (1988).^[24] He was the organizations first person to be honoured and inducted.
• Inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame (2007).^[2]

See also[]

• Ringette
• National Ringette League

References[]

External links[]

• Canada Sport's Hall of Fame - Sam Jacks