Recognition well deserved By Kevin Barrett SAINT JOHN - February generally involves plenty of boardroom hours for Saint John's Larry Harlow, president of Football New Brunswick. This year, the gridiron agenda has increased in intensity in a most unexpected fashion with Harlow's nomination for a national coaching contest by players from the Saint John Storm women's football team. His application was viewed in such positive light that now he's one of four Canadian finalists for the Chunky Most Valuable Coach Award. "It is very humbling to be chosen to the final four out of all the coaches in Canada," said Harlow, who hosted a film crew from TSN Feb. 13 for a day's work on his biography and a commercial, complete with comments from his players. "I appreciate what the team is doing. That is not why you get into it but it is a nice perk." Harlow will be featured in a commercial beginning March 2 on TSN along with the other finalists in this co-operative project between TSN, the Coaching Association of Canada and Campbell's Chunky Soup and Chilli. From there, a vote will take place online until March 29, when the winner will be determined. At stake is a tribute day for the winning coach, consisting of a breakfast with a TSN sports analyst (Pierre McGuire, Glen Suitor or Jack Armstrong) and a nationally known football coach, a VIP training camp for his or her team and a $5,000 grant for the sports organization of the winner's choice. The Fundy football community views the recognition as just reward for Harlow's nearly three decades of service in football, either as an official, coach or administrator. He coached hockey and little league in the late 1970's but got started coaching in football in 1980 with the Fundy Minor Football Association, a relationship he maintains to this day. He's also served as head coach of the Saint John Storm, which won the Maritime championship last summer. In the boardroom, he was the president of the Fundy program, co-founder of the Maritime Women's Tackle Football League, president of the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association's High School Football League and president of Football New Brunswick. As an official, he is a level 3 football referee, a community coaching football facilitator and often volunteers his time to referee atom football in the local programs. Arliss Wilson, who has worked with Harlow in many areas, says the final-four appearance is recognition well deserved. "He lends his hand wherever it is needed," Wilson said. "He's had a lot of influence over a lot of kids between coaching, officiating and administration work he has done. -¦"‰It has been pretty special for those teams to have him around. It takes a lot of drive and a lot of determination." Harlow, one of 550 initial applicants, has competition from Halifax, Calgary and Toronto but members of the Storm feel confident in generating enough votes in March to make Harlow a winner. Among the players on his team are his daughter Lisa Harlow, herself a lead administrator and player in the province's female tackle football movement, Michelle Young-Mather, a two-time all-star in the Maritime League and Trina Graves, who wrote Harlow's nomination for the Chunky campaign. "He is never one to stand in front and take credit for things," Graves said. "He is there standing beside you or behind you or pushing you in front. He backs up the things he says with his actions. He just doesn't talk the talk. He walks the walk." While this harsh winter keeps summer thoughts on the shelf for many, Harlow conducts sessions each weekend at Millidgeville North School for women's football and more than two dozen players participate each week. It's part of a movement that figures to see women's football numbers take a huge jump in the next few years. Harlow sees this contest as a chance to market the sport as well. "We are going to probably grow again and it will be a great eye-opener for people," he said. "I still get people coming up to me not knowing that we have women's tackle football." Information on the contest - including rules on voting - is available at http://tsn.ca/chunky . |