Fahey recognized for contribution to sports

STELLARTON - Whereas Leo Fahey, for the past 60 years, has taught the fundamentals of sport to youth in this town and elsewhere in Pictou County, it was resolved by the provincial legislature that he should be thanked for that dedication.
On May 1, Pictou Centre MLA Pat Dunn brought Fahey's contributions to the legislative assembly's attention.
Cape Breton born, he moved to Stellarton in 1947. Over the next 10 years, he coached and helped out with minor and high school sports, including rugby, baseball and hockey. Over those 10 years he was at the head of minor baseball in the town.
At age 84, his attitude towards coaching youngsters hasn't changed much.
"The first thing they've got to do is get in condition. You can't play any sport unless you were in condition to play."
Then, he said, it's a matter of keeping a player's interest level high.
"Get them interested so they want to be there. They've got a little instinct about the game and they want to learn more. That's where we come in."
As one of the on-ice coaches he was one of the men responsible for taking Stellarton High School's boys hockey to a provincial title in the 1956-1957 year. That story's never really been re-told, he said.
"I helped coach along with Tom MacKay and John Harris." Harris he said was instrumental in getting a team put together, but it was MacKay and Fahey who were the on-ice instructors.
They were a fair team at the time, he said, but Stellarton High School was a small fish in the top division.
"In order to go a little further. I spent a little extra time with the three best players on the team: Frankie Sim, Jimmy Fleming and Kenny MacDonald. I spent a lot of time with them at the workouts, showed them how to play defence."
At the same time, he was with the Stellarton Royals of the senior league. It caused a bit of a problem in terms of scheduling, since Fahey'd have to be away on road games while the high school team was to practise. So, he changed the practice times to half past seven in the morning.
"And I told John Harris to have one of these players on the ice at all times - just to get the puck out of our end, you know what I mean?"
He also formed what he called the kid line, which included three good young skaters: John Young, Stew Young and Joey Thompson.
It worked - Stellarton defeated New Glasgow and East Pictou en route to the provincial championship and defeated St. Pat's in Halifax for the title. Sim scored the winning goal and Fahey remembers Eddie Watters was at his very best in goal.
Around the same time, Fahey was also coaching track with Jack MacLean (a former mayor of New Glasgow). Through their work, the Stellarton students went to the provincials (at Acadia University) for the first time.
They didn't have much to work with for training. Fahey said they trained at the Albion ball field, in Westville and at the old race track in Blue Acres.
The list could go on and on - Fahey's accomplishments have earned him spots in the Pictou County Sports Heritage Hall of Fame, the Canadian Boxing Hall of Fame and the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame.
He says he learned from the best, speaking of Bobby Beaton and Eddie Gillis.
And, at least one of the things they taught him may account for his longevity in sports, and that's daily exercise - even if you don't want to.
"I take time for that, make sure that's done - no matter how you feel. Pays off in the end, boy."
He makes certain to thank his wife Lillian, who he says allowed him to be at the ballfield or at the rink for all these years.
"When I don't have fun doing it, I'll stop doing it," Fahey said. "I gotta have fun, even at my age, I can't wait to get on to the ball field," He said.
The same goes for the young athletes he coaches.
"If you keep your players interested they'll get in the best shape they can get. They won't let you down."
"Give them confidence, that's important, you've got to make sure you give them confidence. Even if you have to spend half an hour doing one thing with them. Repetition - make sure they get it."