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Coates inducted to Mission Sports Hall of Fame

Stuart Coates has been active in the sport of soccer for more than 45 years, 30 of them with the Mission Soccer Club.
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Mission Mayor Randy Hawes (left) presents long-time soccer coach Stuart Coates with an award to commemorate Coates induction into the Mission Sports Hall of Fame.

Stuart Coates is the newest member of the Mission Sports Hall of Fame.

Coates was inducted on Monday night during a brief presentation at council. He is the first person to be inducted under the builder category.

Coates has been active in the sport of soccer for more than 45 years, 30 of them with the Mission Soccer Club. During his time there he held almost every role imaginable including club president, coach, equipment manager, tournament manager, official and Soccer BC representative to name a few.

While he has dedicated his life to soccer, it isn’t his only sports involvement. Coates has been active with Mission Special Olympics for the past 25 years as well.

He has served as coach and coordinator for several sports. However he had his greatest success in soccer.

He coached Team BC’s Special Olympic soccer squad to gold medal victories at the Canadian Championships and the World Championships held in China.

In 2011 he received the Mission Lifetime Achievement Award.

Coates is also vice-president of the newly formed Mission Sports Council, an organization created to give all sports in Mission a unified voice to council.

“Stuart is a community builder and all of us should be proud,” said Mission Mayor Randy Hawes.

Coates humbly accepted his award, but did not address the small crowd in attendance.

A special plaque in his honour will now hang in the Mission Sports Hall of Fame, located in the Mission Leisure Centre.

 



Kevin Mills

About the Author: Kevin Mills

I have been a member of the media for the past 34 years and became editor of the Mission Record in February of 2015.
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