1998, Ben Sheardown

1998, Ben Sheardown (Hockey, Basketball)

Ben Sheardown was inducted into the Hall of Fame for his contribution as an athlete and coach, in the sports of hockey and basketball.

Born in Whitehorse in 1944, Ben spent his whole life in the Territory with the exception of a stint at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks, obtaining his Bachelor of Education and in Vancouver obtaining his Diploma in Counseling Psychology at UBC.

As a youth Ben was revered as one of the best athletes in the Yukon and earned many awards throughout his storied career, including Rookie of the Year in Midget Hockey at the age of ten! He played and coached many Arctic Winter Games hockey teams, winning a gold medal in '72, a silver in '74, '80 and '86, and a bronze in '88. His biggest achievement at the AWG was in 1980 when he won a silver medal in hockey, he then ran over to coach the junior basketball team to a silver medal.

Coaching basketball was Ben's first love as he dedicated three decades to our youth. Coaching numerous basketball teams to Yukon Championships Ben played an intricate part in the development of basketball in the Yukon and was the first coach in any sport to utilize yearly training plans for his athletes.