Photo: Belleville Sports Hall of Fame
A man whose name is synonymous with success in local sports has passed away.
Ken Smith died at the age of 78 on Dec. 11, just shy of three months after being inducted into the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame as a builder.
Smith was a player and coach, winning a high school COSSA football championship before moving on to play at the University of Guelph.
Over nearly three decades of coaching at the former Moira Secondary School, Smith’s teams racked up 25 Bay of Quinte and 10 COSSA basketball championships, across junior and senior, men’s and women’s divisions.
“His coaching went far beyond strategy and skill – he was knows for his “ability to see not just the athlete, but the individual within the athlete,” a part of his BSHOF bio stated.
Many of his students went on to compete at the post-secondary level and even more followed his example and became coaches themselves.
Smith also served as president of the Belleville Spirits program, and in 2018, played an assistant role in guiding Nicholson Catholic College to BoQ, COSSA, and OFSAA championships.
Smith’s name adorns the gymnasium at Eastside Secondary School to recognize his years of dedication to the school’s sporting landscape.
