The sixty-sixth installment of Legends of the Game is from the “Legends of our Game” magazine from 1993, put together by the Committee of OLA Jr. “A” governors.
Jim Bishop has seen it all.
Player, manager, coach, administrator, advisor.
He is a member of the Canadian lacrosse Hall of Fame for all of the above reasons…and then some.
Seldom is there a conversation about the sport that doesn’t include a mention of the seven consecutive Minto Cups his Oshawa Green Gaels won from 1963-1969.
Bishop has been honored twice by the Ontario Lacrosse Association, in 1969 and 1991, as “Mr. Lacrosse.” And in a coaching career that has spanned 40 years, his teams have won championships at all levels from tyke through junior.
His credentials are impeccable.
Some highlights include:
* Helping to organize the professional National Lacrosse Association in 1968 and coaching the Detroit Olympics to the eastern division title.
* Coaching the Windsor Warlocks to Presidents’ Cup (national senior) championships in 1970-71.
* Organizing, along with Morley Kells, the pro National Lacrosse League and coaching and managing the Toronto Tomahawks and Montreal Quebecois.
* More recently, coaching Ontario peewee and bantam champions in Whitby/Durham.
Bishop began his career as a junior goalkeeper with Toronto St. Vincent’s. He then played forward for five years with the Scarborough Maitlands before turning to coaching minor teams in 1946. Stops at every age-group at the minor level and at Oakville, Toronto, Mimico, Newmarket, Huntsville and Whitby were made before landing in Oshawa.
Bishop was a hockey man, too and for five years was administrative assistant with the Detroit Red Wings.
Lacrosse is Jim Bishop. Even his livelihood is derived from a lacrosse equipment business in Bowmanville.
Bishop is coaching a bantam and midget team in Whitby this season.
There is still fire in his eye and don’t you just get the feeling that this living legend would like one more kick at the Minto Cup can?
As this article was originally printed in 1993, Jim coached the Whitby Warriors to another Minto Cup title in 1997.
After Jim’s passing in 1999, the Canadian Lacrosse Association, in conjunction with the family of Jim Bishop and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation, inaugurated an award in honour of Jim Bishop, one of the greatest coaches ever to grace the game. Bishop’s involvement in lacrosse spanned some 58 years, influencing and developing players from tyke to professional. It is awarded at the Minto Cup to an individual who shows the qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and outstanding play.
References:
Legends of the Game Magazine 1993.
CLA announcement of 1999.
Gary Groob has been involved with Lacrosse for the majority of his life, whether playing, coaching, or covering the sport for the media.
An avid fan, with a real drive about helping to “grow the game”, Gary became part of podcasts about the game in 2010. Through the podcasts, Mr. Groob was given an opportunity to write about lacrosse, and the rest as they say, is history.
Through many miles (flying and driving) Gary has made inroads with the National Lacrosse League, Major Series Lacrosse League, the Ontario Lacrosse Association, as well as the Arena Lacrosse League, covering the leagues, their teams, and players, working for, and in concert with all of them.
In the year 2020, Mr. Groob was made the media person for the Arena Lacrosse League, voted onto the board of directors of the Brampton Excelsiors Lacrosse Club, as well as being made administrator of the Lacrosse page “Global Lacrosse” with a membership of 9000 members in over 90 Countries. Gary was also made an administrator of Lacrosse History Past Present and Future in 2022.
Mr. Groob co-hosts a weekly Lacrosse show on Spanglish Sports World, and ZingoTV channel 250, as well as writes a weekly lacrosse column for La Portada Canada News (both in print, and online).
Gary also hosts a Lacrosse talk show and podcast for The Edge of Philly Sports Network, seen live Sunday nights at 9pm (ET), and archived on the Edge of Philly YouTube page, as well as Spotify.
Mr. Groob’s other sports interests include Hockey, Football, Boxing, Wrestling, and Baseball, competing competitively in Boxing and Wrestling for many years.
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