Most of you will not remember Coach Dailey. He was involved in track and field in Port Alberni from 1970 until his death in 1992. He was just an ordinary man who spent most of his working life driving a school bus. He loved the sport of track and field and worked diligently and with dedication to build this sport in our community. The stadium and the track are tangible links of Bob Dailey’s love, not just for the sport, but for the children whose lives he touched over the years. Those of us who knew him all have memories, unique and special to each of us, that will keep him alive in our hearts. But how does this affect those of you who didn’t know Bob Dailey? Coach Dailey firmly believed that through track you gain many valuable life skills. If you go to practice regularly, listen and learn from your coaches and peers, try your best at all times and struggle to better your own personal best, you will learn inner strength and will gain in personal growth. Through track you will learn perseverance, endurance and drive. You will learn good sportsmanship, how to win gracefully and how to accept loss as a challenge to try again. You also will meet many new people and friends and your life will become richer and fuller in many ways. Coach Dailey firmly believed that winning a race was very nice but the athlete who fell and tried again or offered a helping hand or kept going no matter what the odds, was the true winner. He felt that these attempts and personal triumphs are the events which should be recognized, applauded and rewarded – for these are the skills which form the strong caring citizens of the future. If Coach Dailey were here today he would only have one piece of advice, “Do your best and go for a P.B.!â€
- Marilyn Dailey
