Brooklin Reunion 2018 - Snap'd | Brooklin Heritage Society

BTC Article, 21/09/24 The Man Who Brought Lacrosse to Brooklin.In lacrosse circles, Brooklin was once known as the smallest town in the world to possess an elite lacrosse team. A large part of this was due to the efforts of Gene Dopp who, in 1961, donated thousands of volunteer hours to help the Brooklin Hillcrest team reclassify, making the jump from tier two to Senior “A” lacrosse. Dopp first brought lacrosse to Brooklin in the late 1930s when he bought a summer house on Baldwin Street. He mentored local players and formed a bush team. But it wasn’t until he retired and moved permanently to Brooklin that he became known to the community as “Mr Lacrosse”. As the club’s first President, he organized an aggressive executive, took the team through two name changes, produced and edited the Brooklin Redmen official program and served on the board until his death on June 24, 1971. All sports The youngest of three children, Eugene Joseph Dopp was born in New Hamburg on October 7, 1892. As a boy he first played lacrosse in Brantford and for years afterwards worked to build up the sport without any incentive other than his love for the game. Dopp was an all-round athlete and a fierce competitor. In addition to lacrosse he played hockey with the Toronto Riverside Hockey Club as a teammate of Conn Smythe, founder of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He joined the Toronto Argonauts football team in 1915 and rowed for the Toronto Canoe Club. At just 18 years old, Dopp was elected to the executive of the Ontario Amateur Lacrosse Association. A man of integrity and character, he held many executive positions in various national and provincial associations until 1955. He standardized play across Canada and wrote a Guide for Referees, Managers, Coaches and Players. Started Hall of Fame In 1956, Dopp was named honourary Secretary-Treasurer to the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) and it was through his efforts that the New Westminster, B.C., Lacrosse Hall of Fame was established. He headed the Eastern Selection Committee and served as director of the Hall. Dopp thought about the future of lacrosse and every spring provided sticks for local kids. His reasoning? “Get them started early and the game will prosper.” The Gene Dopp Trophy has been awarded annually since 1966 to the Most Outstanding Rookie in a Major Series Lacrosse. Since 1969 and until now, seven Brooklin players have won it. Dopp’s p h o t o h a n g s in the L u t h e r V i p o n d arena. In recognition of his contributions to the comm u n i t y, D o p p Crescent bears his name. A 50-year member of the Knights of Columbus, Dopp, a devout Catholic, was one of two founders of St. Leo’s School and served on its first Board of Trustees. He also coached the school’s first soccer team. Gene and his wife Greta are buried at the Holy Cross Cemetery in Toronto. ... See MoreSee Less

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