INNISFAIL – Staff at Innisfail High School recently paid tribute to longtime educational assistant and sports coach Jim Brittain by dedicating the school's football field in his honour.
The sign, a high school staff initiative, was installed July 13, at the northeast corner of the field with its new name, the Jim Brittain Athletic Field.
Brittain 61, was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, late last fall.
He passed away in the early morning hours of July 15 at home with his family.
“It was good that Jim got to see it,” said Trevor Wooff, high school teacher and Innisfail Cyclones head coach. “I think it was important that Jim saw the sign installed before he passed.
“He went to school at Innisfail high, he played football for the Innisfail Ocelots and he’s been involved with coaching, football specifically, but also soccer, track and other things,” he added. “He’s put an awful lot of blood, sweat and tears onto that field.”
Renaming the field and dedicating it in Brittain’s honour was an idea Wooff came up with at Brittain’s retirement from Innisfail High School last fall, where he worked as an educational assistant for 23 years.
“There was a small committee put together with me, a few other teachers and a few others had input. We decided to get to work on it because we wanted to try to put the sign in before he passed," said Woof, noting doctors had given Brittain about six to eight months to live when he was diagnosed in December.
The sign, created by Wallah Signs in Red Deer, was supported through financial donations from members of the community over the past several months, and the labour to install the sign donated by an (IHS) alumnus.
There were also several fundraising campaigns for Brittain and his family.
Wooff noted in the coming months they plan to create a plaque with photos that will be placed near the sign.
“It will explain Jim’s history and his contribution to sports,” said Woof. “People now know who Jim is but 10 years from now students and people may ask who Jim Brittain was.
“That’s the next stage of the fundraising process,” he added.
Brittain coached until the end of the football season in 2018 when the Cyclones won their fifth straight championship. He retired in November and attended the Innisfail High School graduation on June 8.
“He did so much,” said Wooff. “He did a whole bunch of things outside of the school, around town and he coached. We started the team together in 2003. He was my right-hand man.”
Wooff said the Innisfail Cyclones 9-man football team will wear JB stickers on their helmets this upcoming season, starting in August.
They will also dedicate the 2019-20 football season to Brittain.
“The last couple of seasons he always did our pre-game talk and talked to the boys. He had a special message for them, to “make the first hit count.” That was always his message,” said Wooff.
“The philosophy in football is the next man up. We’ll look for the next man (to continue next season) but they’ll be big shoes to fill,” Wooff concluded.
A memorial for Brittain is planned for Sept. 7 at Innisfail Middle School at 2 p.m.
