Field Hockey community remembers pioneer contributor to the game
It is with sadness that Canadian friends and colleagues mark the passing of Dr. Christine Grant on December 31, 2021 at the age of 85 years.
Christine was born in Scotland on 27 May, 1936. She received her diploma in Physical Education from Dunfermline College of Physical Education in Scotland in 1956. Chris arrived in Canada in 1961 where she remained until 1970. During her stay in Canada, she was instrumental in working with other hockey enthusiasts in British Columbia and Ontario to bring about the creation of the Canadian Women’s Field Hockey Association in 1962. She served as its first Promotions Chair from 1963 to 1966.
The Canadian Association oversaw the selection of the Canadian Team members who would participate in the 1963 IFWHA Tournament at Goucher College near Baltimore. For the first time ever, the Canadian team included players from Nova Scotia as well as British Columbia. Chris was a Canadian selector and trained and coached the team. In the tradition of tournaments of the day, she was known as The Canadian Team Manager.
In 1971, Chris was a Canadian Delegate to the IFWHA Conference in Auckland New Zealand and also umpired at the IFWHA Tournament held there.
Chris began studying at the University of Iowa in 1970 where she eventually obtained her BA, MA and PhD. In 1973, she became the first Women’s Athletic Director at the University of Iowa and remained there until her retirement in 2005. Dr. Grant is well-known for her tireless efforts to advance opportunities for girls and women in sport. She was a recognized expert on Title IX and served as a consultant for the Civil Rights Title IX Task Force. Among her many awards are three Honorary PhDs, the Billie Jean King Award from the Women’s Sports Foundation, and the Gerald R. Ford Award for her advocacy for intercollegiate athletics. The Grant Field at the University of Iowa is named in her honour as is the Christine Grant Elementary School in North Liberty, Iowa.
Chris remained a good friend to Canadian Hockey. As a Seventy-niner, she met up with old friends at the 1979 IFWHA Championships in Vancouver and again at the 2015 FHC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Toronto.
Through her teaching, coaching, leadership and advocacy, Christine Grant influenced the lives of many, many girls and women in both Canada and the USA and left a strong legacy in both countries.
Photos Courtesy of Iowa Hawkeye Sports
