There are a lot of people in the lacrosse community in Owen Sound that I could have tapped for comment & reaction to the passing of Terry Sanderson.
Sanderson, a prominent Orangeville sportsman and businessman, passed away last week at the age of 62, very shortly after stepping down as General Manager of the Toronto Rock to deal with health issues.
For comment, I chose Glenn Juniper whose connection to lacrosse in Owen Sound is 6 decades long and continues.
He, more than anyone, could fully testify to what a fierce opponent Sanderson was on the floor for those Orangeville Senior teams- never the best player, but unwilling to yield an inch in the quest for a loose ball or a victory.
In a stunning irony, Glenn Juniper was also able to relate what a great teammate Sanderson was, as Sanderson was a pick-up for the Senior NorthStars’ first junket to the Presidents Cup in 1979.
Suddenly, the NorthStars biggest, loudest, most abrasive opponent was a member of the Owen Sound NorthStars.
And Glenn Juniper also witnessed, with little surprise in his view, Sanderson’s elevation to become a top coach and manager, here in Owen Sound with the Woodsmen about a decade ago, and on & off with the Rock in the NLL.
Love him or hate him, Terry Sanderson played the game hard, with passion & desire, pumping life into the sport of lacrosse wherever he went, certainly leaving a massive legacy in his hometown of Orangeville.
And that’s the consistent perspective from Owen Sound, the very centre of some of Terry Sanderson’s greatest battles.
I’m Fred Wallace