Richie Spears is New Waterford's best known basketballer. From the small confines of Central gymnasium to the hardwood courts of Belgium, Spears has won recognition as one of Canada's top basketball minds.

Richie got his start in basketball while a student at Central High School. As a young grade nine student, Spears was a member of the 1954-55 Central Team which won the Provincial title. Richie's career began to blossom when he attended Acadia. University. Under the tutelage of diminutive Stu Aberdeen, Spears became one of the top university players in Canada. In 1962, Richie was the leading scorer in the country. In 1963 he was named as MVP of the National Tournament held in Windsor, Ontario. In 1964 when Richie graduated from Acadia, he was the holder of six school records: Most Points in a Game; Most Points in a Season; Most Field Goals in a Game; Most Field Goals in a Season; Highest Free Throw Percentage in a Season; and Highest Field Goal Percentage in a Season. At the end of the 1964 season at Acadia, Spears was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks of the NBA. Quite a feat for a Canadian player.

Richie played for Canada's first National team in 1965 and again in 1967, representing Canada at tournaments in South America and the 1967 Pan American Games. In 1967, Spears also star- red for Team Nova Scotia, the province's representative at the first Canada Games in Quebec City. Interestingly enough, New Waterford natives George Hughes and Donnie MacAulay also played for the Games Team giving it a distinct New Waterford flavor. Richie rounded out his playing career with a two-year stint in Belgium's Professional Basketball League between 1968 and 1970.

Spears' coaching career is just as outstanding as his playing career. He started coaching at Dawson College in 1972 and led them to four consecutive Quebec championships, ending with the Canadian Championship in 1976. From 1977 to 1978 Richie served as the head coach for Laurentian University before heading to California for the ultimate in coaching challenges. Spears accepted a position as head coach of San Diego State Women's Basketball Program. Spears inherited a program in disarray and by the time he left in 1984, he suc- ceeded in upgrading the program to where it ranked in the Top Twenty U.S. Division I, for two straight years. Perhaps the highlight of his time at San Diego was the team's winning of the "Alaska Shootout". The San Diego team knocked off na- tional powers Notre Dame, Houston and Purdue on the way to claiming the prestigious trophy.

Over the past nine years Coach Spears has travelled exten- sively throughout Canada and the United States operating basketball camps and conducting clinics. He has served as the Assistant Coach of the Halifax Windjammers for the past three summers.

The Board of Directors of the Coal Bowl Classic is pleased to welcome home New Waterford's living basketball legend. Coal Bowl '94 is honored to have Richie serve as Division Chairper- son and as Guest Speaker at the tournament's banquet.

Alex Passerini was born October 28th on MacKay Street in New Waterford. He was the son of John and Amelia Passerini.

Alex has three brothers: Lloyd living in Toronto, and Max and Gussie who are deceased. he has one sister Lillian liv- ing in the Stellarton area.

Being a member of Mount Carmel Parish, Alex attended Mount Carmel School and played all of the major sports. He participated in hockey, baseball, basketball and English rugby. But it was hockey and basketball in which he excelled.

During his school years he played Midget, Juvenile, and Junior Hockey in both New Waterford and Sydney.

Alex enlisted in the Armed Forces in 1939. He was first a member of the Army, then transferred to the Navy where he concluded his tour of duty. Even in the Navy, he par- ticipated in both basketball and hockey.

After World War II, Alex returned home and began working in several of the coal mines-16, #18, # 26, and Lingan Mine. It was during this period of time, from 1945 until 1949, that Alex played both Senior Hockey and Senior Basket- ball for both the New Waterford Strands and the Sydney Millionaires. In 1946, he was a member of the New Water- ford Strands Hockey Team which won the Cape Breton Senior Hockey Title.

Alex was inducted into the Nova Scotia Sport Heritage Hall of Fame, as a member of the 1948 Canadian Intermediate Championship Basketball Team, the New Waterford Strands.

During the post-war years, he was community-minded, work- ing on behalf of the Red Cross in New Waterford as its chair- man. Alex was a warden and usher in Mount Carmel Parish, as well as being its first Parish Council President.

Alex held most offices in the New Waterford Knights of Col- umbus for the past 41 years, from Grand Knight to District Deputy of the State Council.

After working in the coal mines for 45 years, Alex retired in 1985 as Maintenance Supervisor from Lingan Mine. Since Coal Bowl's inception in 1982, Alex has been one of its most loyal boosters, with his presence noted at most games.

Alex is married to the former Eunice Graham; they have a family of two boys (Graham and Kenneth), and one girl (Mary Lou), all of whom reside within the Sydney area. It is with great pleasure that the Board of Directors of the New Waterford Coal Bowl Classic honor Alex Passerini as a Divisional Chairman for the 1994 Coal Bowl Classic.