If there were one person actively involved in the worlds of community athletics, especially bowling and track and field, it would be Ostap "Ozzie" Zary. So it's only natural that he is now being inducted into the Humboldt and District Sports Hall of Fame this coming November.
Sadly, Zary won't be able to witness his own induction since he passed away in 2004, but his legacy hasn't been forgotten.
Born on April 29, 1929, Zary's first love was track and field. His specialty was in sprinting and hurdles and he even sought a physical education major after high school in Moosejaw and at the University of Guelph.
Around the same time, he worked with some of the province's top track and field coaches in Saskatoon. He was also an instructor in Legion provincial track and field camps and clinics in Muenster and later, Notre Dame in Wilcox.
He volunteered as an official at track and field meets, including the Western Canada Summer Games and the Knights of Columbus Games held annually in Saskatoon. He and Tony Saretsky also hosted and organized the provincial Olympic Track and Field even in mid-70s.
As if he wasn't busy enough, Zary also divided his time with bowling commitments. He was influential in setting up and developing the Youth Bowling Council (YBC) between the 1960s and 1980s. Throughout the history of Kemway Lanes, he assisted previous proprietors Shirley Roles, the Bertings, the Bauers, and the current owners, the Ruthvens, with promoting the sport locally.
For decades, he put thousands of hours into volunteering to grow the game. In the 1970s, Zary earned his Master Bowlers teaching certification and was a member of Team Saskatchewan, which won the first-ever Canadian Masters Bowling Championship title in the teaching division. His teammates at the time were Ed Groat, Gus Newman, Dieter Brilling, and Bill Kamakoff.
Beyond his athletic skills, Zary also put his woodworking and artistic skills to use by creating a giant plaque to honour skilled bowlers at the alley. All of the plates were hand painted by him, totaling thousands of hours of volunteered skill. To this day, that plaque continues to hang at the bowling alley.
In the same vein, Zary also took part assisting with the Special Olympics bowling as well as the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in Humboldt.
"His greatest asset was not only his knowledge, but a sincere desire to work with youth," said his wife, Betty Zary, in an email. "To teach sports was not only healthy, but fun, too. It was also the best way to keep (the kids) off the streets."
It was all of his accumulated experience that contributed to Zary being hired to develop a physical education program for Humboldt Collegiate Institute. His program would eventually evolve into the current Mohawk athletics. Moreover, according to his wife, he went out with only a tape measure in hand and determined the appropriate area required for the football field and track, according to proper specifications.
"He strongly believed that sports should be fun," said his wife. "All students got the same amount of playing time. The fact that a student tried and came out to all the practices counted more than just skill. Throughout his life, he believed in being fair. All youth were treated the same."
Zary ended up coaching not just track and field, but also basketball, badminton, and volleyball teams over the years.
