EDITOR’S NOTE: On Saturday, May 13, the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame will welcome its newest inductees. The class of 2022 includes athletes Alan Brahmst and John French in addition to builder Dave Dunn. Over the next three days, we will feature the inductees.
Growing up in Hamburg, Germany, Alan Brahmst did what most young boys did there; he began playing field hockey when he was five.
It was apparent quickly that he was more talented and driven than most.
But when his family decided to move to North America when he was a teenager, it appeared his aspirations would be left behind.
That was certainly the case early on when his dad, a global salesman, decided to move the family to a little place called Orillia in the spring of 1982.
Suddenly, Brahmst found himself walking the hallways of Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute (ODCVI) in a strange, new world where no one had heard of field hockey.
That doesn’t mean it was a trial for him or his four brothers.
“When this came up and we were dealt the cards that we were going to move to Canada, I looked at it as an adventure,” recalled Brahmst, whose family settled on Heward Point.
He said he was initially teased a bit for his accent and because he rode a “weird bike … but everybody was welcoming and I made friends relatively easy.”
He quickly became immersed in sports, running track, playing tennis, running cross-country, skiing and playing on a talented basketball team at ODCVI.
That first summer in Orillia, he also began working at Fern Resort as a waiter. He would go on to become a bartender and tennis pro for several years.
“For me, it was a really good way to integrate. I had no problems, and fond memories, really,” he said.
That’s partly why field hockey had slid off the radar. But one day, he saw a news story on TV about the Canadian men’s team qualifying for the 1984 Olympics.
Back then, there was no internet, so he asked his gym teacher, Daryl McKenzie, if he could connect him with Field Hockey Ontario. McKenzie, after doing some research and making some calls, was able to do just that. Not long after, Brahmst was driving to Toronto every weekend to practise and renew his passion for the game.
In 1985, the Ontario team qualified for the Junior World Cup, and Brahmst wanted to play for his adopted country. The MP of the region at the time, Doug Lewis, expedited his citizenship, opening the door to international competition. He burst through the door and never looked back.
Brahmst became a force to be reckoned with, playing in the Junior World Cup in 1985 and the Senior World Cup in 1986. But he did not make the cut for Canada’s Olympic team in 1988.
It was a tough pill to swallow at the time.
“But I didn’t do the work in terms of fitness ... I learned some lessons, for sure,” he said.
For the rest of his career, his level of fitness became his hallmark. He was also tough as nails, a leader and a standout central back.
After Canada narrowly missed qualifying for the 1992 and 1996 Olympics, the team finally made the cut in 2000 and shone on the world stage in Sydney.
“We were ranked top eight in the world, but I wanted more out of it,” Brahmst said of his Olympic experience. “We couldn’t win a game; we tied three matches.”
Despite that, he said, “it was an awesome experience. (Field) hockey is one of the most attended events in the Olympics and it was great to play in front of a big crowd with knowledgeable fans.”
While going to the Olympics was a definite highlight, it was an experience before the Olympics, in Western Canada, that stands out.
It was 1999, and the Pan-American Games were held in Winnipeg. A gold medal meant an automatic berth in the Olympics.
“At the end of day, it’s about winning,” said Brahmst, who helped Canada edge Argentina 1-0 in the nail-biting championship game in front of a packed house.
“That game, that experience … that stands out, for sure,” said Brahmst. “Because it was at home, because it was an automatic qualifier for the Olympics, it was significant.”
And Brahmst’s role was significant. He was the straw that stirred the drink for Canada, said his longtime teammate, Rob Short.
“Alan was a vocal and impactful central back for our team who, both on and off the pitch, was an amazing leader who helped guide our group to a record-setting top-eight finish at the 1988 World Cup … and led us to the 2000 Olympics where the team finished 10th in the world,” Short said in a letter supporting Brahmst’s nomination into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame.
“He was an extremely intelligent hockey player who we all gained from, tactically. He was tough as nails and feared by many of the world’s best players,” explained Short. “Our team would not have seen the success it did without Alan and his extraordinary commitment to our group and the sport.”
When Brahmst retired in 2000, his loss was significant, said Short.
“Our team did not recover from losing such an integral, central piece of our team’s core,” he said, noting it took eight years for the team to once again qualify for the Olympics.
Susan Ahrens, the CEO of Field Hockey Canada, also speaks highly of Brahmst.
“Alan was a key leader and outstanding athlete in a golden generation of field hockey players,” she wrote in a nomination letter. “He put his name in the history books of Field Hockey Canada.”
And now, he cements his place in local history by being inducted into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame.
It is meaningful to Brahmst.
“It’s cool. Orillia has a special place for me,” he said, recalling fond memories he has of knowing other inductees such as Terry Bullen and the late Jerry Udell.
“It’s always nice to be recognized for what you’ve done, whether it’s sports, academics or otherwise. Sport is near and dear to me, and I work in the system still today, so it’s cool. I’m not in any other sports hall of fame ... so you’ve got to start somewhere,” he quipped.
There are some tickets still available for the seventh annual Orillia Sports Hall of Fame gala. Tickets for the May 13 event at Hawk Ridge Golf Club are $125 and are available by emailing [email protected].
