George Pinter, a longtime local resident, coach, player and referee in both baseball and soccer, passed away last Monday.
Pinter, 55, will forever be remembered in the sports community for his long career coaching baseball and soccer.
He coached in Ladner Minor Baseball from 1992-2009 (a total of 47 teams) as all three of his sons played in all levels from T-ball to Midget. He also coached 11 soccer teams from 1993 through to the 2005 season. He became a referee and in 2003 he accepted the position as head referee for Ladner soccer and was appointed to the disciplinary board.
Pinter not only coached but mentored hundreds of athletes throughout his years in the community.
Over the last week, tributes on social media have extolled his accomplishments and regrets have been pouring in from hundreds who knew him.
Although his list of accomplishments is long, that is not what Pinter will be remembered for. Hundreds of athletes in this community will remember him for his unending patience (doing the hokey pokey in t-ball as warmup), his focus (and "focus cream"), his gentleness and his awe inspiring belief that you can do anything you set
your mind to.
The messages sent by his family and friends have all had the same thread, and that was the difference he made to so many lives.
As one post said, there are many young men in this community who are better people for having been coached by Pinter. He was a coach, a mentor and a friend. He was always willing to lend an ear, a hand, or several hands, as he frequently volunteered his family for things.
His dedication to everyone was unwavering, and his family was first and foremost in all that he did. His sons know without a doubt how much their father loved them and he always said that having the opportunity to be on the field with his boys was one of the greatest pleasures in his life.
During the spring, summer, fall and winter months, you would always find Pinter on a field in Ladner, clipboard in hand, coaching a practice (almost every day, sometimes two a day), at a game or playing. His love of the sport shone through in the pleasure he took on that field, rain or shine.
His philosophy of play at all costs, not wins at all costs, developed players into well-rounded athletes and young adults. Many coaches measured their success on the field by how their teams played against his. Many coaches out there will tell you, "I learned much from George Pinter."
He also played baseball on a men's team that included many of Ladner's baseball coaches.
In 2008, Ladner Minor Baseball recognized his contribution to baseball by naming him volunteer of the year.
In 2009, his Midget AA All Star team won the provincial championships and represented B.C. in the Western Canada Baseball Championships, where they took the silver. Pinter and his team were inducted into Delta's Sports Hall of Fame as Team of the Year.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. at Cedar Park Church, 5300-44th Ave., Ladner.
