Harry George Woolley

In 2006, Woolley received the Dewalt Award from the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame for years of service.

Woolley helped launch a tribute section for North Shore Indian lacrosse player Justin Baker in the first edition of the WCSLA website. In 2005, Woolley worked as a consultant for the Six Nations Arrows Junior A lacrosse club. The team became national Minto Cup silver medalists.

In his commitment to retaining box lacrosse heritage, in 2005, Harry and his daughter Erica Woolley donated a Lally Extra Special Box Lacrosse Stick to the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame. All of the sticks manufactured at Lally's in Cornwall, Ontario were handmade by First Nations people. The stick was acquired in an eBay auction after a documentary dedicated to aboriginal Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee Ross Powless finished filming.

In 2004, Woolley was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

In May 2003, the WCLL was launched. The league's playing talent ranges from ex-Senior B players and Junior B call-ups to the completely inexperienced. The vision Woolley had in establishing the WCLL was to create a recreational league that any lacrosse enthusiast could join.

Woolley founded the West Central Lacrosse League (WCLL) in the fall of 2002. Earlier in 2002, while being Commissioner of the West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association (WCSLA) Senior B league, Woolley saw 55 players cut with nowhere to play. He completed the necessary paperwork and helped organize the new league get off the ground.

In 2001, Woolley was the Assistant General Manager for the New Westminster Salmonbellies, Senior A club.

Woolley volunteered for First Nations lacrosse teams and worked with many First Nations people. Woolley was voted the West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association Manager of the Year in 2000 after working for the North Shore Indians Senior B club. He also earned the Hugh Gifford merit award for his efforts after the team became WCSLA champs. While holding the General Manager and Governor position, Woolley helped raise $1,500 for the Simon Baker Bursary Fund.

Woolley worked as Director of Player Personnel/Scout for the New Westminster Salmonbellies Senior A club in 1999, 2004, 2005 and 2006. Before his death in April 2009, Woolley helped the Burnaby Lakers Jr. A team with their draft selections but did not hold an official title.

His final blow of the whistle came in 1997 when he refereed the gold medal Masters game in Vernon, British Columbia.

Woolley served as president of the British Columbia Lacrosse Association from 1995 to 1996.

Despite challenges the game had faced, Woolley never gave up believing that lacrosse would one day establish a larger following. He was a vocal advocate to keep lacrosse as Canada's national sport after the House of Commons of Canada debated the issue in 1994.

In 1989, Woolley was a colour commentator for the Burnaby Cablevision Junior A lacrosse team. Woolley worked alongside play-by-play announcer Ernie Blanchard to provide knowledgeable lacrosse analysis. Home games were broadcast on the local Burnaby Cable Television network.

Woolley chaired the British Columbia Lacrosse Association (BCLA) Coaches Association in 1988 and 1990. He helped produce manuals and teaching aids for the development of coaches. In 1988, Woolley created the well-known British Columbia publication, Coaches Corner.

In 1978, Woolley was punched in the face by a player refereeing a Senior B game. He donned a black jersey for the 1980 Nation's World Cup Championships held in North Vancouver, BC. A second assault on Harry occurred during the officiating for this event. Woolley was deliberately slashed across the face by a player at the end of the game. Woolley required several stitches to close a cut over his eye.

Woolley was a Correctional Officer by day and sports enthusiast by night. Woolley worked at Oakalla Prison Farm in Burnaby, BC from 1976 until its closing in 1992. Harry was then transferred to work at the new Fraser Regional Correctional Centre in Maple Ridge, British Columbia where he worked until his official retirement in 2002.

In 1976, Woolley and John Dorflinger of North Delta, BC founded the North Delta Minor Lacrosse Association (NDML). What initiated the move were the 40 registered lacrosse players residing in North Delta, British Columbia that were playing for Surrey minor teams.

Woolley coached the 1975 Senior B Port Coquitlam Chiefs to BC Provincial silver. The club won the West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association Senior B league and playoffs. He was the coach for the Bantam North Delta Hawks in 1988 who won silver at the BC Provincials and gold at the BC Summer Games.

In 1974, Woolley helped bring the Presidents Cup finals to the Lower Mainland for the first time. To make this happen Harry single-handedly spent months pounding on doors of local businesses to raise $5,000 and acquired a number of sponsorships.

In 1972, Woolley took over as Commissioner of the floundering Inter-City Senior B Lacrosse League. He took drastic measures in changing the structure of the organization by implementing a league agreement, producing league perpetual trophies and crafting a new overall image. Out of the changes came the newly formed West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association (WCSLA) in 1973. Woolley helped the Senior B league take giant strides toward respectability after years of having a reputation for being just a beer league.

Woolley co-managed the 1971 Senior B Burnaby Kokanee club with Dick Wills that went on to become West Coast Senior Lacrosse Association (WCSLA) champions, Provincial champions and Presidents Cup (box lacrosse) finalists. Woolley laced up his boots for the Burnaby Kokanee's when they were short players.

At the end of 1970, Woolley retired from semi-professional lacrosse and focused his efforts on building the game.

Woolley is the two-time winner of the Mr. Lacrosse Tom Gordon plaque for giving the most to British Columbia lacrosse in 1970 and 1974.

Woolley signed with the Senior A Coquitlam Adanacs for the 1969 and 1970 seasons.

His on-floor rivalry with local lacrosse hero Al Lewthwaite of the New Westminster Salmonbellies is well documented. Woolley had a pre-game note published in the local paper that warned Lewthwaite: "Al be nimble, Al be quick. Don’t get caught by the Jumper’s stick". A legendary brawl ensued between the two of them during the fourth game of the Adanacs vs. Salmonbellies 1969 playoffs.

In 1968, Woolley coached the Sorel Titans Jr. club to the Quebec Junior crown. He also found time to referee minor lacrosse in Sorel-Tracy.

In 1966, when Woolley was 24 years old, he fought all the way to earn a spot at the Canadian Golden Gloves finals in Montreal, Quebec in the 165 lb. division. Woolley lost the final bout to a boxer that would later turn professional. As a result of making it to the finals, Woolley received the O’Keefe Trophy.

Woolley played semi-professional lacrosse with the Sorel Titans in Quebec from 1965 to 1968. Woolley at 23 years of age played under the mentorship of Hockey Hall of Fame legend and Montreal Canadiens hockey player John Ferguson, Sr. Woolley wanted to emulate Ferguson's style as an enforcer and gain notoriety for his cavalier treatment of the opposition. John Ferguson, Sr. was coach for the Sorel Titans, one of six Quebec Lacrosse League (QLL) clubs that played in the 1960s.

Woolley was a coach for 17 years. Woolley coached three teams that went on to become BC Provincial champions under the Burnaby Norburn colors: 1962 Pee-Wee, 1963 Under-10 & 1963 Pee-Wee.

He refereed the game of lacrosse between 1960 and 1997, including the Mann Cup, Minto Cup and Presidents Cup (box lacrosse). He wore a refereeing badge for 17 years. Woolley refereed games in Minor, Junior A, Senior A and Senior B leagues.

Woolley was an avid boxer who enjoyed getting into the ring. At only 15 years old he quickly excelled to win the Burnaby Bronze Gloves competition in 1957. The following year Harry advanced to become an Emerald Glove Finalist in Vancouver, BC.

Harry George Woolley (4 January 1942 – 23 May 2009) was a Canadian player, coach, referee, manager, scout and advocate for the game of lacrosse. He spent 46 years as a builder volunteering in a total of 72 appointments. His career extended to coaching, refereeing and managing lacrosse teams in Francophone & First Nations communities.