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Frank Baldwin has been to Nova Scotia’s modern era of basketball, what Dr. James Naismith was to its invention. His list of accomplishments are long and varied, but it may be his intangible contributions to the sport for which he is most respected.

A native Haligonian, he was recruited as a coach at Oxford Street School in 1939 for the Halifax Church League. He coached a variety of junior, high school and college teams winning the Canadian Juvenile championship with Queen Elizabeth High in 1950. The QEH team was runner-up the following year.

Frank started the basketball program at St. Mary’s University and built it for 12 years – which has been on the path of excellence ever since. In those days his job was to recruit students to the university more than players to the Huskie roster. While he didn’t win any championships at St. Mary’s, he has always maintained a winning record throughout his coaching career. While at St. Mary’s, he also worked at the university’s bookstore and canteen.

After he had accomplished his goals at the university level, Baldwin became program director at Canadian Martyrs Parish Centre in 1963 and in 1971, he became the Nova Scotia Amateur Basketball Association’s first provincial coach.

“I figured it was time to move on. I’ve never made any money at it. The standing joke working for the Jesuits at St. Mary’s was that they took the vow of poverty and expected you to do the same. St. Mary’s got a little too big for me. The fun was getting out of it and I need that.”

He stayed at Canadian Martyrs, building a perennial basketball power for nine years until he again needed a new challenge. Baldwin has also seen Sport Nova Scotia grow over the years from two people and a desk at city hall, to a bustling complex organization serving all Nova Scotia sports.

A member of the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame, Baldwin admits his motives have been somewhat selfish. “The game has kept me young. The people I’ve met and the improvement in the game has been rewarding. “Basketball has not been my only priority in life, but has certainly been a big part of it.”

His travels have taken him from Lower Musquodoboit to Bogota, Colombia as he worked with minor players and national team members.

His main goal has always been to make the sport better. He has been confidante to minor, high school, college and Olympic coaches. At the same time his rapport with the players over the past 44 years has been unparalleled. He has time for everyone no matter what their problem.

A busy clinician, Frank received the Merit Award in 1976 from the National Association of Basketball Coaches. He was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979 and received recognition from the Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation in 1980.

Frank has smiled through it all, from twisting the ears of non-conforming minor leaguers to receiving a letter of thanks from the President of the United Stated (Richard M. Nixon) for a box of cigars. He has always been congenial, even at the most awkward of moments.

A founding member of the Halifax Juvenile Boys Basketball League, Baldwin was invited each year to present the championship trophy. The original took quite a beating over the years and well-wishing league executives gathered together money to replace the original including name plate.

From 1972 until 1986 he was the coordinator for basketball at Sport Nova Scotia and from 1971 to 1975, he was head coach of the men’s Canada Games teams. Additionally, Baldwin assisted with the national team on a South American tour in 1975. His dedication to the game put him in the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 1979.

At the presentation ceremonies, as Frank was about to hand out the trophy he glanced at the plate only to read “Frank Baldwin Memorial Award”. A polite smile crossed his face as if to say, “I’m not through yet.”

Frank passed away in 2013.

Bio Courtesy of Terry O’Neil