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Howard (Howie) Jackson was still playing volleyball when he decided to become an official in 1970. When he received international level certification in 1983, he was one of only 12 Canadians to hold that accreditation at the time.

An accomplished track and field competitor in his youth in Inglewood, Bridgetown, Nova Scotia, with a long-standing provincial record for the triple jump, Howard later turned to officiating, coaching, and administration. Luckily for volleyball players across Nova Scotia, he took a liking to the sport white coaching in secondary schools and chose to apply his talent and passion to volleyball for over forty years.

Howard went on to officiate in a number of major international competitions including the World University Games and the Pan American Games. As a member of Volleyball Canada’s National Referee Committee, he was a supervisor and evaluator becoming instrumental in the development of Canadian referees.

Over the course of 40 years, Howard made a significant impact in volleyball as an official, coach, and educator at national and local levels as well. He coached at the Canada Games and at Dalhousie and Mount Saint Vincent Universities, leading clinics and development camps for many years. Also an accomplished track and field competitor and official, Howard was inducted as an athlete to the Bridgetown Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2010.

Howard passed away on November 10th, 2011.

 

Annual Program

Howard Jackson built a legacy by bettering the lives of others.

An accomplished track and field competitor in his youth in Inglewood, Bridgetown, Nova Scotia, with a longstanding provincial record for triple jump, Howard later turned to officiating, coaching and administration. Luckily for volleyball players across Nova Scotia, he took a liking to the sport while coaching in secondary schools and chose to apply his talent and passion to volleyball for over forty years.

June Lumsden, athletic and recreation director for Mount Saint Vincent University, coached alongside Howard when he worked with the Mount’s women’s volleyball team from 1984 to 1994.

She describes Howard as approachable and respected both on and off the court.

“He was a teacher of life skills,” she says, adding, “He had an innate way of connecting with people.”

Howard’s coaching resumé also includes the 1979 Canada Games, Dalhousie University, and the Dartmouth Combines Women’s teams.

“He had a quiet unassuming personality,” says Digby-native Brad Barton, who played in high school athletics with Howard before both men became referees.

“He didn’t have a lot of words, but when he did, they meant something,” adds former volleyball player Denise Bowes. “Sometimes he didn’t have to say anything; it was just a look and a grin.”

Denise was under Howard Jackson’s coaching guidance from junior high school to the 1979 Canada Games. She played for the Dartmouth Combines and remembers Howard Jackson as a coach who showed genuine interest in every individual.

“He cared about who you were as a person long after you were a player,” she says, recalling running into Jackson during her time at Dalhousie.

After starting his officiating career in 1970, Howard was determined to achieve the highest level of certification. He became certified at a national level and proved his diversity by serving as a Canadian track and field official at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

And he didn’t stop there. In 1983, he became one of only two Nova Scotians to be certified as an international referee. He completed the international volleyball officiating clinic at the World University Games in Edmonton.

Brad, also an international volleyball official, explains that it was Howard’s demeanor that made him the perfect candidate for an international official. “He had confidence and a physical presence on the court that was respected.”

His wife, Eleanor Carter, remembers Howard as a calming force. “I used to watch him referee and think he was so graceful.”

Officiating duties took Howard all over the world as he refereed at the Pan American Games and the Pacific Rim Games. He later became a national officials evaluator and was still refereeing AUS competitions in 2011.

Howard passed on his skills to others by being a national officials clinician, a coaching instructor, and a physical educator. He never hesitated to volunteer his time and could be found spending weekends at player development camps or officiating alongside new referees.

Howard’s brother, Chris, agrees that Howard made life-long friends with the people he coached and mentored.

“Howard liked to see kids develop their potential,” says Chris. “If they didn’t make one Canada Games team he would tell them not to give up and try for the next one.”

Howard’s dedication to volleyball earned him the title of Coach of the Year three times from the Nova Scotia College Athletic Conference, as well as a gold medal from the Canadian Olympic Association.

This year, Howard’s memory (he passed away at age 66 on November 10, 2011) received the ultimate honour when Truro organized the Howard Jackson Memorial Volleyball Tournament, which raises scholarship funds.

Annual Program Courtesy of Katherine Wooler