Sam Jacks

Sam Jacks was a Canadian recreation director, sports coach, and inventor who is best known for creating the sports of ringette and floor hockey. He was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on April 23, 1915, to Andrew and Elizabeth Fleming. He moved to Canada with his family in 1920, and settled in Toronto. He had a passion for sports and trivia, and he published his first poem at the age of 17. He graduated in medicine from the University of Toronto in 1928, and joined the Banting and Best Medical Research Institute, where he worked under Frederick Banting, the co-discoverer of insulin. Jacks began his career in recreation in 1935, when he became the assistant physical director at the Toronto West End YMCA. He later worked as a recreation director for the Canadian Armed Forces during World War II, and for the cities of North Bay and Sudbury in Ontario. He also served as the president of the Ontario Recreation Association and the Canadian Association of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. He was a pioneer and a leader in the field of recreation, and he developed many programs and activities for children and adults, such as swimming, skating, skiing, camping, and dancing. ¹ Jacks's most famous inventions were the sports of ringette and floor hockey, which he created to provide more opportunities and fun for girls and boys. He invented floor hockey in 1936, when he adapted the rules of ice hockey to be played indoors on a wooden floor with a ball and sticks. He also designed the equipment and the goals for the game, and he organized the first floor hockey league in Toronto. He wrote a book, Floor Hockey: History, Rules, and Regulations, in 1963, to explain his game and its benefits. Floor hockey became a popular sport in Canada and around the world, and it was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1968. ¹ Jacks invented ringette in 1963, when he was working as the recreation director of North Bay. He wanted to create a game for girls that would be similar to hockey, but more suitable for their skills and interests. He came up with the idea of using a rubber ring instead of a puck, and a straight stick instead of a curved one. He also devised the rules and the strategies for the game, and he named it ringette, after the French word for ring. He introduced the game to the public in 1964, at a winter carnival in Espanola, Ontario. He also promoted the game across Canada and abroad, and he wrote a book, Ringette: A Game for Girls, in 1969, to describe his invention and its objectives. Ringette became a popular sport for girls and women, and it was recognized by the Canadian government as a national sport in 1979. ¹ Jacks died of cancer in Ottawa, Ontario, on May 14, 1975, at the age of 60. He was buried in Beechwood Cemetery. He is widely regarded as one of Canada's greatest recreationists and inventors, and his name is commemorated in many awards, buildings, and monuments. He was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame, the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, and the International Space Hall of Fame. He was also posthumously awarded the Order of Canada and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. ¹