By SAL BOMMARITO Special to the Beaver Legion track club needs coach to survive Unfortunately, another coach on the team, Marlene Fomnoville, has also decided to step down at the end of the current track and field season. That leaves only current club viceâ€"president and coach Geoff Francis to run the ship. Although Francis is fully preâ€" pared to stay on and assist whomever replaces Mc Veigh, he said job commitments wouldn‘t enable him to keep the club going on his own. fold if a new head coach isn‘t found by the end of January 1994, according to club officials. Current head coach and club president Dan McVeigh has announced that he will retire at the end of the current indoor track and field season, which wraps up before Christmas. T he Oakville Legion track and field club will probably If a successor to McVeigh isn‘t found soon, the club‘s operaâ€" tions will have to be put on hold. If that happens, it would impact on about 25 young athletes who are actively involved in the club. "I feel after 15 years it‘s time to pass the baton along to another anchor runner on the team and have someone else instil enthusiâ€" asm and fresh ideas into the club," said McVeigh of his decision to retire. "It‘s a tough decision. I thought about it at quite some length. I have mixed emotions. I will miss working with the kids. In the 15 years there hasn‘t been a bad apple in the bunch." McVeigh, 45, a chemical technician, wants to spend more time with wife Laura and soonâ€"toâ€"be twoâ€"yearâ€"old daughter Ashley. McVeigh said he‘ll also spend more time on his own training â€" he‘s a former middleâ€"distance runner who competes in the occaâ€" sional community 5â€"km or 10â€"km run and he once ran in the Boston Marathon â€" as well as playing the guitar. A St. Ignatius of Loyola Hawks (dark jersey) player collides with a St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders player during hardâ€"hitting high school hockey action at Oakville arena Wednesday. Loyola defeatâ€" ed Aquinas 6â€"4 in the contest. The game featured several hard hits and a shoving match involvâ€" ing several players from both teams at the end of the second period. "Although I‘m (in town) 90% of the time, my job doesn‘t HOLIDAY FILM «FEST (Photo by Peter McCusker) McDonald‘s® has four great video hits for the holidaysâ€"Charlotte‘s Web, Wayne‘s World, Addams Family, and Ghost. Buy one when you purchase a large sandwich* breakfast sandwich, (Pzz2) Or Extra Value Meal. allow me to commit 100%," said Francis. "Dan has been the whole comnerstone of the track and field club. He‘s been everyâ€" thing. The problem with being a (head) coach is you get no respect, you work for low pay and you have to be fully commitâ€" ted," he said. Both McVeigh and Francis agree the club‘s demise would be tragic, not only for its athletes and their parents, but also for the community as a whole. "If we can‘t find a head coach the club will have to cease operâ€" ations on a formal basis. Our athletes would have to find another training venue if they want to continue on," said McVeigh. McVeigh said it‘s essential that another coach is found by the end of next January. That‘s the deadline for registering athletes with the Ontario Track and Field Association for next March‘s indoor track and field championships. McVeigh said the club is financially sound, owns all the necesâ€" sary equipment, and trains at two local high schools â€" Loyola during the indoor season and T.A. Blakelock for the outdoor seaâ€" son. As far as filling the position of president is concerned, Francis said: "If we can get a coach, I feel confident we can find a presiâ€" dent from (among) the people involved with the club and the parâ€" ents of the athletes. We need to have both (a president and a head coach). We have people who aren‘t prepared to step forward (for nomination) unless we find a coach," he said. "There‘s a significant outlay of funds (to register the athletes for the meet). Rather than throw that money away and then have the club disband, we would probably have to set a deadline (for finding a new head coach)," said McVeigh. Francis said the ideal candidate is someone who has competed in athletics and who is willing to commit one evening per week to the club during the winter and two evenings a week during the summer. PPPPPPP While Supplies Last *Ask for details. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1993 PAGE 29 Dan McVeigh: coach‘s retirement spells trouble. Tim Horton‘s high school hockâ€" ey night will be held at the Oakville Arena Dec. 1st. Oakvilleâ€"Trafalgar will play Loyola at 6 p.m., followed by St. Thomas Aquinas versus White Oaks at 7:30 p.m. and Q.E. Park against T.A. Blakelock at 9 p.m. Admission is $3 and all proceeds will go to Tim Horion‘s Children‘s Foundation. The first annual Hoops Christmas Basketball Camp will be held Dec. 27â€"31 at Sheridan College‘s Oakville campus. The camp will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday and is open to boys and girls of all ages. The cost is $75 for the week. For more information or"to register, call 335â€"5679. Hockey night Wed. benefits needy children Sheridan hosts basketball camp CARFIND MAKES IT EASY m P A VEHICLE COMPUTER WEEKLY PUBLICATION