Field Hockey BC is saddened to announce the passing of Barbara ‘Bim’ Schrodt (1929-2020) at the age of 91, one of the most prominent names in women’s field hockey in Canada. She was an accomplished player, coach, administrator and supporter of the sport throughout her life.
Bim was a true leader of the field hockey community, founding and presiding over the BC Women’s Field Hockey Federation in the 60s, serving as president of the Vancouver Women’s Field Hockey Association, and being one the founding directors of the Canadian Women’s Field Hockey Association.
Her influence to the sport is relevant and recognized to the point that FHBC presents every year the Barbara Schrodt Award to an individual “who has made a difference to women’s field hockey in British Columbia”.
Schrodt played a fundamental role in the development of coaches and umpires, and in the implementation of international field hockey rules in Canada. By hosting clinics across the country and through her handbook of ‘regulations and procedures’ – which became a model for establishing the national umpire certification used today – she was and always will be an important figure for our sport.
On the pitch, ‘Bim’ dedicated most of her career to the University of British Columbia and BC’s provincial teams. One of her numerous noteworthy achievements is the gold medal as a coach of the BC Team at the 1973 Canada Games. In addition to all these contributions, she also published the “Field Hockey for Women: a Guide to Basic and Advanced Play” in 1968, regarded as the first publication on women’s field hockey.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Physical Education from UBC in 1951, she was a teacher at the university’s Physical Education Faculty (currently School of Kinesiology) for thirty-seven years, leaving briefly to complete her PhD at the University of Alberta. Bim coached the UBC women’s field hockey team for eighteen years, between 1957 and 1977.
The Federal Government awarded Barbara with the Centennial Medal in 1967, honouring her contribution to field hockey, and, in 1981, she was named an Outstanding Contributor by the Vancouver Women’s Field Hockey Association. Furthermore, in 1999 and 2000, Schrodt was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame and the UBC Sports Hall of Fame, respectively, as a builder of the sport.
As her BC Hall of Fame citation reads, “Schrodt is the only Canadian to hold honorary membership at three levels of administration – local, provincial, and national – the highest honour attainable. She also holds the Canadian Association’s Honorary Umpire Award, the BC Federation’s Gold Honour Pin, and is the namesake for both the BC and Vancouver’s perpetual Award.”
The field hockey community and FHBC cannot be thankful enough for everything that Barbara ‘Bim’ Schrodt brought to our sport. We send our most sincere condolences to her family and friends, and our hearts remain grateful.
Read her profile at the UBC School of Kinesiology here.
Read her profile at the BC Sports Hall of Fame here.