Some athletes have no panic in their game, and Edison Wheeler is one of those players.
“Edison is calm, cool, and collected on the field. He doesn’t panic, is able to keep those around him focused and executing to their best level,” said Ryan Szol, the Varsity Football Head Coach at Sir Winston Churchill High School.
“When he walks off the field, he isn’t harping on something that didn’t go as planned. He is instead talking to me about plays that he feels will work based on what he is seeing on the field.”
The Grade 12 quarterback came out of nowhere for his football team this season.
“Edison walked into a very difficult situation this year, as a transfer to our school he entered a world that was completely new to him. He was now in a building with over 2,200 students, yet within the first few weeks our assistant principals were already coming up to me saying what an amazing person he is … a positive influence in the building, and a producer on the football field,” said Szol, adding Wheeler was not initially in the school plans at quarterback.
“After spring camp last year, we were scrambling to put together any semblance of an offence. Edison searched out my email address and sent me an email inquiring about trying out for the quarterback position. From day one, he brought an intensity to the field of someone working to earn a spot. Even though he was the only option we had at the position, he never took his foot off the gas pedal. He would hit the sled, just as hard as anyone else on the team, he ran the hill just as hard as anyone else. He never took the opportunity or his position on the team for granted.”
Szol said he submits a nomination for the Calgary Booster Club’s Harry Hood Memorial Scholarship each year.
“It is nice to see all the work that goes into the nominations pay off for an awesome student,” he said.
“It is great to see an awesome kid receive recognition for the hard work that he has put in.”
The Calgary Booster Club, in partnership with the Calgary Senior High School Athletic Association (CSHSAA), names three Harry Hood Memorial Scholarship winners each year.
The award – which was established in 1956 – is given annually to top student athletes in Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 football. It is named after Harry Hood, who played for the Calgary Stampeders from 1948 through 1952 before passing away due to cancer in 1954. Hood spent much of his time coaching high school football and believed strongly that football contributed greatly to positive growth in young people.
“Being awarded the Harry Hood Memorial Scholarship is such an honour. The athletic excellence, dedication to community and respected reputation that Harry Hood achieved in his life is so inspiring,” said Wheeler.
“This award is a privilege because it reflects the time, dedication, and belief my coaches have placed in me. I am truly grateful for this honour and deeply thankful to the Calgary Booster Club for making it possible.”
Wheeler said sports are a huge part of his life.
“I have been playing organized sports for as long as I can remember, including basketball, flag and tackle football, baseball, and others. Each sport has helped develop different skills, strengths, and confidence. Sports have significantly shaped my life by building friendships with teammates and coaches, teaching me discipline and a willingness to learn, and helping me grow as a leader. These lessons are meaningful, and I know they will continue to guide me for the rest of my life,” said Wheeler.
“Athletics has opened up opportunities for me to coach, lead, and mentor young athletes. I have been reffing and coaching flag football and coaching basketball for several years in my church and community leagues. It has been a blessing to give back and mentor younger kids into better athletes with strong character.”
Wheeler plans on attending the University of Calgary to pursue a business degree. He also wants to remain a busy volunteer in the world of athletics.
“I enjoy volunteering in sports programs at my church and in my community. I plan to continue to volunteer and help mentor and coach younger athletes as they improve their skills and build character,” he said.