ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, October 31, 1996 TAG: 9611010088
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH HATCH
A Roanoke man's dedication to teaching kids the value of teamwork and sportsmanship were honored recently by both local and regional ice hockey organizations.
Dick Pitman fell in love with youth ice hockey when his son, Dan, joined the Roanoke Valley Youth Hockey team nine years ago. The elder Pitman gave a lot to the sport: as a manager, a coach and president of the Roanoke Valley Youth Hockey Association from 1993 until his death in September.
The Mid-Atlantic Hockey League, which includes 30 teams in Virginia and North Carolina, voted this month to establish the Dick Pitman Sportsmanship Award. This award will recognize players who balance excellence in academics, community service and hockey. Winners will be announced in early March.
Locally, the Roanoke Valley Youth Hockey Association has founded the Dick Pitman Memorial Fund to help low-income children play hockey. The fund will help pay for equipment, ice time and training camps.
"He [Pitman] wanted all kids to have a way to show their talent," said Nancy Long, the new president of Roanoke's youth hockey program. "He helped kids find a balance between competitiveness and fun."
Marian Pitman was pleased to learn about these efforts to honor her late husband.
"That's exactly what he'd want," she said. "He loved working with the kids, teaching them how to be a team."
Contributions to the memorial fund may be sent to the Roanoke Valley Youth Hockey Association, P.O. Box 20362, Roanoke, Va. 24018.
LENGTH: Short : 37 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: headshot of Pitmanby CNB