Theresa
Maxwell

Theresa Maxwell was the dominant female student-athlete of the 1960s on the University of Calgary campus.  A native of Taber, Alberta, Theresa was the University Female Athlete of the Year in 1964 and 1966.  Theresa was a starter on both the women’s volleyball and basketball teams and was the captain of the women’s basketball team that captured the Western Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship in 1966.

Theresa learned to play volleyball from Bob Bratton as part of an undergraduate program, back when players could ‘help’ a female’s serve over the net, screening for the serve was allowed and there were nine players on the court and back row offense wasn’t even considered.

Theresa would earn Most Valuable Player honours with both sports during her career at the University of Calgary and went on to be a member of the Canadian national women’s basketball and volleyball teams.  She competed for Canada internationally at the NORCECA championships in Mexico City in 1972. Following her graduation from university, Theresa became the women’s volleyball coach at the University of Calgary and continued to play as a member of the Calgary Cals, one of the dominant women’s club in Canada at the time.  She was also very active as a club coach for various age-class teams and with the Dinos Volleyball Club for many years.

Theresa then turned her attention to the administration of the sport and served more than a decade as a member of the Board and President of the Alberta Volleyball Association before assuming the position of President with Volleyball Canada from 1990 to 1994.  She was very active as an organizer and administrator for various tournaments and events and served in a variety of advisory roles for the Alberta Winter Games and as well as Western Canada Games and the Canada Winter Games.  As President of the Alberta Volleyball Association, Theresa inherited the Jasper Volleyball Camp which grew tremendously throughout her tenure.  Theresa also developed the very innovative Volleyball on Wheels Outreach program to introduce volleyball to children living in rural and remote areas of the province.

Theresa’s administrative contributions were diverse and simply too many to list. She served as the Alberta Games Technical liaison, Jeux Canada Games Mission staff, Secretary-Treasurer for the CIAU Coaches’ Association and served as the Head of Delegation for Women’s Volleyball for the Savarian and Liberation Cup in 1987 in Hungary. In 1989 she was elected as the Vice-President of Volleyball Canada and served on a number of national sport administrative committees.  She was elected as President of Volleyball Canada in 1990 and served in that capacity for 4 years. Theresa was the first woman appointed to World League Volleyball League jury in 1995 and served as the Head of Delegation for a number of International Volleyball events, including the Women’s World Championship in 1993.

Theresa continues to be involved with the Volleyball Alberta Awards and History Committee and researched and wrote a history of volleyball in Alberta for the Alberta Sport Hall of Fame.  Earlier she collaborated with Dr. Dave Smith, also known as Dr. Death, on creating and producing “Fit For the Final; Training and Motivation”.  She has also served as a presenter and/or invited delegate to a wide range of conferences and conventions as well as authoring a number of articles and technical papers on the sport.

Theresa has been recognized extensively as a builder and leader in the sport.  In 1989 she was named as a volunteer of the year for Volleyball Canada in 1989 and was presented with the Alberta Achievement Award for Volleyball in 1991.  In 1982 she was honoured with the Calgary YMCA Women of Distinction Award in the Sports Category and them was inducted into the University of Calgary Athletics Hall of Fame in the inaugural induction. In 2001 Theresa was nominated for the Women of Distinction Education Award and was honoured with the Calgary Booster Club Athletic Leader Awards. In 2005, Theresa was inducted into the Alberta Volleyball Hall of Fame in its inaugural induction and was recognized with the Alberta Centennial Award as one of the top 100 people of influence in Sport and Recreation in the last 100 years in Alberta.  That was followed up in 2018 when she was recognized as one of the Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Association 100 athletes recognized in 100 years.

We are honoured to induct Theresa Maxwell as a Builder in the Volleyball Canada Hall of Fame; she is most certainly deserving of this recognition for her many years as an athlete, coach and administrator for the sport at the local, provincial and national levels.