Dennis Beerling is an accomplished leader, coach, official, administrator and teacher, the very things that define the term Saskatchewan sports builder.
On a local level, Beerling has been a track official for more than twenty-five years, and has been a track and field clinician and evaluator for twenty years. He coached softball teams to several city championships during his thirty-year coaching career, was a softball umpire for fifteen years and achieved Level 3 (national) umpiring status. Additionally, Beerling was a minor hockey coach and league commissioner.
On the administrative level, Beerling is a founder and past president of the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame and served on the management committee for the Saskatoon Fieldhouse, as well as various City of Saskatoon recreation committees. He was involved in founding and organizing the Saskatoon Minor Baseball League, acting as president for three years and also served on the executives of the Saskatoon Amateur and Minor Softball Associations.
Provincially, Beerling was a four-time track and field official and clinician at the Saskatchewan Games. He served on the Saskatchewan Track and Field Association executive for many years, and officiated at most of the provincial track and field championships over the past 25 years. Beerling was the coach of seven provincial softball championship teams, and has been a master conductor for the National Coaching Certification Program in Saskatchewan for 20 years. Adding to his resume, he served on the Saskatchewan Games Council from 1981-84, was the chairman of the Site Selection Committee for the 1984 Saskatchewan Winter Games and was the chairman of the 1998 +55 Provincial Summer Games. Beerling served on the board of Sask Sport and the Coaches Association of Saskatchewan.
Dennis Beerling has been a national and international track and field official for more than 22 years. His career as an official includes the 1973 Junior Olympics, many junior and senior championships and two Olympic Trials. As one of Canada’s top track and field officials, Beerling officiated the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, the 1978 and 1994 Commonwealth Games and the World Student Games.
Beerling was on the organizing committees for the 1988 World Senior Men’s Softball Championships, and seven national championships in Saskatoon. For his contribution to sport, Beerling was inducted into the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame in 1985, was named Kinsmen Sportsman of the Year in 1982 and has been honored by Softball Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan High School Athletics Association. In 1978 he earned the Canadian Amateur Softball Association Outstanding Service Award and was inducted into the National Track and Field Officials’ Wall of Fame in 1987.
Installed in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame on June 14, 1997.
