One of Aaron’s wise adages is that a small stadium is always a full stadium. Yet, sometimes what is small, in this case a small sample size of one person is not merely an illusion for entertainment value. Many of you reading this article know Aaron Sher personally or professionally or a combination thereof, but those who do not have likely benefited from Mr. Sher’s immense passion for the sport.
When Aaron first picked up a stick in South Africa at age 14, I am sure that he did not anticipate that he would finish his hockey career as Honorary General Secretary to the Pan American Hockey Federation. A Federation regions away from his native South Africa. Yet, Aaron’s foray into hockey was thanks to cricket! Who knows if people would have had to watch Aaron on TV for days dressed in white, but cricket’s loss was hockey’s gain. Aaron started playing cricket at age 8 and after six years of playing, Aaron was ready to try something new; or perhaps the cricket uniform just wasn’t for him. After three weeks of playing hockey he was put on the first team. Quickly, Aaron and his brother Brian became star South African hockey players and celebrities in the local news media. Surely, Aaron’s media presence at such a young age motivated his interest in building the popularity for our sport even if he didn’t yet realize it.
As a young adult, Aaron entered the army and only was able to achieve the rank of hockey captain. He played for South Africa and when he returned to the army location they put him in charge of watching the grass grow on the fields at the army! Little did Aaron know how much this experience of grass growing would forever change his life.
It is clear that Aaron’s consummate humility and tremendous hard work to give back to the sport emanate from the team spirit that comes from playing hockey. Aaron migrated to the United States in 1977 with an overweight suitcase bulging with hockey passion and some South African grass hockey pitch seeds. Aaron served as the Hockey Competition Director at the 1984 Olympic Games, in which Aaron implemented tournament management standards that are still utilized today, including at the 2015 Pan American Games. Since the 1984 Olympics, Aaron’s commitment and dedication to develop and grow the sport has been truly Olympic in size and scope.
Surely, thousands and many of you have stepped onto the hockey pitch and surrounding grounds in Chula Vista, California, USA where Aaron helped plan and preserve the hockey pitch. One Olympic Training Center pitch, however, was not enough. Aaron must have dreamt hockey pitches for a lot of his life or at least since the South African army made him do it! Aaron planted the seeds for hockey pitches just as the legend Johnny Appleseed planted apple trees. With Aaron’s vision and determination the USA Field Hockey Festival grew over the 1990s to become an international event consisting of many pitches facilitating lots of hockey non-stop for days on end. What a dream for any hockey lover, except for in Aaron’s case his dreams often become reality. Aaron has not only served on the USA Field Hockey’s Board of Directors, but also on the FIH Board as Chair of the Media and Communications Committee; and then with the PAHF in a variety of roles. Aaron was the Chairperson of the PAHF Media & Communications Committee since its creation around 2001 until 2011, when he became Honorary General Secretary in replacement of Sue Neill (who was in the position since 1995). And was a member of the PAHF Board from 2005 to 2007. All the while dispersing ideas that were often realized.
Aaron was instrumental not only to create the PAHF Media and Communications Committee, but also to push for having Communications Officers appointed in the panel of Officials for all PAHF competitions. One to start with, then two for dual competitions and now three at the 2015 Pan American Games.
Yan Huckendubler, Chair of the PAHF Media and Communications Committee states that Aaron: "always had a forward thinking vision for what we should do on the PAHF web site (or during events for communication) that was well ahead of the times. Very often we could not implement his ideas because of their technical complexity or by lack of resources, but they are now routinely done with the advance of technology or to satisfy broadcaster. E.g. tweeting video-clips of scored goals shortly after they were scored; neutralizing time after goals to allow players to celebrate, etc.."
Taken together, Aaron received the FIH’s Order of Merit Award in 2010 for distinguished service, contribution and achievement. For many this might have been the culmination of a career, not to mention a volunteer one, but not for Aaron. Since 2010, Aaron has been the PAHF representative on the FIH committee of regional secretaries; became the PAHF Honorary General Secretary at the 2011 Congress in Guadalajara; and orchestrated the PAHF Brand Manual. Under Aaron’s leadership the PAHF was restructured from its operational staff through to its committees that will have a long-lasting impact on how the PAHF is run. Yet as much as Aaron challenged PAHF to constantly be better, the PAHF also provided Aaron with a unique challenge he has yet to fully overcome. Long ago, Aaron bought Spanish for Dummies because he always wanted to know what was being said at the PAHF meetings. His wife even tried to help teach him, but she recalls spending with Aaron nearly four hours on the days of the week for him only to remember one or two of them! Yet as we all know the only language Aaron has needed to speak over the years and for PAHF is: hockey. A language Aaron has clearly mastered.
Yet, while we have now learned about Aaron’s myriad accolades, it is so often that the greatest impact one makes cannot be represented through numbers. Thus, here are some quotes from PAHF that illustrate what Aaron has meant to the PAHF over the years:
“I remember many times when we were together at different events/tournaments/meetings, sharing joys and worries. He is very strict about the observance of the rules and regulations, that each time, with my Latin blood running in my veins, I had wanted to make an exception or wanted to be more lenient, he would be upset, or asked me not to allow exceptions. I think he is an honest, capable and hardworking person. And I hope that in future times, in some way, he shall still be involved with PAHF.” –Coco Budeisky, PAHF President
“I am very proud to say that Aaron Sher was my boss in PAHF. I am very thankful that Aaron coached me in the last 4 years and that I had the opportunity to learn from a master like him. He does not know this, but in my personal circle of friends and family, I refer to him as "Mr. Jaca". The Jaca (jackfruit) is a big fruit, with a thick skin, but soft and sweet inside. This is just like Aaron for me. Those who don't know him, looking at his "outside", may think he is too hard (and he can be harsh sometimes - not without a valid reason!), but the fact is that his humanity and principles are far beyond any criticism. His dedication, commitment and results orientation certainly will be missed and have set a good example for those influenced by him. In the real world, like he says, being a Jaca is a good thing, as the core is well protected and the surface repels weak intruders. I wish him all the best on his retirement and hope that his good heart can keep him as an advisor for those who can (or could) reach it.” –Julio Neves, PAHF Managing Director
“Aaron is a very resilient committed individual. He has given unreservedly to Hockey regionally and internationally.” -Maureen Craig-Rousseau, PAHF Vice President
“The best part about Aaron is that behind his big personality, he tries to get to know people and make them feel comfortable. He leans on their strengths and brings them in to help make the game successful while others try to continue to think small. His vision of the game is greater than most others can conceptualize. The push for more technology and more stats and more stories to continue to build the history of the game to sell it, even to the IOC, is Aaron's legacy.” - Gus Soteriades, former FIH Media and Communications member
And lastly from Aaron’s wife Barbara who has had to gracefully permit Aaron to travel near and far to diffuse his leadership, laughter, and immense passion for the sport says that Aaron’s involvement with the sport for many decades is “Very noble because he gave so much time and effort.” Unlike many of us, Barbara does not often witness that Aaron is a huge hockey nerd who also needs to attend hockey events to keep up to date on his hockey nerd knowledge; however, Barbara can infer this from Aaron’s fashion sense at non-hockey events. Apparently, Aaron’s tie collection is 99% hockey ties. And if he has to go to a non-hockey event he usually puts on a hockey tie which is not appropriate. But rather than change his tie or argue with his wife, Aaron just always has proceeded to tell Barbara the story of the tie!
His retirement from decades of hockey service is visible from Aaron’s hockey tie shedding. According to his wife, we are to kindly ask Aaron for all his hockey ties because since moving back to Arizona he has not worn any! Upon retirement, Aaron will have loads of extra free time, especially because he will no longer have to spend HOURS in the closet figuring out what he will bring for each hockey trip. While Barbara thinks he will miss the travel, she’s not sure if having him home ALL the time will be a good thing! Yet Barbara is certain that “Aaron will most definitely miss the people he has worked with and known for many years. He has loved doing the work for FIH, PAHF and all the various committees.”
So yes, Aaron is only one person and many of his accomplishments can be counted, but the number of people to which he has shared his initiatives, his wise words, generosity, and absolute passion for the sport is something that is neither countable nor an illusion.
