David R. Barrett – Athlete

Inducted November 13, 2004

Dave Barrett was an all round athlete who participated and excelled in four sports, namely track and field, soccer, hockey and basketball. In the days when top athletes typically played a couple of sports, Dave played, and excelled in two winter and two summer sports. Starting his career as an athlete at St. Bon’s, Dave led the way in track and field. Competing on the school team for five years, he led St. Bon’s to championships in the last three years. As a measure of his success, Dave won gold medals in the 220, 440, shot put, discus and 880 repay as well as a silver medal in the javelin and a bronze medal in the high jump in the 1956 meet. Playing soccer from 1957 until 1960, Dave Barrett was named the junior school league’s Most Valuable Player in 1958. In 1960 he played for the St. John’s All-Star Team that played Burin, St. Lawrence, and St. Pierre. Dave played hockey for six years in a career that included playing for the great St. Bon’s Hockey Team that was always challenging for the Boyle Trophy. His team won the Boyle Trophy in five out of the six years he played hockey. Dave also played on the St. John’s Junior Hockey Championship Team in 1957 and this team went on to claim the Provincial Junior Hockey Championship title in 1958. While competing at the elite level in other sports, it was on the basketball court that Dave Barrett took it to an even higher level. One of the original members of the Newfoundland and Labrador Basketball Hall of Fame, Dave was an impressive ball handler and scorer. MVP Awards came in 1960, 1961, 1962, and 1963. Dave was also the league’s top scorer in 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962, and 1963. In 1959 Dave set a league record when he scored 35 points in one game. Dave Barrett’s outstanding, all round athletic career has earned him induction in the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame.