Inducted November 3, 2007

Tom Tarrant - Athlete

Tom Tarrant, whose hometown of St. Lawrence is referred to as the “hot bed” of soccer in the province, developed many outstanding soccer players and Tom was considered one of the best ever! He was a member of the St. Lawrence Laurentians, which was voted team of the decade in the 1970’s. Tom was considered the team’s field general as a mid-fielder and always controlled the game when going at full tilt. His dedication to the sport earned him high praise from players, fans, and officials of the game. During his time with the Laurentians, the team captured five straight Burin Peninsula Senior Soccer Championships and five straight Provincial Senior Soccer Championships. The team also won the Provincial Challenge Cup in 1971. Tom played with the Memorial University Beothucks Soccer Team from 1971 to 1974, and was captain of the team when they won the Atlantic Intercollegiate Soccer Championships in 1973 and 1974. The team placed second in the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU) final at Laurentian University in Sudbury in 1971. In 1974, Tarrant captained the team to a fourth place finish in the CIAU final at Memorial University. The year 1975 was hugely successful for Tom. He was captain of the St. Lawrence Laurentians Senior Soccer Team when they again captured the Provincial Challenge Cup. The team went on to win the Eastern Canadian Challenge Cup and to place second at the National Challenge Cup competition in Calgary. Tarrant was selected to the Canadian Pan Am Soccer Team, making him the only player selected to the team east of Quebec and only the second Newfoundlander to earn a spot on the team. That same year, Tom received numerous individual awards: he was co-winner of the Provincial Athlete of the Year Award; he was awarded the Richard Perry Memorial Trophy as Athlete of the Year at Memorial University; and, he was named to the Athletics Honor Society at Memorial University. In 1976, while on military leave in Newfoundland, Tom again joined the St. Lawrence Laurentians Senior Soccer Team and finished third at the National Challenge Cup Competition in Winnipeg. During his time in the military, Tom was a member of the 3RCR Royals Soccer Team which won the Canadian Forces Europe Soccer League Championships in 1978, 1988, and 1989. In 1999, Tom coached the CFB Kingston Soccer Team to a second place finish in the Ontario Region Soccer Championships. In recognition for his soccer accomplishments, Tom was inducted into the St. Lawrence Soccer Hall of Fame in 2002.