Juergen Kuehnen

Builder - Juergen Kuehnen
Juergen Kuehnen

Juergen immigrated to Canada in 1966 from Germany, having played and coached handball and soccer in his homeland, for most of his young life.
Although handball, had been an Olympic sport for over eighty years, most Canadians had never heard of it. Handball, in simplified terms, is a cross between Basketball and Soccer.
Juergen moved to Huntsville in 1969 and introduced team handball to Huntsville in 1976. He became a member of the Team Handball Federation of Ontario. He introduced the game to former elite high school athletes. His team participated in many events, and hosted annual tournaments, with teams coming from across Canada, the US and even Germany. For many years Juergen and his team took part in an International event in New Jersey.
He coached the Ontario Junior All Star team to 3rd place at The Eastern Canadian Championships, earning them a place at the Canadians. He held the position of President of the Ontario Handball Federation for 5 years, and was himself, inducted into the Ontario Handball Hall of Fame in 2004.

Juergen was President of the German-Canadian Club for over 30 years, and worked tirelessly with Ton Struyk and Roger Weiland in the formation of the Muskoka District Soccer Association. As well, he initiated the discussions to organize minor soccer under the umbrella of the club in 1982. The first pitches were at Pine Glen School, where the current parking lot is today, and he spear-headed the development of the pitches out of the bush at the German Canadian Club. Building it completely with volunteer labour, and a Wintario grant for the materials. This was home to minor soccer in 1986.
He now watches from the sidelines as his love for sports lives on in his grandchildren.

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