SSHoF logoRalph Schoenfeld

Builder (2005)

Basketball, Football

Ralph SchoenfeldRalph played basketball and football, primarily, reaching the Canadian Football League level with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for two seasons. He returned to Saskatoon to coach both sports at the high school level, assisted on the Saskatoon Junior Hilltop football staff and become an assistant coach with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies.

Ralph was born in Sussex, Germany, lived with his family in South America for eight years, and they moved to Saskatoon where he completed elementary schooling and high school studies at Aden Bowman Collegiate. As a basketball player, football player and pole vaulter at Aden Bowman, Ralph's biggest satisfaction came from playing on two Bowman teams, which won provincial championships in 1961 and 1962 while being coached by Bob Adams.

He played with the Saskatoon Junior Hilltop Football Club from 1964 until 1968, winning all-star quarterback recognition, the outstanding graduate award in his final year and the Manitoba-Saskatchewan league's most gentlemanly player award one year.

Playing along side the all time Winnipeg great Kenny Ploen, Ralph played two seasons as back-up quarterback and punter for the Blue Bombers.

While he was head coach of the Bedford Road Redmen from 1974 until 1982, Ralph won tournament coach of the year honours at the Bedford Road Invitational championships in 1982. He was always an active member of the BRIT organizing committees and was honoured as the tournament's special guest in 1984.

He enjoyed success as a coach at Aden Bowman Collegiate from 1982 until 1989, taking the provincial championship in 1988 and 1989 and also taking his team back to the BRIT tournaments.

Ralph also had the unique ability to play Huskie basketball, 1964 through 1967 and then coach Huskie teams. He also spent some time as an assistant coach with the University of Saskatchewan Huskie football team, 1974 through 1978, and with the Saskatoon Junior Hilltop football staff, 1977 through 1985.

Now retired as a teacher, Ralph is a mental skills consultant for athletes who compete in a variety of sports at Saskatchewan, Western Canada and Canada Summer Games levels and he has also been a coach of the Saskatchewan Wheelchair basketball program.