• Founding coach of the Bears soccer program (1967-74).
• CIAU gold medalist (1972) and silver medalist (1973).
• First director of coaching for the Alberta Soccer Association.
• Coached the U of A Bears tennis team to a Western Intercollegiate Championship; also coached the diving team, as well as the sprinters on the track & field team.
• Coached Canada's national diving team on a tour of South America.

Born and educated in England, Dr. Stuart Robbins (widely known as ‘Stu’) was invited to join the Faculty of Physical Education at the University of Alberta in 1964 and was charged with the establishment of undergraduate and graduate programs in elementary school physical education. His success in this undertaking is attested to by the hundreds of graduates from these programs who have gone on to staff the schools of our nation and others as well. It was Stu’s love of sport, however, that helped to build, to shape, many of the athletics programs at the University of Alberta. Foremost among these was the Golden Bears soccer program.

In 1967 Dr. Robbins became the founding coach of this major varsity team, a position he held until 1974. During his tenure the Bears won the CIAU gold medal in 1972 and the silver in 1973. The strong base he built for this program continues to provide strength for the program today. After moving to York University he also served as an associate coach for the Yeomen Soccer Team (1983-1986). His deep love of soccer has been a lifelong affair. On his arrival in Edmonton he immediately began to coach in the minor leagues (1964-1974) and helped several teams to win city championships. His investment in soccer’s developmental programs continued in Georgetown, Ontario, and in Calgary (2000-2007). In 1966 Stu became the first Director of Coaching for the Alberta Soccer Association and maintained that position until 1972. In that span he initiated Alberta’s coaching instruction and certification program. His devotion to the art and science of coaching remained strong throughout his career to the point that when he moved to Calgary on retiring in 2000 he joined the National Coaching Institute at the U of C. Significantly, it was his concern for children and his love of soccer that lead him to focus on the developmental skills of the child. From this came his pioneering work with mini soccer programs together with modifications to the size of equipment and playing fields.

The scope of Dr. Robbins’ contributions to the University of Alberta’s athletic programs attests to his amazing versatility as a builder. Among his many roles, he coached the Golden Bears Tennis Team to a Western Intercollegiate championship in 1964-1965, the Bears and Panda’s Diving Teams from 1964-1969, and the sprinters of the Track and Field Team from 1964 to 1966. (These challenges were not new to Stu for while still in England he had assisted the AAA as a senior sprints coach and had coached jumps, throws and pole vaulting.) During the 1968-1969 season, Dr. Robbins coached Alberta’s Diving Team at the Canadian championships and was selected to coach Canada’s National Diving Team for a tour of South America. Not satisfied to work exclusively on the field or on the deck of the pool, he also served as the Technical Director of the Alberta Diving Association and as a member of the Canadian Diving Association Selection Committee. Truly an outstanding builder of the University of Alberta’s athletic programs as well as those of Alberta and Canada.

In the four decades and more that Dr. Robbins has lived in his adopted country he has helped to establish world class academic programs in his field in two universities – the U of A and York U. At York he served as Chair and Director of the School of Kinesiology and Health Sciences from 1981 to 1998 and as the Chair of Senate from 1992-1993. He has been a pioneer in re-framing Canada’s coaching programs. And he has been a builder of the Canadian Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) receiving its honour award in 1994; and the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (OPHEA) that recognized his excellence with their Bing Caswell Award in 1993. For his many contributions Dr. Robbins was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, and Canada’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

Dr. Robbins has been an exemplary coach, an outstanding builder of athletic and educational programs, a national leader in his professional field, and an indefatigable contributor to active living in Canada. The University of Alberta is proud to induct this exceptional alumnus to the Sports Wall of Fame.