Robert Smith was born and raised in Milner Ridge, a small community near Lac du Bonnet. But his love of sport and the youngsters he coached became legend in the Winnipeg areas of Elmwood and East Kildonan.

As an athlete himself, Smith excelled in baseball playing for the Transcona Seniors in the 1940’s. His talent even drew interest from the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Smith began coaching as a young man in 1943 with the Morse Place Junior baseball teams (until 1949). His teams won provincial championships in 1943/44 & 48. In 1949 he coached the Elmwood Giants All Stars in the old Mandak League. By 1950 Smith had taken over the entire Pee Wee program (10 teams) in the Giants’ operation to mark the beginning of Little League baseball in the area. The next dozen years saw several city, provincial and national titles. In 1953 he coached the Mid Canada Champions as Canadian representatives at the Little League Championships in Roseland, Illinois, U.S.A. From 1954-61, Bob Smith’s name became synonymous with Elmwood Giants’ baseball.

From 1947 to 1965, Smith coached hockey. Among his many teams and programs were the Elmwood Rovers Pee Wee team (city champs 1947-49), Chalmers Community Club, the Kelvin Community Club House League and the Kelvin Juvenile squad (provincial champs 1962/64&65). Smith was also the Sports Director at the Elmwood Winter Club.

Although many of the teams Bob Smith coached won championships, that was not his primary concern. Most years he chose to coach the weakest teams in the community program. By the time he was through they were not only competitive, they often won championships. He took young athletes and gave them a focus; made them better human beings. That was Bob Smith’s gift to sport.