FIT Celebrates Inaugural Life Member

Mr Cary Thompson was voted in at the last Annual General Meting of the FIT Board, by unanimous vote, and it is a fitting acknowledgement for a man who has done so much for the growth of the game internationally.

It is the first time the sport’s international governing body has bestowed this honour on one of their members.

“Getting it means a lot but being the first means something very special. It can’t happen again to anyone else and I feel very honoured,” Cary said.

Cary has written many publications, articles and papers many of which have been presented at seminars and universities across his home nation, Australia. He became involved with Touch in the early seventies and rosen through to ranks to become the President of  the Federation of International Touch, from 1991 to 2007. He then acted as Secretary General of the Federation for the next two years to assist in the transition period.

During this time Cary wrote most of the original policies that directed the sport through those early years of International development. If there was a job needed doing Cary was the man for the job. Cary’s input was all encompassing as he directed the sport administratively, & technically; and he supplied immense leadership skills through these years. During the eighties Cary became the Director of Coaching for Touch Football Australia; a position he held until 2001.

His contribution to Touch in Australia has seen him awarded with nine Life Memberships of Touch and Touch Referee Associations. In addition he has received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Sport and the Eunice Gill Coach Education Award form the Australian Sports Commission.Cary was instrumental (with others) in devising the rules for the inaugural World Cup in 1988. He has written the rules that are currently played at an international level as well as referee interpretation to the rules. He created the European Championships in 1996 and when interviewed by Sky B at the time stated “they will become the largest regional Touch event in the world within 20 years”. He was right.

Cary helped found the South Pacific Championships and has continued to create a forum for island teams to compete internationally on a regular basis.

Not only did Cary dedicate most of his spare time to his many administrative roles, but he also took on the very important roll of FIT historian, a position he held up until this year. There are many sports who view the history of International Touch records with envy due to the untiring dedication Cary directed to this (volunteer) role. It is a legacy for which he will always be remembered.