First family inducted into the Regina Sports Hall of Fame

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REGINA — A notable Regina sports family has become the first to be inducted into the city’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Some in the Queen City may recognize the Jacoby family name as the five brothers grew up playing many sports including tennis, baseball, basketball and golf.

“I was growing up in Regina when the Jacobys were growing up. They were legendary for all their involvement in basketball and tennis and in golf. So what better way to honour a family like that than to say they were great patrons of the sport,” Darrell Davis, a board member on the Regina Sports Hall of Fame said Friday.

The five brothers and their parents were inducted into the Regina Sports Hall of Fame for their dedication to sport over the years at a dinner Thursday night.

“We played all sports, unlike today when you see people specializing at a very young age, we played everything,” Paul Jacoby said.

“So, to say that sports was an influential part of our life is an understatement,”.

While much of the award is based on the family’s contribution to the tennis world, John Jacoby also made an impact in the golf world.

“I gave up tennis and started golfing, and I had a fairly decent junior golf career,” John said.

John went on to join the PGA of Canada and still works in the golf industry today.

While speaking with the brothers, it’s clear they source much of their success from their parents’ support.

“Our mom and dad, Bonnie and Franz, they introduced us to sport at a very young age. Little League baseball, basketball, tennis, and as a result of that, you know, the five of us got very involved,” Ray Jacoby said.

“They didn't ask us to pursue sports, they said, ‘pursue something, whatever it is that you want to do, go do it. And we'll support you and encourage you.’ If it had been something other than sports, they would have been fine with that,” Neil Jacoby added.

Some of the brothers went on to coach and support the sports community in other ways, while always leaning on the values both sport and their parents taught them.