FEATURE DOCUMENTARY

The late Ed Laverty, congenially referred to as the “God Father of Touch Football,” was a humble and hard-working man with a deep rooted passion for football and community. 

Laverty was the driving force behind the Ottawa Nepean Touch Football League working for over 50 years as a player, administrator, builder and ambassador while also presiding over Touch Football Ontario for nearly a decade and helping launch Touch Football Canada.

He became involved with the ONTFL in the late 1960’s adding new teams and creating new divisions and leagues for all levels of play —  including both women’s and co-ed competition. Under his guidance, participation in the league grew from six teams to hundreds of teams and 14 divisions by 2014. Currently three generations of athletes play in the league.

Some of Laverty’s most notable achievements include: executing the widely adopted “overload offence”; national recognition for bringing 140 teams to the city in 1996 for a Canadian Touch Football Championship called “Crash the Capital”; received the Mayor’s Cup Award in 2013 for Outstanding Contribution to Sport in Ottawa; inducted into the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame in 2014; and honoured with a field in his name in 2018.

Laverty’s dedication to the community extended far beyond the boundaries of a football field; he was admired for offering the shirt off his back and a seat at his dinner table to anyone in need.

In addition to being a jokester with witty one-liners and a football always in hand, Laverty is fondly remembered as a loving husband and a dedicated father.

We hope his story, “Legacy of Love and Football,” stirs inspiration in your heart.