Fred J. Sgambati - a difficult name to pronounce, a difficult name to spell, but an easy name to remember. Fred Sgambati is known across Canada and many here tonight probably feel that he has been here forever. However, Fred is still in his early 50’s and is seen and heard regularly throughout the nation on television and radio. Fred is Canada’s Premier Sports Broadcaster, born brought up and educated in Toronto. He attended East York Collegiate and graduated from the university of Toronto in 1949. Prior to college, Fred served with the R.C.A.F. as a bombardier in Canada and overseas for three and a half years. After college he spent a year on the staff of the University of Toronto Men’s Athletic Department and later obtained a Provincial Teacher’s Certificate.
Opportunity beckoned when Foster Hewitt induced Fred to leave teaching to work at CKFH in 1951. Fred continued his broadcasting while involved with Molson’s as a Public Relations Officer. Shortly after that, Keith Davy convinced Fred to move to the Canadian Football league office as his assistant. However, Fred soon after returned full time to sports broadcasting.
His sports travels have taken him from coast to coast in Canada and United States as well as South America and Europe, including the Soviet Union. There isn’t much that Fred hasn’t covered - the Olympic and Pan-Am games, the Canadian Open Golf Championships, the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, Professional and College football, National and World level Figure skating, horse racing, motor sport, baseball, hockey and bowling. He covered two Team Canada- Soviet Series, the 1976 Canada Cup series and was involved with Hockey Nite in Canada on radio and TV. Threaded through the major events he still did regular sportscasts on CBC radio and TV for 17 years.
Fred Sgambati was involved with bowling from an early age. He did his first frame by frame reporting of 5 pin bowling for CKFH in the early 50’s followed by broadcasts From Olympia Edward Lanes. A CBC show from O’Connor Bowl and National Championships across Canada. He played a major part in furthering East - West competition in 5 pin and was on hand for several Canadian finals.
He also did some 10 pin shows for CBC and in order to learn more about that game. He joined a league and took instruction. Eventually, this led himto the Greater Toronto 10 Pin Association Executive. He was a founding member of the Canadian Bowling Press Association, later serving as Secretary-Treasurer and then as President.
Fred is personally active in golf, squash and curling as well as bowling. He has considerable experience as a football official during the 15 years in college and professional leagues as well as refereeing and umpiring in hockey, basketball and baseball. Fred Sgambati loves his work and it shows. He feels he has been amazingly lucky to be able to practice his hobby and get paid for it. In 1976, he received the “Best Sportscaster” of the Year Award from the Association of Canadian Radio and TV Artists.
He has always taken part in community activities and is presently in his second year as National Campaign Chairman for the Canadian Cancer Society. He is President of the Ontario Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association and Co-Chairman of the Annual Sports Celebrity Dinner, Ontario Society for Crippled Children. He serves as the Secretary-Treasurer of the Football Reporters of Canada.
Amidst all this activity, Fred still manages to find time to be with his charming wife, Nancy and his four children, Pat 19, Fred Jr. 18, Sue 15 and Michael 6.
The Bowling Industry is fortunate indeed that a man of the calibre of Fred Sgambati has found it well worth his time and energy to devote a considerable amount of attention to it. For the past 20 years, few men who do not make their living in the bowling industry, have had such a creative interest.