Kim Shapley
Kim Shapley
Category: Administrator
Kim Shapley has been a significant figure in Australian and international broomball for more than four decades, contributing to the sport as a player, coach, administrator, webmaster and one of the early builders of the International Federation of Broomball Associations.
Local Association History
Kim began playing broomball in 1983 with the Broomball Association of South Australia (BASA), beginning an association with the sport that would span more than 40 years.
His contribution to BASA quickly extended beyond playing. Kim was elected to the association’s committee and served for 16 consecutive years. After a break, he returned to serve for approximately another decade. During those years, he held numerous leadership and administrative positions, including President, Statistical Officer, National Representative and International Representative.
On the ice, Kim earned numerous individual and team MVP honours as well as top goal scorer awards. In 2007, he was selected as a winger on BASA’s 25-Year All-Star Team.
Kim also played an important role in preserving and promoting the association’s activities as BASA webmaster for more than a decade.
In recognition of his exceptional and sustained contribution to broomball in South Australia, Kim was awarded Life Membership in 1998.
National History
Kim has represented South Australia at the national level almost every year since the establishment of the Australian National Championships. His playing career at the championships spans more than 30 years and includes competition in both the Senior Men’s and Mixed (Co-Ed) divisions.
Over the years, he was selected to numerous All-Star teams and also contributed from behind the bench, coaching teams at the national level.
In 2016, Kim’s long-standing contribution to the sport was formally recognized with his induction into the Broomball Australia Hall of Fame.
International History – IFBA
Kim’s connection to international broomball reaches back to the earliest days of the IFBA.
In the late 1980s, while staying with future IFBA President Rick Przybysz, Kim took part in a discussion about the need for an international organization to represent and develop broomball around the world. Kim and several other Australians supported the idea of establishing such an organization—an initiative that would ultimately lead to the formation of the International Federation of Broomball Associations.
When the IFBA was established, Kim became its first General Secretary, serving from 1991 to 1996 and helping to build the administrative foundations of the new international federation.
His contribution to the IFBA continued for decades. In 2006, he received an IFBA Founders Award in recognition of his role in the Federation’s early history. Following the 2012 World Broomball Championships in Ottawa, he also served as webmaster for the IFBA website through 2016.
Kim has attended and competed in all but two IFBA World Broomball Championships, representing Australia across the Men’s Elite, Mixed (Co-Ed) and Masters divisions. He has also coached Australian teams at the World Championships.
Other International Competition
Kim’s international playing career has extended beyond the IFBA World Championships.
In 1994, he represented Australia at the All Japan Cup, where he was named his team’s MVP. The following year, he travelled to the United States to represent Australia at Broomball Mania 7.
From his beginnings in South Australia in 1983 to his involvement in the creation and development of the IFBA, Kim Shapley’s broomball career reflects an extraordinary commitment to the sport at the local, national and international levels.
As a player, coach, administrator and builder of the game, his contribution forms part of the history of both Australian broomball and the international broomball community.