The 2017 class of the Biddeford High School Hall of Honor featured some legendary Tiger athletes and contributors to the school’s athletic programs.

One name that probably stood out to some people was Jim Godbout, who never played sports for the Tigers or walked the halls of BHS as a student. He was actually a student and athlete at rival Thornton Academy.

While he may not have been a Tiger from the beginning, Godbout earned his way into the BHS Hall of Honor with years and years of contributions to youth athletics in Biddeford and also to the revitalization of Waterhouse Field.

Godbout was the President of the Biddeford Athletic Association from 1995 to 2006 and would lead Waterhouse Field’s resurgence in both 1998 and 2003.

When Waterhouse Field was once again in trouble this past year, Godbout took charge and helped make sure the Tigers would be able to play the 2017 football season at the legendary facility — and thanks to his leadership, Biddeford High School athletes will call Waterhouse home for decades to come.

Godbout, who is the President of the Waterhouse Alumni Field Association, took some time to talk with me after the Hall of Honor ceremony on Thursday.

Here is the complete interview:

PM: Being a Thornton Academy graduate, what was it like to be inducted into the Biddeford Hall of Honor?

JG: I’m truly honored to be here tonight. Biddeford is a very special community and the people here really make the community … there’s a lot of love in this community, there’s a lot of people that help each other and they have a work ethic that you don’t see any other place.

PM: How long did it take you to really feel like a part of the Biddeford community?

JG: I went to school at Thornton and I was part of the athletic community, but I didn’t really feel this real strong rivalry between the two towns. I always thought the two towns were one. There is some animosity between the two towns, obviously, there’s a rivalry between them but I always think of it as one — and I think more and more we become more of one town. People work together, we’ve got to live together, so I’ve never seen a real difference. But one thing I notice as I started coaching athletics, and I coached in Saco and then Biddeford, is kids here have a different work ethic.

PM: What made you start getting into the revitalization of Waterhouse Field?

JG: There’s a whole nother story there, and maybe it goes back to that term “Tiger Pride” here in this community. Alfred Waterhouse was an amazing person to make the sacrifice that he did to make a facility available for youth in our community. That has been in my heart for a long time, and I want to make sure that that’s a sustainable facility for our youth and our communities here for a long time. And it’s not just in Biddeford, it’s the whole state of Maine that loves Waterhouse Field. And for Alfred Waterhouse to take quarters out of his pay check every week to pay for that facility back in the Great Depression is a true story of sacrifice that you see in the hardworking people of Biddeford.

PM: What did you see from the community when it came together to get Waterhouse Field ready for this past football season?

JG: One thing I knew right away was I wasn’t going to let them not play at their home field this year. I said, ‘we’ve got lots of connections … they might not all be from Biddeford, but I’m going to posse up some troops here and we’re going to make this thing happen. We’re going to take down those bleachers. We’re going to get some temporary (bleachers) set up there. We’re going to play at Waterhouse Field because the kids can’t miss a year playing there.’ It’s an iconic place for them to play.

PM: Some Biddeford residents have raised concerns about paying for Waterhouse Field. What would you say to them?

JG: Well, you’ve got to remember Waterhouse was a facility that was given to our community, free of charge for our youth athletics to play on — that’s all sports — and that field has not cost the city much money over the years. A little bit of investment right now, and I talk about a very little investment because we’ve had so much in kind, goes a very long way to providing (kids) a place a play athletics. And after school activities such as athletics are so important to the community. It keeps kids out of trouble, it keeps them focused, it keeps them competitive, and it builds good youth and good young people into the future.

— Sports Editor Pat McDonald can be reached at [email protected] or at 282-1535 ext. 322. Follow the Journal Tribune Sports Department on Twitter @JournalTsports.