By Gregory H. Doerr, DC, CCSP

I am honored to announce the induction of Dr. Bill Bonsall into the American Chiropractic Sports Council Hall of Fame.

To describe Bill Bonsall in an article will be almost impossible, but I will do my best to summarize Bill’s character, mentorship, and contributions to the Chiropractic Profession.

Bill’s accomplishments are too extensive to describe in a short article, but to neglect them would fail to paint the picture of what he has done for Chiropractors all over the country and the world.

He has volunteered as a chiropractor for such prestigious events, including the US Track and Field Championships, the US Track and Field Olympic Trials, The Pan American Games, the World Wrestling Championships, the National Collegiate Tae Kwon Do Championships, and the list could continue on and on.

While these seem to be the events that should define Bill, to me, they are not. Bill has spent countless weekends working events that many would say are below his level. The difference is Bill never saw it that way. Bill saw every event as an opportunity, as a way of improving his skill, representing our profession, and most importantly mentoring those of us too inexperienced to handle things on our own!

When I asked three of Bill’s closest friends and my mentors what they thought were Bill’s greatest accomplishments, Marc Jaffe described, “Bill has always been known as someone who has demonstrated himself as a competent, devoted, and trusted professional.”

It is almost impossible to describe Bill without saying the same of Ira Shapiro. They always seemed to occupy the same place and time, and there is no surprise that Ira Shapiro was honored as the 11th inductee into the ACA Sports Council Hall of Fame.

Finally, in 1995, Len Ershow was putting together a medical team for the National Collegiate Tae Kwon Do Championship. He credits Bill as the first to say, “where and when and for how long.” Len Ershow continues saying, “along with Ira Shapiro (a fellow inductee to the ACA Sports Council Hall of Fame), Marc Jaffe, Tony Criscuolo, and Bill Henry held my hand and, of course, when they were confident I wasn’t going to kill anyone, left me alone with the black belt fights. I somehow didn’t feel the same confidence that they felt.”

It is interesting that in 1998, I was invited to this same event, 3 months out of school and less than a month licensed. I was fortunate enough to be part of an amazing sports medicine team put together by Dr. Len Ershow, a fellow NJ chiropractor. Four of the chiropractors I first met were Len Ershow, Bill Bonsall, Marc Jaffe, and Ira Shapiro.

Who knew these four doctors would shape my entire career and truly be the reason I was able to succeed in this profession. However, I too felt over my head at this event. In fact, the first injury I saw was a fractured wrist. Bill was one of the chiropractors that guided me through that first day of endless injuries, bringing me onto the mats, letting me observe, study, and assist on injuries I was neither prepared for by schooling nor private practice. Day two came around, and the next thing I know I was being placed on my own mat.

It was less than a minute into my placement that a mat official yelled, “MEDIC!” A participant one mat away from me took a roundhouse kick to her head and was unconscious face down on that mat. I slowly moved to the injury, terrified, knowing I was ill-prepared to handle such a situation. I turned my head praying for help, and there were Bill Bonsall and Ira Shapiro walking right behind me. I exhaled with relief, thinking I was off the hook. Only problem was that is not the way MENTORSHIP works in this state! Bill and Ira let me handle the entire evaluation, stabilizing a potential Cervical Spine Trauma, and Traumatic Brain Injury.

If it was not for this, the first of many mentoring experiences with Bill, I cannot imagine where I would be today.

This was not the only time Bill came to the rescue in my sideline career.

During a Rodeo event, a rider was stepped on directly on the chest by a bull. Seeing the injury firsthand, I quickly sprang into action trying to leap the divider into the arena. I felt a strong grab at my shirt pulling me back in. Once again, Dr. Bonsall demonstrated sage advice. He asked me if I noticed the 2,000 lb animal in the arena. I nodded yes. He then asked me, “What color is your shirt?” I stated, “RED!” Bill stated this is how it is going to go: The clowns will come in and get rid of the bull. Then they will look at the cowboy. If they need us, they will signal us or the paramedics.

Without Bill, I would have found out just how fast I could run and how difficult it is to avoid a charging bull!

Once again, it does not end here.

His mentorship has extended through countless events, not only high-profile events mind you, but opportunities to be with his friends and perfect his craft. Events like the Garden State Games, Semi-Pro football games, local Track and Field events, rodeo, Tae Kwon Do, Grappling events, marathons, bowling events, swimming around Manhattan Island, etc.

I know Bill loved working those big events, and I wish I had the opportunity to work them with him, but it was the little events that Bill spent his time mentoring me and helping to shape me into the chiropractor and mentor I am today. For that, I will be eternally grateful. Bill’s induction into the ACA Sports Council Hall of Fame is simply the culmination of a great man and mentor.

He enters the Hall as one of only a small handful of inductees spanning decades of existence. The ACA Sports Council Hall of Fame has only been in existence since 1991. In that time, there have only been 13 chiropractors inducted and one ATC. Interestingly, of the 13 chiropractors, several are from NJ, including Bill Bonsall, Ira Shapiro, Phil Santiago, as well as his father, Joe Santiago. The honor is so rare and prestigious that we should all pause in appreciation of a man that has achieved so much! To think so few members in this prestigious club over so many years makes being inducted into a hall of fame in any pro-sport pale in comparison.

So, in times that make practice challenging and a difficult future ahead, let’s all take a moment to salute and cheer to one of our own! Here’s to Dr. Bill Bonsall! MY FRIEND, MY TEACHER, MY MENTOR!

And let’s make it a great bottle of wine or a 30-year Scotch, as he wouldn’t want it any other way!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gregory H. Doerr, DC, CCSP, is a distinguished chiropractor with extensive experience in sports medicine. A Past President of the NJ Sports Council, he has also served as the Educational Committee Chair for the International Sports Chiropractic Association and is a current member of the ANJC Education Committee.

Learn more about Dr. Doerr & his practice:
bergenchiropractic.com