James Wallace began his touch football career as a player and official in 1978 and continued until 1990 when a serious knee injury led him to coaching. During his playing tenure, he was part of three provincial championship teams and one Canadian national championship team.

He began coaching in 1990 as a helper with the team for one year and was head coach from 1991 to 2006, when the OCAA discontinued the sport. At the time he was the longest serving coach at St. Lawrence College–Kingston.

In 1992, James was awarded a "Special Achievement Award" presented to him by the Province of Ontario in recognition of distinguished contribution to the field of fitness and amateur sport at the Ontario Amateur Sports Awards.

In 1993, he was awarded by Football Ontario the "Jim McCartney Award", as a member of the touch football community who through untiring effort and constant involvement has furthered the development of the touch football game in Ontario.

His team accomplishments include winning the Little Vanier Cup in 1990; gold medal at the OCAA provincial championships in 1990, 2001 and 2005; silver medal in 1992, 1993, 1996, 2000 and 2004; and bronze medal seven times.