Coaches, volunteers saluted at Western Valley awards
They volunteer countless hours helping to develop youth sports in the region, with little or no recognition.
But for five area residents, their sacrifices of time and their efforts did not go unnoticed on Thursday evening.
It was their night to shine at the Western Valley Centre for Coaching Awards banquet at the Florenceville Curling Club.
The event is designed to recognize the contributions of coaches, administrators and officials, who work hard and long hours on behalf of youth sports in their communities.
This year's Tom Hanson Coach of the Year Memorial Award, named after the longtime sports developer and promoter in the Western Valley region, went to Woodstock's David and Barb McCain.
For years, the couple has shared its knowledge and love of curling with young athletes in the town.
The pair can usually be found at the Woodstock Curling Club on Sunday afternoons or Monday evenings, working with the Little Rock curlers and the Special Olympians.
"When Greg (Slater) said we won an award, we really didn't believe him," said David. "When he spoke to me on the phone and explained what the award was, my first thought was that is for high-profile guys. We never really thought about stuff like that."
David said he and Barb have fun helping out with Little Rocks Curling and Special Olympians.
The pair would go to the rink and see the enjoyment on the children's faces from curling, and then they see the Special Olympians and would receive big bear hugs from them.
"That makes it all worthwhile," he said. "It's a great honour. Being recognized with people like Tom Hanson and Dave Daye, it is very, very rewarding."
The Sport Administration of the Year award went to Rome and Sherry Martin.
The longtime Florenceville sport administrators have volunteered for the Florenceville Little Rock Curling program.
The pair began the program from scratch with six children and grew it to having a regular turnout of 25 to 30 young curlers each week.
Rome handles the on-ice activities, ensuring the kids learn the basics of curling in a safe and fun environment, while Sherry takes care of the off-ice needs - such as organizing and motivating others; fundraisers; safety promotion; and ensuring the children have fun.
The award was a first for Sherry.
In accepting the award, she used the word "remarkable" to describe her feelings.
"This is remarkable for us, in that you took the time to think of us because we don't think of this as time wasted or we could be some place else," she said moments after receiving the award. "I'm the one who - if a child comes off the ice -has to sit down and give him or her an activity. Rome's goal is to make sure every child gets a chance to try curling at least once. So thank you for this remarkable tribute."
Nackawic's Patricia Thorne was selected for the Official Award.
The acting principal at Canterbury High School has dedicated her time to help with the continued growth of volleyball within the province and Canada.
Thorne has enjoyed numerous accomplishments over the years, as she recently officiated many top-10 men's and women's CIS matches.
Presenter Gib Anderson said Thorne's leadership and professionalism is second to none.
"She is truly a role model for all officials across the country," said Anderson.
"I'm thankful to the organizing committee and the hosts, (because), I'm tickled pink," Thorne said. "I'd like to thank my mum, my brother Randy, my sister in-law Anne and last, but certainly not least, my husband. Thank you very much."
Guest speaker David Thomas, the technical director for Athletics New Brunswick, congratulated the winners on their success.
He told those on hand volunteers are a vital component to youth sports.
Some feel, since they are not paid, volunteers are worthless, he said, but that is not the case.
"Like the MasterCard commercial, they are priceless," said Thomas. "We could not do it without them, and they are irreplaceable."
This year's Coach of the Year Award was renamed the Tom Hanson Coach of the Year Memorial Award in the weeks prior to the ceremonies as a lasting tribute to him.
Hanson's sister Mary Hanson, who was on hand for the ceremonies, said her brother coached women's softball in the region for 25 years and is best remembered for leading the Woodstock Rebels women's softball team.
She said her brother was a great coach, who instilled the finer points of the game in his players.
Under his guidance, the women excelled both on- and off- the-field.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the Rebels won numerous league and tournament championships in the region and the province, including three provincial softball titles in the fast pitch and orthodox divisions.
They also represented New Brunswick in several Eastern Canadian Softball Championships.
Hanson pointed out her brother even encouraged the veteran players to coach and mentor newer players on the team.
"Tom was a student of the game of softball, and he believed in the importance of good coaching," said Mary. "I know this year's recipients of this award will continue the tradition of coaching that Tom believed in."
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