The University of Saskatchewan (USask) women's basketball assistant coach and former Huskies all-star is a member of this year's class of Canada West conference Hall of Fame inductees, a remarkable group of eight individuals in four categories.
"I feel extremely honoured, and it has had me reflecting on my time as an athlete in Canada West and how much sport has impacted my life," said Lavallee, who was a standout in both basketball and soccer as a Huskie student-athlete, while earning a double degree in kinesiology and education at USask.
"I have immense gratitude for my family and all the other people who supported me throughout my career, such as my amazing teammates and coaches. It is humbling and emotional because I know that awards like this are never achieved alone, and I was fortunate to be surrounded by so many great mentors and people who never stopped believing in me."
Jacqueline Lavallee and her children with Huskie women's basketball coach Lisa Thomaidis during the Nov. 16 game when Lavallee was honoured for her Canada West Hall of Fame induction. (Photo: Huskie Athletics)
Lavallee, a 2002 graduate of the College of Kinesiology and College of Education, was a dual sport athlete, playing five years of basketball and soccer for the Huskies from 1997-2002. During that time, she was named a Canada West all-star midfielder twice (1999 and 2001) and an All-Canadian in 1999.
In addition to her exploits on the soccer pitch, Lavallee also added to her trophy case on the court where she was a three-time Canada West all-star point guard (1997, 2000 and 2002) and an All-Canadian in the 2001/02 season with the Huskie women's basketball team.
"Being a two-sport athlete was a dream come true," said Lavallee, who was honoured for her achievements by Huskie Athletics at the Nov. 16 game versus the Alberta Golden Bears. "I loved both sports equally and I had no idea which one I could go further with beyond university. There was always that pressure to have to choose one or the other at some point, but I took the risk and passed up other opportunities to do what I loved. I absolutely loved to train and of course I felt overwhelmed at times, but it never felt like a burden ... I always wanted to get better."
Canada West Hall of Famer Jacqueline Lavallee, during her soccer career with Huskie Athletics from 1997 to 2002. (Photo: Huskie Athletics)
Lavallee successfully balanced athletics and academics, with her classes always her No.1 priority. Lavallee was a successful two-college student, enrolled in the College of Kinesiology's combined education program. Her dedication to her studies was reinforced in her third year when Lisa Thomaidis took over as the Huskie women's basketball coach and encouraged her to focus on her studies first.
"Balancing both was challenging but when you're that passionate and dedicated to something you find a way to make it all work," said Lavallee. "I'm not going to lie, I wasn't always the best student but when Lisa took over the program in my third year, she really challenged me to focus more on my academics. I was determined to prove that I could do both at a high level. I also can't answer this question without acknowledging the tremendous amount of support that I had throughout my career and my family that helped me get through it all."
As Lavallee took care of her academics off the court, she was also able to excel on the court in her final year. As a senior, she had an incredible season, finishing second in Canada West scoring and ranked third nationally. As a result of her efforts, Lavallee received the Tom Longboat Award in 2000, recognizing outstanding Indigenous ability. She was also awarded the National Sylvia Sweeney award in 2002 and named a national Top 8 Academic All-Canadian.
In addition to a great career with the Huskies, Lavallee had the opportunity to play internationally for Canada in three tournaments and twice at the World University Games in 1999 and 2001. She also was a member of the Canadian national women's basketball team from 2002-04.
After graduation, Lavallee took her two degrees and began teaching. She is currently the school counsellor at Oskāyak High School in Saskatoon and remains a part of the Huskies women's basketball program as a long-time assistant coach for Thomaidis.
"Coaching was a natural transition for me as I was always a student of the game," Lavallee said. "As a point guard and centre midfielder, you are forced to look at the game differently. There is so much strategy and tactics involved in basketball, which is a huge draw for me."
"It is a really rewarding experience to work with student-athletes at the university level and be a part of helping them pursue their goals as well as watch them grow into such amazing young women," she added. "I am very passionate about coaching. However, I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I still miss the competitiveness and grit of playing."
These days, Lavallee continues to use her kinesiology degree in her work. Whether it's teaching physical education, coaching, personal training, cleaning wounds or assessing injuries, she is constantly accessing prior knowledge from kinesiology classes and putting it into practice in real-life situations.
Lavallee has continued her journey in lifelong learning by recently completing her master's degree in counselling psychology and in the future hopes to continue working with youth with mental health struggles, using movement as a form of therapy.
"I absolutely love what I do and just like pursuing basketball and soccer, there will always be critics who will tell you that you can't do it," she said. "However, I have found a way to balance the demands of teaching and coaching at the university level and having a family. Pursue what you love and find a way to make it happen, which sometimes means having to take some risks."
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