Teachers, teams and volunteer coaches across the Langley School District were recognized and celebrated last week, as the District's annual Athletics Evening, which was held at the Langley Events Centre.
Emceed by Brookswood Secondary principal Lisa Ellis and Langley Secondary vice-principal Greg Kilvert, the evening was an opportunity to recognize those who have coached in the District for 10, 20 and 30-plus years. It also includes welcoming speeches and thank-yous from assistant superintendents Marcello Moino and Lisa Lainchbury, as well as deputy superintendent Woody Bradford.
This year, long-service awards honoured 10-year coaches Sarah Cameron (basketball), Tanis Payne (volleyball) and Reyhan Safiq (basketball, football, track and field); 20-year coach Wayne Loewen (soccer, volleyball) and 30-year coach Ron Knelson (basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, track and field).
The Jim Ehman Memorial Difference Maker' Award was also handed out, going this year to longtime R.E. Mountain Secondary coach Kris Elliott, who was a teacher/coach for 35 years - one year in Fruitvale, B.C., and the rest of her career at R.E. Mountain, the same school she attended as a student.
Prior to Elliott accepting the award, current REMS teachers Kirk Weiss and Carolyn Kenney introduced Elliott with what athletic committee member John Hantke called "a beautiful speech," while noting that Elliott "was truly moved" by the tribute.
The video itself was heartfelt and funny, and featured tributes from former colleagues and students, who told tales of office hijinks, road-trip snowball fights, and Elliott's penchant for practical jokes.
"She was a real prankster, a disturber," said former colleague Debbi McKinnon with a smile.
In the video, Elliott explained how her coaching career began as something of an extension of her own high-school athletic career.
"I just loved sports, I was in the gym all the time, and I was lucky enough to have amazing coaches, role models, mentors, and people who became good friends," she explained. "And once I got into teaching, it just went hand-in-hand (with coaching). I just went right to the gym, and the roles were flipped, and I wanted to be that mentor, I wanted to be that role model, for the love of sports and just to give back, and it just took off from there."
The evening concluded with a speech from superintendent Mal Gill, who thanked the coaches and teachers in the room their selflessness and dedication to their students, some of whom, he noted, may be lost without sports and dedicated coaches in their lives.
