Jim received his award as part of the opening banquet for the boys AAA volleyball championships being held in Stratford. Tracy Weston, Jenna Rinn, and Cindy Carter made the presentation to Jim.
Here is the speech given below:Cindy Carter: The Leadership in Sport award winner this year has been very involved with the sport of volleyball throughout his life, as well as many other sports. He played competitive beach volleyball throughout the early 1990's until a knee injury ended much of his playing career. Although his playing career was over, I am sure many co-workers and athletes would say his career in volleyball was just beginning. He has coached for more than 15 years at varying levels from elementary to Olympic athletes. One of his many coaching highlights would be traveling to Sydney, Australia with the men``s beach teams as their head coach. As a level 3 beach coach, he has helped organize and coach at several camps around Ontario and recently traveled to Atlantic Canada to assist in developing the beach program.
Jenna Rinn: I have had the pleasure of knowing Jim for the past seven years. He has been my teacher, my coach, my friend, role model, and will forever be my hero. As my PE teacher, he didn’t just teach us how to serve a volleyball or score a touchdown; he taught us self-respect, teamwork, and valuable life skills that we will use in our future. As a coach, he taught us sportsmanship, determination and how to take a team loss and learn from it. He brings his own life experiences to play which help us fully understand the meaning of a team and the hard work that goes into them.
Cindy Carter: I have had the opportunity to work alongside this individual for the past four years. His ability to coach the skills of sport are obvious; however, I believe his true strength lies in his ability to prepare his athletes for the mental aspects of the game. His positive and encouraging coaching style allows his athletes to take risks within the game, which builds the confidence in his athletes. These are skills that his athletes will take with them throughout their lives. Jim is the PE department head at Central Huron Secondary School; his positive philosophy allows coworkers to work within the boundaries of the curriculum allowing for individual styles to coexist. Tracy and I appreciate all the positive energy you instill upon us, you really do make us the that best we can be.
Jenna Rinn: Jim was asked to write a story for a best practices book on coaching; he enjoys coaching so much he chose to write a story about one of his high school athletes rising to the many challenges of improving his game. The story ends with this paragraph:
“Most of us are not destined for Olympic glory but we will faced with many challenges and choices that define our character. It is gratifying to help an individual grasp the importance of commitment to both themselves and their teammate. Guiding players in developing focus, self-reflection, and risk-taking skills makes coaching the rewarding experience it is; all of these skills transfer into so many other areas of their lives, as they do in my own.”
We can not think of any one more deserving of this award. You are a true mentor and friend to Cindy, Tracy, and I, Congratulations Jim.
