On February 6, 2016 Volleyball BC hosted the 2nd annual Volleyball BC Hall of Fame and Excellence awards at the Hilton Metrotown in Burnaby. The Hall of Fame banquet is a chance for the sport of volleyball to recognize those in BC who have changed the sport for the better and made an impact in our province.
The event kicked off with a meet and greet cocktail hour where old friends and teammates gathered to reminisce and discuss the sport. Everyone then moved into the banquet room and were welcomed by an introduction from Volleyball BC President Tom Jones and event emcees Paul Mend and Michelle Collins. The 2015 Ray Lepp Scholarship winners were then recognized and presentations for the 2015 Excellence Awards winners commenced.
After a delicious dinner, the Hall of Fame presentations began with the athlete inductions of BC athletes Carole Bishop and Conrad Leinemann who both took time to recognize all the people who had helped them to become top tier athletes for Canada. Conrad also took the opportunity to discuss the future of funding for our Olympic athletes and how our community can further the success of Canada in Olympic competition. In the coaching category, Dale Ohman was inducted into the Hall of Fame and his presentation was filled with good cheer and a green card (a funny thank you and apology) which he presented to the referees at the banquet who he had worked with throughout the years.
The Hall of Fame inductees in the Officials category were Harish Dalpatram and Howard Hum, who had served as valued officials across Canada and internationally. Their speeches resonated with a dedication to the sport of volleyball as mentors and trailblazers who created the path for future generations of Canadian officials to follow.
The builder category at the Hall of Fame had three inductees, Eric Ens, Charles Parkinson, and Victor Lindal. All three men gave heartfelt speeches discussing those who had helped them to succeed and emphasizing the importance of family support. Victor Lindal (Mr. Volleyball), gave a rousing speech from atop a chair on the stage where he linked his success in the sport to surrounding himself with great people.
Volleyball BC would like to thank all of those who attended and all of our award winners and inductees who have made such a lasting impact on our sport. We look forward to the 2017 Hall of Fame banquet and remind those in our volleyball community to start considering who should be recognized as nominees for 2017.
Ray Lepp Scholarship Recipients
Nicole (Nikki) Cornwall
Joel Regehr
Excellence Awards Winners
Coltyn Liu – Athlete Excellence Award
Alicia Catalano – Rising Star Coaching Award
Trish Nicholson – Female High School Coach of the Year
Ken Li – Male High School Coach of the Year
Becki Kosinski – Female Club Coach of the Year
Duncan Harrison – Male Club Coach of the Year
Michael Yi – Rookie Official of the Year
Nik Fuess – Official of the Year
Jannik Eikenaar – Vale Savage Official Development Award
Bruce McElroy – Community Sport Administrator Excellence Award
Ashley Shannik – Excellence in Program Development Award
2016 Hall of Fame class
Carole Bishop – Athlete
Conrad Leinemann – Athlete
Dale Ohman – Coach
Harish Dalpatram – Official
Howard Hum – Official
Eric Ens – Builder
Victor Lindal – Builder
Charles Parkinson – Builder
