TISDALE 鈥� A former Tisdale Middle & Secondary School teacher was presented with an award to recognize his 28 years as an athletics and track and field coach.
Harvey Weber was presented the Volunteer of the Year Lifetime Achievement for his work with creating the track and field team in Tisdale at the 38th annual Appreciation Night in Tisdale.
鈥淚 was a [University of Saskatchewan] Huskie track and cross-country athlete for four years and after finishing university I wanted to try to make the national team,鈥� Weber said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 make it; I was one spot from making the national team to go to Wales.鈥�
That was in 1987.
This wasn鈥檛 his last chance; there was another competition he was confident he could qualify for making the national team in 1988.
鈥淚 was sitting in the Ottawa airport and had to make a decision to go back to my mom and dad鈥檚 25th wedding anniversary, or I go to our competition in Montreal which I probably would have qualified to make the national team. So right there, sitting with my coach, I decided to go back to my mom and dad鈥檚 25th wedding rather than try out and make that last chance and the national team. I don鈥檛 regret it, family is very important to me.鈥�
Afterwards he started to work as a teacher in Fox Valley.
鈥淚 taught for two years in Fox Valley,鈥� Weber said. 鈥淚 was still training athletes. I wanted to be within two hours of Saskatoon and I also wanted to be closer to my home, which is Wadena. So I applied for a job here in Tisdale and initially I was their second choice.鈥�
As fate would have it their first choice rejected the offer, finding employment in Prince Albert, and Weber was hired as a teacher in Tisdale during the fall of 1990.
鈥淲hen I moved to Fox Valley I continued to train but I had made a decision I鈥檓 probably not going to make the national team, I鈥檓 probably not going to make the Olympic team. So in Fox Valley there wasn鈥檛 an abundance of programs and opportunities but when I came to Tisdale there were so many more athletes, so many more kids, so much more equipment and facilities that I thought I needed to start this program.鈥�
He found Tisdale to have a community to support his program.
鈥淚 really liked the people and I liked how there was so much community support, so much parent support that I got,鈥� Weber said. 鈥淎nytime I needed parents to drive to a track meet or help out at a track meet or co-ordinate something there was always somebody there I could lean on, and that just made it so much easier than trying to do it on my own. If I was trying to do it on my own it wouldn鈥檛 have happened.鈥�
While he is retired as a teacher and as a coach for the Tisdale Track Club, he still is involved with the sport.
鈥淚鈥檓 not retiring from track, what I鈥檝e been doing, actually in Saskatoon I鈥檓 involved with two track programs there,鈥� Weber said. 鈥淭hen I鈥檓 still competing on my own and I do coach actually some adults as well, they鈥檙e actually new residents and new immigrants to Canada and I work with them on a weekly basis as well.鈥�
Weber said one of the things he鈥檒l miss the most about retiring from the Tisdale Track Club is seeing the athletes progress, and achieving their highest level.
鈥淚t鈥檚 when they make that achievement and you know they鈥檙e unbelievably happy, that means the most to me,鈥� Weber said. 鈥淚鈥檇 just like to thank the community, for 28 years Tisdale has been my home. It鈥檚 amazing to come back, even that I鈥檝e only been away for a short period of time. Hits me right to my heart.鈥�
The Tisdale Appreciation Night delivers awards to members of the community for their accomplishments in sports, arts and volunteering.
Other award winners included the Tisdale and District Strings, Tisdale Peewee AA Ramblers, TMSS Archery, Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Nipawin Hawks and Tisdale Track Club.
The Tisdale and District Strings included members Jennifer Summach, Tilka Chapman, Natalia Stephaniuk, Austin Novak, Sianne Bassingthwaite, Shawn McAdam and their instructors Rebecca Hankins-Vopni and Alicia Vopni-Summach. Members of the Tisdale Peewee AA Ramblers, Co-provincial Champions, included Zachary Bansley, Hunter Bleile, Franky Chaboyer, Blake Ekren-Bratton, Luc Fortier, Pavel MaKenzie, Cohen Morin, Owen Myhre, Matthew Ofukany, Nolan Patterson, Finley Radloff, Tarin Smith, Cole Taylor, Raydr Wallington and Roan Woodward. Their head coach was Mike Woodward, assistant coach was Sheldon Ofukany, trainer was Curtis Bleile and managers were Christie Myhre and Sonia Flamand. For TMSS Archery included Regan Squires, with the coach Jordan LamMa. For the Tisdale Track Club Loukas Sherlock was presented with the coach being Weber.
An Honourable Mention was given to Jordan Simoneau and Carter Sawatzky, 2018 Canalta Cup Champions with the Nipawin Hawks.
鈥淚鈥檓 very proud to be a part of this 38th annual Appreciation Night,鈥� said Lesley Thibault, director of Recreation and Parks with the Town of Tisdale. 鈥淥ur community is lucky to have athletes and musicians that accomplish these sort of championships in a community this size.鈥�
鈥淚 think that when it鈥檚 in writing in newsprint or whatever, it gives other people the opportunity to read about the accomplishments from students and young adults and adults that we definitely have some talent in the community.鈥�
