Lethbridge College is thrilled to offer congratulations to former women’s soccer coach and long-time booster of Kodiaks Athletics, Knud Petersen, on the announcement of his induction into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame.
“This honour is so well deserved for all that Knud has done, not only for the college, but for athletics in the city as a whole,” says Lethbridge College President and CEO Dr. Paula Burns. “Knud’s passion is infectious and he channels his passion into projects that matter to him. We are lucky to have him as part of the Kodiaks family.”
Lethbridge College nominated Petersen for the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame, and his application was accepted alongside golfer Mike Mezei, hockey player Stacy Roest, multi-sport builder Morgan Monroe and the 1985 Lethbridge senior little league baseball team. Petersen is being inducted into the hall’s “special” category.
Petersen’s involvement with the college began when he and Alvin Tietz founded the women’s soccer program at what was then called Lethbridge Community College. The team went undefeated in its inaugural 1994 season, winning both the ACAC provincial championship and the CCAA national title. That Kodiaks team was inducted into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. In a personal twist, Petersen coached his daughter, Nicole, on that championship team. He continued to coach and manage the team for two more years, through the 1996 season.
Petersen also helped to finance the women’s soccer program through its early years, working with well-known entertainment promoter Ron Sakamoto to keep the team financially stable.
His legacy with the college remains, as the Tietz/Petersen Scholarship Fund is awarded annually and supplies financial aid to a total of six Kodiaks athletes from the women’s and men’s soccer teams. He has also been a long-time member of the college’s Kodiak Athletic Association, helping to raise funds for Kodiaks Athletics. And in 2013, he was awarded the college’s highest honour, receiving an honorary degree.
Away from the college, Petersen has worked with and supported countless groups, including the University of Lethbridge, local soccer organizations and many more as a coach, fundraiser, board member, manager, chair, executive, official and volunteer throughout more than three decades of involvement in southern Alberta.
The college is also pleased to learn that Lethbridge College Athletics has been named the theme of the 2017 Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet that will take place on Saturday, May 6 at the Enmax Centre’s Canadian Western Bank Lounge. As part of the festivities, Kodiaks Athletics manager Todd Caughlin will give the keynote address. Ticket details are available on the LSHOF website.