The Lethbridge College Kodiaks athletics program prides itself on the three pillars of success – academic accountability, athletic excellence and the student-athlete experience. Three new awards created by the department and community partners will help to honour the student-athletes, coaches and teams who strive to fulfill these pillars.
The new awards include the Electrical Solutions Inc. Kodiaks Coach of the Year, the Calgary Flames Foundation Leadership Scholarships (one each for male and female student-athletes) and the Kodiaks Athletics Team GPA Award.
“Being a part of the Kodiaks goes well beyond our performances on the court, field, track or trail,” says Todd Caughlin, manager of Kodiaks Athletics. “We hope that everyone involved leaves the program with skills and attributes that will serve them well for the rest of their lives. And these new awards reward those who are taking steps to be well-rounded citizens and ambassadors for Kodiaks Athletics.”
Electrical Solutions Inc. has come on board to sponsor the Kodiaks Coach of the Year award. The sponsorship means the winner will receive a $1,000 bonus, as well as $500 towards their own professional development – providing opportunities for Kodiaks coaches to expand their skills and knowledge.
“Electrical Solutions Inc. is honoured to be given the opportunity to contribute through this award,” says Tim Fehr, owner of Electrical Solutions Inc. “This new award, given to a coach of distinction, represents a small token of appreciation to the coaches who give so much of themselves out of passion for the Athletics program to build and develop the athletes.”
The Calgary Flames Foundation will donate two new leadership scholarships, one each for a female and male student-athlete. The scholarships will be awarded to student-athletes who excel in community involvement and academics. This is a chance to reward the “unsung heroes” of Kodiaks Athletics who use their stature as Kodiaks to advance their own academics and support the community and people around them.
“These scholarships are very important to us,” said Candice Goudie, Executive Director Calgary Flames Foundation. “They recognize a male and female student-athlete’s strong presence in the community, commitment to athletics and excelling in education. During students’ academic pursuit we hope the skills acquired and the lessons learned are as valuable as the contributions made to his/her academic and athletic community. We are honoured to be a part of the Kodiaks team.”
The Kodiaks Athletics Team GPA Award will be awarded twice a year, following each semester, to the team with the highest combined grade point average. The winning team will receive $500 towards their fundraising account, which is used for things such as buying new equipment or travelling for exhibition competition. The women’s cross country team is the winner for the Fall 2019 term, with a combined 3.32 GPA.
The coach of the year and leadership scholarships award winners will be selected by a panel of Kodiaks Athletics administration and Lethbridge College leadership. The winners will be announced as part of the annual KODI Awards. The 2020 KODIs take place on April 2.
The Lethbridge College Kodiaks are a proud member of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. The Kodiaks have earned 111 ACAC championships, 21 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championships and 65 CCAA Academic All-Canadians, while allowing student-athletes the opportunity to succeed in the three pillars of Kodiaks Athletics: academic accountability, athletic excellence and the student-athlete experience.