Above and beyond effort
Rankin, Baker men recognized for contributions to sport
Darrell Greer
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, December 3, 2014
BAKER LAKE/RANKIN INLET
Two of Kivalliq's leading personalities in the ongoing development of sport and recreation were recognized in Iqaluit this past month.
Rankin Inlet recreation coordinator David Clark received the Recreation Leadership Award from the Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut during an awards ceremony in Iqaluit this past month. - Darrell Greer/NNSL photo |
David Clark of Rankin Inlet received the Recreation Leadership Award from the Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut (RPAN), while Glen Ullyot of Baker Lake received a Special Recognition Award for outstanding contribution to sport.
Ullyot's award was presented on behalf of the Sport and Recreation Division (SRD) of Community and Government Services.
Clark said the award is special to him because it comes from his community.
He said it shows him people are recognizing the hard work he puts into his job as recreation co-ordinator.
"That's always nice to hear because, sometimes, we tend to focus more on negative issues, and the comments we get don't always feel so good," said Clark.
"When you receive something nice like this, it sticks with you and you know you're doing something right. I'm blessed to have so many community groups that do so much on their own.
"In that sense, I firmly believe we come from a great community and I just help and support these groups with the great work they do."
Clark said a lot of the extra time he volunteers after 5 p.m. is geared toward hockey.
He said he enjoys coaching and his other hockey efforts, and he's not paid for doing them.
"I'm heavily involved with hockey because it's my passion. This is my life and it's my decision to make. I'm not there because I have to be.
"I'm there because I want to be."
Clark said the RPAN meetings for recreation leaders, held at the same time in Iqaluit, were constructive.
He said he also took part in a number of RSD meetings on territorial sports organizations (TSO).
"I went to the TSO meetings, basically, so I could learn more about it all.
"It gave me a chance to put my two cents-worth in and be involved learning as much as I could.
"Rec co-ordinators don't get the chance to meet face-to-face too often, so the workshops were beneficial.
"I suggested a couple of hours, maybe, could be set aside at the next meeting for rec co-ordinators to talk about their communities and their struggles, and to give us a chance to learn from each other."
Glen Ullyot has lived in Baker Lake since 2005.
He was a soccer coach in Baker for six years, a peewee hockey coach for three, and has sat on the Hockey Nunavut board since 2008 and the board of the Hockey North branch since 2009.
Ullyot said his name was put forward by Hockey Nunavut president Darrin Nichol.
He said it was nice to have someone recognize the hours he's put in for sports during his time in Baker.
"Getting this award is very special to me, having put in nearly 10 years coaching and volunteering," said Ullyot. "One of the things I was recognized for is the behind-the-scenes work board members do. People see the coaches out there, but they don't see the hours put in on conference calls, filling-out funding applications, team selection, coach selection at the board level and unsavoury things like discipline issues.
"I loved coaching, but you have to put it aside when you reach the board level if you're going be productive."
Ullyot said hockey officiating is another area where people don't appreciate the number of hours required to run a successful program, both with skates on the ice and at the boardroom level.
He said a lot of people may not realize referees have to be properly certified to work sanctioned hockey.
"Somebody had to certify them, somebody had to take a course, and somebody had to plan the course they took.
"It doesn't happen like in the south, where you can just sign up on a website and then show up at the local arena.
"There's a lot effort that goes into it in the North and it's not always that easy to put together."
Ullyot said doing more to recognize volunteers may lead to more people willing to get involved.
He said SRD (formerly Sport Nunavut) revived the awards program two years ago and it needs to continue.
"The awards weren't presented for about three or four years, or, if they were, people didn't know about it.
"People feel good and become better volunteers when their efforts are recognized.
"And it may also encourage others to get involved.
"People see happy volunteers out talking about the positive experience of volunteering, and then they want to volunteer and help their community become a better place."
