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The 2019 KODI Awards (Photo courtesy Paul Kingsmith, Lethbridge College)

Lethbridge College Kodiaks create new awards for athletes, coaches and teams

Jan 22, 2020 | 8:41 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Lethbridge College Kodiaks athletics program is celebrating the launch of three new awards to recognize athletes, coaches and teams.

The new hardware includes the Electrical Solutions Inc. Kodiaks Coach of the Year, the Calgary Flames Foundation Leadership Scholarships (awarded to one male and one female student-athlete) and the Kodiaks Athletics Team GPA Award.

The sponsorship from Electrical Solutions Inc. means the winner of the Coach of the Year will receive a $1,000 bonus, as well as $500 towards their own professional development.

“Electrical Solutions Inc. is honoured to be given the opportunity to contribute through this award,” said owner Tim Fehr in a Lethbridge College-issued release.

“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 is donating two new leadership scholarships. They will be given to one male and one female student-athlete who demonstrate their community involvement and who excel in academics. The college said this is a chance to “reward the unsung heroes” of Kodiaks Athletics who use their position to advance their own academics and support the surrounding community.

Candice Goudie, Executive Director of the foundation, said “during the students’ academic pursuit we hope the skills acquired and lessons learned are as valuable as the contributions made to his/her academic and athletic community”.

The Team GPA Award will be given out twice a year, after each semester, to the team with the highest combined grade point average. The winning team will receive $500 towards their fundraising account. That’s used for things like new equipment and travel expenses for exhibition competition.

The winner for the Fall 2019 term is the Kodiaks women’s cross-country team, with a combined GPA of 3.32.

“Being a part of the Kodiaks goes well beyond our performances on the court, field, track or trail,” said Kodiaks Athletics manager Todd Caughlin in the release.

“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 awards reward those who are taking steps to be well-rounded citizens and ambassadors for Kodiaks Athletics.”

The Coach of the Year and leadership scholarships will be picked by a panel of Kodiaks Athletics administration and Lethbridge College leadership. Winners will be announced as part of the annual KODI Awards on April 2, 2020.