2013 VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR

Janet is a member of the Northern Alberta Volleyball Club (NAVC) Executive Committee where she served faithfully for 5 years, including 4 years as President. Her commitment, enthusiasm, dedication, empathy and passion to help the sport grow were above and beyond the scope of her position as a Club President.  The time and energy she spent to ensure the smooth operation of the club was outstanding while her genuine interest with each individual team and its players was unprecedented.  

Over her 5 years on the NAVC Executive, Janet was responsible for creating many club policies, procedures and handbooks to support players, families, coaches and team managers in having an informed and positive volleyball experience. Janet implemented a new position of coach coordinator and technical director designed to support coaches and assist them in reaching their goals. Janet is passionate about long-term athlete development and has successfully made it one of NAVC’s core values by adding it to the club’s mission statement.  Janet has worked hard to develop and communicate the philosophy to ensure consistency and transparency for all involved.  She strives to ensure that no athlete is forgotten by ensuring that every child who wants to play volleyball has a chance to do so. 

Janet brought a level of professionalism to the NAVC club that has set the standard for other clubs in the province to emulate.  Her willingness to share club policies and work in association with other clubs to develop their own governance and procedures has set a positive example for future programs.  While developing these strong bonds with other clubs and Alberta Volleyball, Janet managed to create new teams, to ensure as many athletes had an opportunity to play volleyball. The objective of her goal was to instill the love of volleyball in as many players as possible while expanding the volleyball community in Alberta. 

Janet recognized that with expansion there would be a need for facilities to accommodate the sport and her club.  When the opportunity for a world-class volleyball facility came to fruition, Janet eagerly became a member of the Edmonton Volleyball Centre Society Board.  Her work on the Saville Community Sport Centre was instrumental in engaging the volleyball community to support the project both financially and through volunteer involvement.  She has helped build a home for NAVC and ensured that volleyball athletes in the province have a world-class facility to compete in. Janet has worked tirelessly to promote the sport of volleyball, ensuring that the experience is positive for coaches, athletes and their families.