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Objective
Laken Hain
Heather Troesch
2007-2008 Season Shana Wandler - Regina Charmaine Elmgren - Saskatoon Juliegh Ritchie - Saskatoon Jessica Lang - Emerald Park 2006-2007 Season Alison Truelove - Regona Chelsie Coxford - Regina Jillian Obrigewitsch - Saskatoon Jamie Lang - Emerald Park 2005-2006 Season Courtney Schell - Saskatoon Kate Renwick - Regina Lori Hepp - Saskatoon Katherine Francis - Saskatoon 2004-2005 Season Mel Brockman - Saskatoon Autumn Bryden - Regina Breanne McAdam - Saskatoon Lesley Stronach - Regina 2003-2004 Season Kari Doering - Regina Tracy Roadhouse - Saskatoon Jessica Putland - Regina Lana Morelli - Saskatoon 2002-2003 Season Kim Brown, Prince Albert Amanda Donauer, Regina 2001-2002 Season Shardelle Brown, Saskatoon Nicole Bryksa, Regina Chelsea Ebel, Hodgeville Kyla Park, Prince Albert 2000-2001 Season Daina Haubrich, Regina Sherra Keogan, Biggar Renae McEwen, Tisdale Katie Rapko, Prince Albert 1999-2000 Andrea Johnston, Saskatoon Kevin Kuehn, Saskatoon Brenna Lanz, Buffalo Plains Melissa Shanks, Buffalo Plains Congratulations to Mel Brockman of Saskatoon who was awarded one of the Agnes Jacks Scholarships at CRCs in Halifax!
COACHING RECOGNITION AWARD WINNERS 2008-2009 Season 2008-2009 Season 2003 Inductee
Benning got involved in ringette in 1974 when a neighbour demonstrated the sport to him and his daughters. "I liked it right from the beginning," says Benning. "It looked like an interesting game, and my two older girls took to it right from the start." Apparently, Benning took to the sport as well. He began refereeing in 1975; that was also the year he started as Whitmore Park Ringette coordinator in Regina. Benning first started coaching ringette in 1975, something he's still doing today; he retired as a referee in 2001. For Benning, coaching is the best part of ringette. "I like coaching, I've always liked coaching. It's a way that you stay involved with young people who are doing something that's lots of fun, and it's something that I've always realized…that's one of the ways you stay involved with people," says Benning. That involvement is long-standing. Benning, who currently coaches the Deb division Regina Raiders, has been the coach of Darlene Bissett for more than twenty years. Bissett says Benning is like a parent to her, and a great coach besides. "He's down to earth, but he likes to win. When you need to practice, you have a practice; when it's your turn to sit, you sit; and if you get a penalty, you're in trouble," laughs Bissett. "But he's a lot of fun, and just an excellent coach. He's the best." Benning's skills as a ringette coach, referee, and administrator have not gone unnoticed, although he says he was quite surprised when he heard he was nominated to the National Hall of Fame by Regina Ringette and Ringette Saskatchewan. Tanya Jones with Regina Ringette, who re-named their biggest tournament the Jim Benning Invitational, says he was a natural choice. "When you look at the criteria Ringette Canada has in place, you have to hit certain marks. Jim immediately jumped to mind," says Tanya Jones who is also Ringette Saskatchewan's Technical Coordinator and a longtime colleague of Benning's. "He's served on every level, from community, to provincial, to Ringette Canada. He actually ended up writing a lot of the rulebook for Ringette Regina, and had a lot of input into Ringette Canada's rulebook. We started putting together a list of his accomplishments; it just went on and on. In ringette, we couldn't think of anybody more deserving," says Jones. Benning doesn't think his contributions to ringette are extraordinary. He is just happy to be involved with what he describes one of the friendliest games there is: "It's a high skill game, and the players compete and they compete hard. But at the same time, there's a good deal of friendship involved. The girls always have fun…you go to the rink, and the team is there early, and hanging on the benches talking," says Benning. "The girls know everybody, and they know the people on the other teams, and they talk to one another. There's a lot of friendship that goes from team to team." In his 29 years of involvement in ringette, Benning has made a lot of friends. Many will be on hand in Kitchener-Waterloo in April as he is inducted into the Hall of Fame, to honour the achievements of a man who has worked tirelessly to build the game he loves. |
