Enrolling her young son Tanner into tykes level lacrosse several years ago began a family’s love of the sport that has continued into Misty Hall earning an award from the provincial lacrosse association for Volunteer of the Year.
Hall, who lives in Bienfait, won the award at a Saskatchewan Lacrosse Association banquet in Saskatoon last weekend. Hall is the board’s secretary and does things like order the clothing, but she also sits on the South Saskatchewan Lacrosse League’s board, which was newly formed this summer.
Still, Hall was surprised that she won the award.
“I didn’t honestly think that I would win because there were other really great candidates from across the province,” she said.
Estevan hosted provincials for Sask Lacrosse a few months ago and things went smoothly, even if the local teams came up empty. Hall chaired the committee.
“We had to arrange for enough accommodations for all of our visiting teams,” she said. “I had a great group of volunteer parents who organized raffle tables, organized opening ceremonies and made sure all of our teams were taken care of and everything was running smoothly.”
The busy weekend culminated in a smoothly-run tournament.
“We worked very closely with the Sask Lacrosse board to make it happen,” Hall said.
She and her fellow local volunteers’ efforts over the course of the year got her the award for the sport she and Kaleb enjoy a great deal.
“It’s a sport I’ve really grown to love since he started playing,” she said. “When the (National Lacrosse League’s) Rush moved to Saskatoon a couple of years ago, we went to see their very first game in Saskatoon and we were hooked on professional lacrosse. The love for the sport grew within our family.”
Hall has seen the sport grow locally from a five-child mini-tyke team when Tanner was five, playing no games that year, to the current association today.
“To have it grow to the point where we have full rosters every year has been wonderful to see it grow that much in Estevan,” she said.
She credits Marc and Cecile Seemann with putting her name forward for the provincial award. Marc is the president of the Estevan Minor Lacrosse Association.
Also nominated for awards form the Estevan area included Kaden Chrest for male athlete of the year, Teanna Sieben for female athlete of the year and Sieben and Wyatt Haux for the SLA Award of Excellence. On the weekend, Nathan Wagstaff won the bantam Team Saskatachewan most valuable player award.
