Smith, U15 soccer club deserving nominees
Local teams, athletes, coaches and volunteers will be recognized next month when the Truro Sport Heritage Society hosts its awards dinner.
The event is planned for March 4 at the Best Western Glengarry.
Bruce Rainnie, a former CBC Television commentator and sports announcer, will host the event. Rainnie is the new executive director for the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame. He is currently working for CBC at Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Tickets are $25 for students and $40 for adults. The deadline for ordering tickets is Feb. 27. Tables of 10 are available for group purchase, and groups that would like to sit together are encouraged to make the arrangements as soon as possible as the event usually sells out.
For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact Sara at 1-902-957-0084 or email sara_mckenna@hotmail.com.
Following are Merit Award and Club U15 nominees:
Special Merit Award Diane “Dede” Hayden
(nee Smith)
Born in New Brunswick in 1938, Dede moved to Truro in 1973 with her husband Richard and four children.
Dede is no stranger to the sports/active lifestyle scene. She is a graduate of the first physical education class at the University of New Brunswick in 1960, where she captained the UNB women’s basketball team. Dede graduated from Teachers College, and taught physical education in N.B., and N.S. She was also athletic director at Mount Allison University.
Following her move to Truro, she worked for the N.S. Teachers College. She was a certified coach and referee for basketball and field hockey in an era dominated by men. Dede has always lived an active lifestyle playing basketball, broomball, curling, squash, and tennis through the years. She and her husband nurtured the love of sport in their four children, and saw all of them participate in Canadian university basketball.
Today, she continues to model life-long learning through physical activity by playing tennis four to five times per week, and is frequently found in the stands as a fan supporting not only her own family, but many others in their athletic endeavours.
Club team U15 CC Riders U13 girls soccer This group of young players had a fantastic summer of 2017, not only in terms of success on the field, but also in forming friendships and having fun off the field.
The team competed in regular league play in the Highland District Soccer League, as well as two tournaments, and finished the season hosting the provincial tournament. Their record at the end of regular season play was an impressive 13 wins with one tie to capture both the league title and the regional title.
During the season, the team traveled to the Valley to compete in the largest all female tournament in Eastern Canada, the Gunn Baldursson Memorial Tournament. The Riders played five games, winning all five to come away with the gold medal. In the Bruce Wagner tournament, the team went through roundrobin, but lost in the semifinal to the eventual tournament champions. The girls bounced back in the consolation game to come away with the bronze medal. At the provincial tournament, the team fought hard but came up just short in the semifinal game, losing 1-0 in the final minute of play. Again, the girls shook off the loss and came back to win the bronze medal.
The Riders overall record for the season 24-2-1.