Although the regular lacrosse season lies dormant right now, the accolades from another successful year continue to pour in. And London Minor Lacrosse is very proud to share a nomination and two awards within our zone. Each year, Zone 7 accepts nominations for Coach of the Year, MVP of the Year, and Lacrosse Person of the Year. We are thrilled to announce our associations’ nominations and awards for this year.
MVP of the Year
Nominated for MVP of the year was Brandon Graham (#17) of the Intermediate team. Brandon played Midget/Intermediate house league in 2011. After encouragement from his house league coach, he decided to try out for Intermediate Competitive in 2012. During try outs, Brandon seemed a bit small and lacked confidence. But his speed and willingness to go to the ball got him selected for the team. He developed well in his first year, and began to show signs of what was to come.
The 2013 season was a real eye-opener for Brandon. All loose balls belonged to him. His ability to pick up the ball at full speed gave him a great advantage. He honed his passing and catching skills, and developed a very accurate shot. But perhaps Brandon’s greatest attribute is the smile on his face every time he comes to practice or a game. His love of the game is obvious.
Brandon scored consistently all season with both goals and assists. During Zone day and Provincials, he took control. A coach’s greatest wish is a team full of players like Brandon. Congratulations, Brandon, for your nomination and all the best to you in the upcoming season!
Coach of the Year
Nominated and awarded for Coaches of the Year were Russ Allan and Guntis Glinavs of the London Intermediate boys team. Over the last seven years, Russ has coached, developed and mentored many players, including 16 long-term Jr. B players (three that have been chosen as captains of the London Jr. B team), and two former London Intermediate players who subsequently went on to play at least one season of Jr. A lacrosse. Meanwhile, one of the Jr. B players has two Founder’s Cup rings to show for Russ’ efforts.
With the Intermediate boys team, Allan and Glinavs have stressed skills development, athleticism, fitness, effort, good sportsmanship, and, perhaps above all, having fun on the floor. The team’s main measure of success has been in retaining its players year after year with only few exceptions.
Over the last seven years, the team has a record of 177-79-10 (68% winning percentage), with a couple of tournament wins, several tournament silver and bronze medals, and numerous victories over highly-rated A teams and future provincial champions. Congratulations Russ and Guntis for this award!
Person of the Year
Congratulations goes out to Ron Elijah, Competitive Director with LMLA, for being awarded the Zone 7 2013 Lacrosse Person of the Year award. Ron spends hundreds of hours coaching both field and box lacrosse, while also organizing and recruiting coaches and players from non-native and First Nations backgrounds. Ron dedicates his valuable time to the teachings of the spirit of lacrosse with his players — particularly instilling the mentalities of hard work, tradition, and playing the game with heart.
Congratulations to all of our nominees and award winners. London Minor Lacrosse prides itself on the commitment of volunteers and the countless hours invested into each season. Stay tuned for the announcement of our new 2014 Executive and upcoming registration dates. Don’t forget to ‘like’ us on Facebook.
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