Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the NWT Awards Program is to recognize and give credit to exceptional community members in the NWT sport system. The individuals who have continually shown dedication and hard work and have made significant contributions will be honoured for the positive difference that they are making in their respective communities.
A yearly awards dinner is being held to celebrate the awards recipients' involvement in a number of categories. One of those categories is coaching.
The award is presented to an individual who demonstrates the commitment, success, and dedication necessary in the development of their athletes and program, at any level of competition in the NWT.
The 2018 award winner was Jonathan Tsetso. Jonathan is a coach from Fort Simpson who is deeply involved in the Fort Simpson Minor Hockey program, as well as being involved with the recreational hockey program in his community. John is the recipient of the coach award due to his continuous commitment to the youth of the community, encouraging them to participate and practice on a regular basis. Jonathan constantly exhibits his passion to help the youth by running quality youth hockey programs.
Jonathan is always looking to improve his coaching skills so that he is able to provide his community with the best program. Jonathan is reliable, hard-working, and always happy to be there. Along with the skills of the game, Jonathan also implements and is a huge proponent of fair play and sportsmanship in his coaching style. He has a strong desire to create a fun and safe environment for everyone.
Jonathan has played a major role in revitalizing the Fort Simpson Minor Hockey program. With his assistance, Fort Simpson has been able to send teams to the Fort Smith hockey tournament for two years in a row for their first time in over a decade.
As a grandparent, I have witnessed firsthand the impact that Jonathan has left on the youth as their coach and mentor. I am proud that the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the Northwest Territories recognized Jonathan with the 2018 Coach Award.
Congratulations to Jonathan. Your efforts with our youth do not go unnoticed. Thank you for the positive mentorship that you provide to the young people of our community. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.