April 8th, 2022- The Department of Athletics and Recreation hosted our 7th annual Part-Time Staff Appreciation Banquet. Bringing together all of the teams that run our facilities, events and programs for the University of Guelph community.
There were many highlights and all of our teams should be congratulated for a year full of navigating public health regulations, a full closure of our facilities and changing mandates. Despite these challenges, our team stayed focused on serving our community and making sure that everyone could access our programs and services as we know they served many during tough times.
Congratulations to all our award winners!
3-Pitch:
Badminton:
Basketball:
Dodgeball/ Waterpolo:
Flag Football:
Ice Hockey:
Soccer:
Spikeball:
Squash:
Pickleball:
Ultimate:
Volleyball:
Here is a highlight of our major award winners:
This award is presented to the part-time employee who is a current full-time post-secondary undergraduate student and acts as a role model for their peers. This person is a leader within the department and demonstrates the following qualities:
• Someone who makes coming to work enjoyable
• Motivates their coworkers
• Takes on a mentorship role among their peers
• Looks for ways to improve their work environment
• Leads by modelling a friendly, inclusive and professional attitude
• Encourages cross-unit co-worker bonding and development
• Supportive and encouraging of the spirit of arc (athletics and recreation committee)
• Has worked a minimum of 2 semesters for the Department
Nominees:
The winner was:
Mattie has been extensively involved in all aspects of our dance program since 2018. Becoming our dance lead in the Fall of 2019. She exudes a passion for dance that draws students to her classes. Mattie wants to connect and inspire as many people as she can through dance. You can see her passion when she’s dancing in studio, teaching her students, or organizing our semester year end recital. The dance classes Mattie teaches are always sold out with a waiting list. This speaks loudly to Mattie’s professionalism, passion and commitment to our program and how the students who take her classes feel about her. Mattie has a love for dance that is inspiring to watch.
On top of Dance, Mattie has been an integral team member of the Active Kids & Camps programs this past year. Over the year, Mattie has been a Head Summer Camp Counsellor, Birthday Party Host and currently a Gryphon Activity Camp Program Director for Summer 2022. Creating team unity and a space for staff to feel comfortable working is a focus of Mattie’s work. She has determined that in 2022 she wants the team to have more opportunities to work together and has shared these ideas already prior to being hired as a program director. Not only does Mattie inspire fellow counsellors, but she inspires me. Her selfless acts and positivity are attributes that show her passion for creating opportunities for individuals to grow. She has personally told me how much she has grown from working in this department and wants to share her growth with other members of the team which will enable them to develop into strong staff members.
This award is presented to the part-time employee who puts service first in their daily job tasks. This person understands the value of excellent customer service for both internal and external customers. The characteristics of this employee are:
Nominees:
And the winner was:
This student was new to the department, but from the beginning their day-to-day efforts consistently exceed expectations. They were always willing to go the extra mile for clubs and intramurals. Matt has built meaningful partnerships with all our clubs as well as other members in the department. Matt is able to bridge the gap between the two and provide thoughtful ears to the student clubs, and advocates for those groups within the department. He, without hesitation, joined and chaired the Athletics Advisory Committee and has been a valuable member providing thoughtful contributions that benefit both the department and students. Countless times he has stepped in to help referee or monitor intramural games to ensure that the students are always able to play.
When Matt is working in the office, if a student comes into the office he will always do his best to answer their question (regardless of if it relates to clubs, intramurals or something else), and if he doesn’t know the answer he is willing to find out. Matt is extremely dependable, and I know while he is in the office, anyone who comes in will be receiving top level customer service.
Matt upholds all of the Gryphon values of being determined, engaged, respectful, caring and authentic. Overall, Matt has shown commitment to Athletics and Recreation and to ensuring a positive students experience. He acts as an ambassador for all recreational and sport programming, exemplifies the guiding principles of our department and has positively impacted the Clubs program. His skills, knowledge, passion and willingness to help others make him an excellent choice for the recipient of the Service and Dedication Award.
This award is presented to the part-time employee who exemplifies the true nature of the department of athletics. This person is an individual who conducts themselves as an ambassador of athletics at all times. The characteristics of this employee are:
• Ambassador for athletics throughout the campus and city communities
• Excellent leadership within the department
• Goes above and beyond and conducts themselves with maturity
• Creates a sense of teamwork within their units
• Has worked a minimum of 3 semesters for the Department
Nominees:
2021-22 Director's Award Winner: Burke Bechard
This individual has never thought of their title in a way that placed them above any of their peers. This individual always has a keen eye for seeing the big picture and creating something exciting for the customers and for the staff. Even on the busiest of days, you could witness this individual taking time to have one on one conversations or to share a kind ear, advice, creative ideas, or just their time, all while staying on task to complete their duties.
What doesn’t this person do? You can find them directly having fun with the customers, or behind the scenes keeping work flowing and programs excelling. You can see this person early in the morning and late at night. And if you don’t see them, you might receive a text to see how things are going and if we need anything while they are on their way in.
The creativity from this person was endless. One of the most amazing things was how they wanted to recognize staff that are just doing outstanding jobs. They created a button that says “WOW” and presented it to staff in front of peers and clients. What a way to make a statement and show how you care about others. Now is our time to give the “WOW” to Burke Bechard.