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By Nigel Maxwell

Volleyball

Prince Albert woman named volleyball referee of the year

Nov 24, 2022 | 2:00 PM

Sask. Volleyball has recently announced its award winners for 2022, and a Prince Albert woman who has stood above the net for the better part of five years is included in the list of recipients.

Nancy Wagar-Kabel was named Referee of the Year. She told paNOW she was surprised to even be nominated and completely shocked to win.

“There are so many of us that spend countless hours in gyms running clinics and mentoring new refs, I feel honoured to be recognized amongst my peers,” she said.

After retiring from coaching, Wagar-Kabel has been officiating full-time since 2017. Initially starting as a “Novice”, she was promoted to “Local” and then obtained her “Provincial” badge in early 2020.

“I love the sport of volleyball, such a great game to watch and be a part of. When it was time to hang up the coaching sneakers, I thought reffing would be a good way to stay involved. The reffing community in Saskatchewan is such a great group of people, so welcoming and helpful.”

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As a result of COVID on the game, volleyball was among many sports impacted and referees were forced to wear masks. Wagar-Kabel acknowledged having to use hand-held whistles took some practice.

Referee Clinics are usually held in September/October; attendance is not mandatory to become a registered ref and anyone can register at any time. When asked what advice she would offer someone interested in becoming a referee, Wagar-Kabel said she would recommend it to anyone who loves the game, adding it’s also a great opportunity to make a little extra money.

“When you are assigned to ref a tournament a long way from home, it doesn’t seem so much like work when you have passion for the sport. You also need some confidence/patience, there will be times where your calls are questioned so you need to be able to keep your cool in tight situations,” she said.

Other award winners

Greg Hatch Spirit of the Game Awards are presented to the province’s male and female volleyball players who best exemplify teamwork, fair play, hard work and the love of the game. Emma Frisky – 14UW Rose Valley VC – and Kale Lemaigre – 14UM JCVC (Saskatoon).

Marlene Hoffman Volunteer Awards – for individual (s) who have donated their time and efforts to promote and develop volleyball within their local community. The recipients are Kathy Peters, QCVC and Kevin Davis, CVVC

Leo van Dam Service Award is for individuals who have made a special contribution to the sport of volleyball in a non-competitive capacity and the recipient this year is Darren Cannell.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell