Ringette season ended in March but there was a plum awaiting Taryn Atkinson that was not ripe for the picking until last weekend of May.
The 13-year-old from Prince George was selected as BC Ringette's junior player of the year two weekends ago at the annual general meeting in Kamloops.
In her seventh season of ringette, Atkinson helped the Prince George Fury under-16 team win the bronze medal at the single-A provincial championships in Surrey, then captained the Northern Lights regional U-14 team which captured bronze at the double-A provincial championship in Prince George. Her enthusiasm for the game, her level of play, and her willingness to reach out to visiting players at tournaments earned her the nomination for the award.
The five-foot-nine Atkinson also plays club volleyball as a middle blocker for the 14U Kodiaks of the Prince George Youth Volleyball Club which qualified for the national championship in Vancouver. She's currently involved as a soccer midfielder on a Prince George Timberwolves U14 select team in the Prince George Youth Soccer Association. That team will be in Quesnel on Sunday to play in the regional playoffs against Quesnel and Williams Lake for the right to play in the provincial B championship in Surrey, July 7-9.
"What's impressive is she plays at a high level in all three sports and her average in Grade 8 (at PGSS) is about 93 per cent," said Taryn's mom, Brenda Atkinson, president of the Prince George Ringette Association (PGRA).
"We've always said if school starts to fall then we have to cut something out, but how can you say 'no' when she's getting marks like that."
The PGRA was also singled out as BC Ringette's association of the year. The award is based on the competitiveness of the Prince George teams against the rest of the province and the level of commitment of the local board.
That dedication to running the local house league is perhaps best exemplified by Jana Campbell, the PGRA's coaching director, who was selected the provincial organization's volunteer of the year. Campbell, a mother of six who has at least four of her children playing ringette, oversees the local house league coaching program and also coaches two PGRA teams.
"Jana has been involved as a player and a coach and part of the board for 30 years and she's not even 40," said Brenda Atkinson. "She played as a kid and got into coaching and she's also the coaching facilitator for the north."
The league is now accepting registration fees for next season, which starts with a free Come Try Ringette session in late September. Players signed up before June 30th can take advantage of early-bird rates. Go to www.pgringette.ca.
