The 2022-2023 BC school sport season came to an official close at Langley Christian School on June 19 when we hosted our annual Athletics Celebration Evening. Every year we take an evening to reflect on our students’ achievements and express our gratitude for the efforts and contributions of the hundreds of students, coaches and volunteers that support our program.
Lightning Athletics strives to be the most impactful program in our region, not only connecting youth to a positive culture, inspiring coaches and mentors, but also to help student-athletes to develop themselves into champions in all areas of life, leadership and service in the community.
LIGHTNING ATHLETICS HS PROGRAM DIRECTOR, JON MAYAN
This year’s Lightning Alumni Award recipient and key-note speaker was TRU Wolfpack Basketball standout and local Impact Hoops community coach, Asher Mayan (’19). Asher encouraged our students that while earning a spot on a USport roster is something to aspire to, the path is hard and there is more to one’s identity to focus on and work toward. Through all his challenges of the transition from high school to university, God was Asher’s focus and guide. Today, Asher continues to serve and give back to sport in Langley as a community club basketball coach.
Thank you to Charlie Ng for taking photos and capturing the evening for us, and to Dilan Bandara for contributing the student and staff videos.
ATHLETICS CELEBRATION AWARD RECIPIENTS
The Lightning Award Winners this year were Leah Aukema and Elijah Lindberg. The Lightning Award recognizes graduating students who demonstrate excellence in their sport in addition to community service, leadership, spiritual growth and academics.
Retiring after 22 years, Jim Beard, our elementary athletic director, was recognized as Coach of the Year. Jim leaves behind an impressive legacy of laying the grassroots foundation of Lightning Athletics success in the elementary years. For years, through his PE classes, intramurals, cross-country club, basketball teams, volleyball teams and track and field, Jim helped thousands of kids learn the basic movement and sport-specific skills needed to participate in sport.
Grade 11 basketball player and volleyball team manager, Grace Bradshaw was recognized as our Most Inspirational Athlete for her faithfulness and perseverance to overcome challenges through two significant and disheartening ACL knee injuries.
Each team recognized their MVP, most inspirational and most outstanding teammate. The team recognition awards and major recognition award winners are listed below.
God has gifted us all in our calling, as coaches, volunteers and student athletes, with this public space to compete, to serve, to practice hospitality, to come alongside one another, to take up the responsibility of leadership, to live courageously into the best, healthiest, most inspirational version of ourselves and to build up others to be the best versions of who God uniquely created them to be… And to build together a powerful, uplifting community where belonging and sense of purpose is not just an aspiration or quote on a wall, but a real, tangible, exemplary possibility for the world.
2023 ATHLETICS CELEBRATION EVENING, CLOSING REMARKS
The success of our athletics program is so dependent on the outstanding contributions of our volunteer and staff coaches who give their talents, time and expertise to develop our student athletes. We took the time this year, once again, to emphatically thank all those who coached, provided rides, organized travel, or made sure everyone was fed. Thank you for all you do. Another huge thank you is due to our athletic directors, Jon Kuehl, Jim Beard and Jon Mayan for all they do to provide exemplary leadership.
