Minister of Tourism and Sport Joseph Schow presents the 2023 Alberta Sport Recognition Awards, honouring the province’s top athletes, teams, coaches and officials. (photograph by Kim Mortimer/The SnapHappy Photographer)
Alberta is a global leader in sport, and it’s thanks to the athletes, coaches and officials who dedicate themselves to excellence in their craft. The Alberta Sport Recognition program was established in 1987 to acknowledge the outstanding achievements and commitment of coaches, officials and volunteers in the province.
Recipients of the 2023 Sport Recognition Awards represent the best in sport from across the province, from exceptional athletes to hard-working coaches and officials. Through their unwavering dedication to sport, these individuals are contributing to Alberta’s reputation as a global leader in sport and help make our province the best place in the world to live, visit and play.
“These high-performance athletes, coaches, and officials have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in international and national competitions and are deserving of recognition for their efforts. I am proud of their contributions and grateful for their leadership in making Alberta a province that lives the spirit of sport.”
“The award recipients have demonstrated dedication, passion and excellence which have set them apart as true champions in their respective fields. Many have reached the pinnacle of performance and each of the recipients has demonstrated unparalleled commitment and skill, inspiring others to reach for excellence in all they do.”
The 2023 award recipients are:
- Junior Male Athlete of the Year – Nikita Ciudin – Sprint Canoe
- Junior Female Athlete of the Year – Julia Bartlett – Biathlon
- Junior Team of the Year – Team Tao – Curling – Johnson Tao, Jaedon Neuert, Ben Morin, Adam Naugler, Zach Davies and Skip Wilson (coach)
- Open Male Athlete of the Year – Jeremiah Lauzon – Athletics
- Open Female Athlete of the Year – Alexandria Loutitt – Ski Jumping
- Open Team of the Year – Team Canada 3x3 Basketball – Michelle Plouffe, Katherine Plouffe, Paige Crozon, Kacie Bosch, Jamie Scott, and Kim Gaucher (coach)
- Coaching Recognition Award: Rachel Koroscil – Biathlon
- Coaching Recognition Award: Marty Birky – Basketball
- Technical Official Recognition Award – Barb Bush – Springboard Diving
- Technical Official Recognition Awards – Matthew Kallio – Basketball
Quick facts
- In 2002, the Athlete and Team of the Year awards were added to the awards program to acknowledge high performance athletes and teams who are promoting Alberta on the national and international stage, and recognize their pursuit of sport development goals.
- The Coach Recognition Award recognizes coaches for their outstanding achievements in developing Alberta’s amateur athletes.
- The Official Recognition Award recognizes outstanding achievements in and commitments to officiating.
- Award recipients were selected by a committee and considered results from the 2022/2023 competition season.