Darren Lipinsky Award
This award was established in 1975 by Peter and Ellen Lipinski to be awarded annually by the Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association to an individual(s) for outstanding contribution to softball in Saskatoon. Previous winners of this award were as follows:
1975 - John Newton
1977 - Glenn Reeve
1979 - Andy Lappas
1981 - Morris Smysnuik
1983 - Ray and Dot Pike
1985 - Keith McLean
1987 - Joe Gallagher
1989 - Irene Trimble-Barrett
1991 - John Haider
1993 - Ed Wright
1995 - Ed Bitz
1997 - Ernie Sorokowski
1999 - Dave Moore
2001 - George Storos
2003 - Ida Nerbas
2005 - Bob Revenko
1976 - Bob Van Impe
1978 - Ed Reimer
1980 - Dennis Beerling
1982 - Jim Shirley
1984 - Gail Hopkins-Cooper
1986 - Bob Stayner
1988 - Vic Loewen
1990 - Don Burfitt
1992 - Ken Gunn
1994 - Gaile Abel
1996 - Lisa Down
1998 - Eugene McWillie
2000 - Al McKay
2002 - Bernie Gurash
2004 - Gary MacDonald
2005 - Bob Revenko
2006- Wayne & Marlene Paul
2007- Ted Lester
2008-Bryan Kosteroski
Past recipients of the award serve on the selection committee to choose the succeeding winners.
SASKATOON AMATEUR SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION
MEDIA RELEASE - SEPTEMBER 23, 2008
DARREN LIPINSKI MEMORIAL AWARD
The recipient of the 2008 Darren Lipinski Memorial Award was born and raised in Saskatoon. Growing up in the Pleasant Hill area, he was involved in many sports, including softball.
Like many other parents, he became involved in softball when his children started to play this sport and coached in all minor divisions in the Saskatoon Minor Softball League throughout the 1990’s. He coached a team that won the silver medal at the 1997 Bantam Western Canadian Championship, and was also involved with a Zone 6 Saskatoon team that won Gold at the 1995 Saskatchewan Summer Games.
Moving into the older divisions, he coached midget girls in 2004 and 2005, attending national championships both years. Also during this same time, he was the head coach of a junior men’s team for a three year period, and won a silver medal at nationals in 2005.
He then moved his junior men’s team up to the Senior A Men’s division. This team won a gold medal at the Senior A Men’s Provincial Championships in 2007, and a silver medal in 2008.
In addition, he was an assistant coach with the Sask First Men’s team at the Western Canadian Games in 2004 that won the silver medal.
He has recently taken on the position of head coach of Saskatchewan’s under 19 men’s team for 2009. This team will attend the Canadian championships as well as the North American Championship tournament in Prince Edward Island in June 2009.
As a coach he won eleven provincial championships over the past 16 years.
Our recipient’s involvement in softball not only consisted of coaching teams, but he also became very much involved with the executive, administrative and organizational aspect of the game, Starting in the early 1990’s, he became an active member of the Phantom Zone executive, serving with them for eight years.
In 1998 and 1999, he served as the First Vice President of the Saskatoon Minor Softball League (SMSL). He was then was elected President of the SMSL in 2000, and served in that capacity for four years. He was recognized for his hard work with the SMSL by receiving the Nels Rissling Award in 2001, and again in 2004.
In 2004, our recipient was elected President of the Saskatoon Amateur Softball Association, a position he still holds today.
Even with an immense amount of time devoted to the sport of softball in coaching and executive ranks, our recipient still found time to become involved in a number of championships hosted by our leagues. The following is a resume of his involvement:
• In 2003, he chaired the Bantam Western Canadian Championship
• In 2006, he was co-chair of the 2006 Western Canadian Masters
• In 2007, he chaired the Midget National Championship.
• In 2008, he was a member of the host committee of the Canadian Senior A Men’s Championship, in addition to coaching a team in the tournament.
• He is currently on the host committee of the 2009 ISF Men’s World Softball Championship which will be held in Saskatoon from July 17th – 26th, 2009.
For the past five years he has been an NCCP technical clinic instructor for Softball Saskatchewan. For his efforts, and for his contribution to the sport of softball in Saskatchewan, Softball Saskatchewan recognized him as the “volunteer of the year” in 2003, and “coach of the year” in 2005.
Our recipient’s involvement with softball is pretty much a year round activity. However, he still manages to attend most of the Blade games, serving as a minor off ice official.
Our recipient has three children, two sons and a daughter. Rachelle lives in Vancouver, while both Jonathon and Chris reside in Saskatoon.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed a pleasure for me to introduce to you today, a gentleman and as hard working a person for the sport of softball I have had the pleasure of knowing. The recipient of the 34th annual Darren Lipinski Memorial Award for 2008:
Bryan Kosteroski