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
2009 - Noreen Murphy
2010 - Lawrence Beatty
Past recipients of the award serve on the selection committee to choose the succeeding winners.
SASKATOON AMATEUR SOFTBALL ASSOCIATION
MEDIA RELEASE - SEPTEMBER 28, 2010
DARREN LIPINSKI MEMORIAL AWARD
The recipient of the 2010 Darren Lipinski Memorial Award has left his mark on all aspects of the sport of Softball in Saskatoon. He was born and raised in the city, growing up in the Westgate area. He played softball, hockey and other sports as a youngster and, with his father being an umpire, spent many nights and weekends at Gordon Howe Park. Summer months would see him golf during the day and then chase softballs at the parks in the evening. He played in the Saskatoon Minor Association and then a few years in the Saskatoon Amateur Association.
He joined the coaching ranks in 1985 when his oldest son began playing ball and has coached every year since for a total of 25 years – and counting. Starting with novice ball in 1985 he coached all divisions of male softball in the minor ranks until 2000. He then coached his daughter in midget ball for two years, 1999 and 2000, while coaching junior men at the same time.
He began coaching junior ladies in 2003 and continued with that age group until 2007. In those years he attended six straight Canadian National Junior Ladies championships. He also served as a mentor coach with the Softball Saskatchewan Sask First program in 2003.
He began taking NCCP coaching programs soon after beginning his coaching career and is a certified level three technical coach. To add to his work load in softball he became involved in the Softball Canada NCCP coaching program and has been a facilitator in this area for the past three years, instructing new coaches in the sport.
Saskatoon Minor Softball received his commitment to the sport beginning in 1994 when he became a member of their executive. He served as second vice President for a period of eleven years, and followed that up with a six year term as President from 2005 to the present.
During those years he was involved with the SMSL midget program for a ten year period and has been a member of the selection camps for their Selects program for most of those years.
He began another aspect of his career in softball in 1994 when he volunteered as a scorekeeper and announcer at the senior Men’s Canadian Championship.
That year began his continual commitment to that area of the sport for the next 16 years. This included every tournament held in Saskatoon, be it national, international or western Canadian.
His ability to recruit, train and involve large numbers of volunteers at each of these events has had a great impact on each championship being so successful. Statistics and certainly quality announcing and scorekeeping play a large role in any tournament, with the national and international events having even a greater significance. As tournaments advance, players, coaches and fans appreciate the accuracy and speed with which the stats are produced. This gentleman sits in his office area under the stands at each tournament quietly and efficiently ensuring the web pages are updated immediately and in a prompt manner. A large number of people involved with softball have attended many softball tournaments throughout the world and can easily state that the statistics and scorekeeping here in Saskatoon is one of, if not the best, anywhere.
This fellow is always the first to arrive at the park to prepare the score programs as well as the last to leave in the evening after the stats and standings have been
completed. To add to his workload AND to the great record Saskatoon has for first class tournaments, he has spent the past three major tournaments in Saskatoon introducing video streaming of the games at our parks. This has resulted in people throughout the world being able to see our fantastic facility as well as our hard working volunteers, making each championship better than the last.
He received the Softball Saskatchewan Fair Play award in 1999 and the Service Award in 2003.
His involvement in softball has been and continues to be tremendous, however he also coached both his sons in hockey for a period of fifteen years, being a certified level 3 hockey coach as well.
His wife Deanna and sons Larry and Brent and daughter Allison have been very gracious in sharing their husband and father with us throughout the many years he has dedicated to our sport.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed a pleasure for me to introduce to you today, the recipient of the 36th annual Darren Lipinski Memorial Award for 2010:
LAWRENCE BEATTY