April 21 to 27 is National Volunteer Week, which is a week set aside to recognize volunteers’ contributions in communities across Canada.
Volunteering is a big part in what keeps local organizations thriving, especially in the realm of sports, and if it wasn’t for volunteers like Joy Tremblay, St. Paul’s sports organizations would really have their hands full.
Tremblay is president of the St. Paul Soccer Association, a volunteer coach for junior high school basketball at Racette, as well as the under-18 boys outdoor soccer coach and futsal coach in the winter. She also volunteers as a trainer for the St. Paul Lions football team and the Junior B Canadiens, and when she isn’t volunteering her time, she is working as a physiotherapist either at the hospital or at her private sports therapy business.
“I always laugh when people tell me they don’t have time. I work full-time at the hospital, I run a private practice after hours as a single parent. You find time because it’s important, it doesn’t have to be as crazy as my schedule,” says Tremblay.
“Most of our organizations are more than welcoming of anyone that wants to come and volunteer and assist. There are always opportunities in this town. This is a phenomenal town.”
Tremblay’s life has always been immersed in sport, and when she had kids she says she didn’t even question becoming a volunteer in her children’s activities.
“When I was young, I was an athlete and played fastball, played basketball, did track and field, badminton, curling, the whole nine yards. That’s why I went into physio, mainly because of the sports medicine aspect of it, and when I had kids it just was a natural thing that you don’t just drop your kids off at the field, it’s not a babysitting service,” she says, adding, as a single parent it could be a handful, but it was worth the effort.
“I think it’s so important to keep them busy. That’s always my thing and that’s why I do it, because for every hour I’ve got a kid on the field or in the gym it’s an hour that they’re not going to find something else to occupy their time, and you try to make it as positive an experience as possible.”
Tremblay says she believes that sports play an important role in youth development, and as such she makes sure not to exclude anyone wishing to play basketball when she coaches at Racette.
“Whether they’re a competitive athlete or not a competitive athlete, at Racette I have a no-cut policy. No one gets cut from basketball at Racette, I run the program from Grade 6 to Grade 9 and everybody that wants to play basketball is offered a spot somewhere whether it’s on the junior team or the senior team,” she says. “If they want to play basketball, they’re there and there’s all the positives that go along with that, the dedication, the team work, the self-discipline, the satisfaction of improving. They don’t have to be superstars, but the chance to participate and be part of something is an experience that unfortunately some kids don’t get, and I just think it’s so important to offer that to them.”
Tremblay returned to the Junior B Canadiens as trainer this season after spending four years with the Lloydminster Bandits. It was head coach Joe Young, who was with the Bandits at the time, that convinced Tremblay to make the switch, and when Young came to St. Paul to coach, Tremblay followed.
“I needed a change from the local team, you could kind of see them spiraling a little bit downhill. I figured if I’m going to dedicate my time, and my time is so very precious, I’m going to give it to an organization that appreciates what I’m doing and appreciates that sacrifice of giving that time,” she says, adding, the Canadiens organization has really turned around under its new management.
“I was really happy to come back home to St. Paul with the board with John and Lisa (Davies) and with Joe back coaching and Ted (Graling) as manager and you could just see it turning around, I felt it was important to our local kids.”
St. Paul Lions head coach Todd Tanasichuk agrees that Tremblay’s time as a trainer is very precious, as he describes her presence with the Lions as “the difference between a win and a loss.”
“She’s able to get boys healthy in a hurry and get them back into action,” Tanasichuk says. “Without her, our win-loss record would probably be significantly different. She’s great with the kids, she’s vital to our success.”
Tremblay made a point of thanking everyone involved with all the organizations that she dedicates her time to, from fellow volunteers to parents, players and coaches, as she says they are the reason she continues to volunteer.
“Everyone thinks that you’re so selfless when you’re a volunteer. I actually consider myself selfish because I get so much satisfaction from coaching and volunteering my time with the kids because you see them grow,” she says.
“You see that smile on their face and it’s the most rewarding thing in the world to see how much enjoyment a young person gets from participation in sport. And again, whether its sport or music or dance, to me, every child deserves that chance to participate. I know from being on the board with St. Paul Soccer, we’re so short of volunteers, you just do it because the kids need it.”
