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Lauren Wong Wins 2018 Jason Senechal Award

By OVA, 08/11/18, 9:15AM EDT

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Since 2004, the Ontario Volleyball Association has honoured the late Jason Senechal by recognizing a youth division beach athlete with the Jason Senechal Memorial Award. The recipient of this award demonstrates the qualities of honour, fair play, and sportsmanship.

In his time on the OVA Beach Tour, Jason managed to make a tremendous impact on all participants including athletes, parents, and OVA Staff. With this award we aim to encourage beach athletes to carry themselves with the same values that Jason personified.

Jason’s athleticism, skill and dedication to excellence helped him excel in volleyball throughout his high school career and beyond. While playing on the OVA Beach Tour, Jason was able to capture a Provincial Championship and place 3rd at the National Championships, but his accomplishments extend well beyond podium finishes. He was involved with Athletes In Action doing outreach volleyball camps and he also had the opportunity to compete in Thailand while teaching volleyball to children.

This year’s recipient is Lauren Wong - a very recognizable athlete in the Ontario Volleyball community given that she also received the Evelyn Holick Award in April. 

What stands out about Lauren is the pure admiration she has for volleyball, and the respect she shows towards her competitors, referees, parents/spectators and OVA staff, making her one of the most sought-after partners and coaches on the beach.

Lauren’s determination and love for the game is shown in every aspect of what she does whether it be on or off the court.  After years of living and breathing volleyball, her consistency in showing the community how a player and a coach should present themselves has never faltered.

Lauren shares her passion for beach volleyball by inspiring younger players and devoting countless hours as a coach while also competing on a regular basis on the Tour. This summer, Lauren has been a court coach for Leaside during the late-afternoon and then makes the trek to coach for Synergy in the evening. Her involvement in coaching demonstrates her willingness to share her talent and knowledge about the sport to others and shows that she is comfortable in leadership roles.

Lauren is adaptive to every environment that is thrown at her in both aspects of the game, whether it be coaching or playing. She’s able to educate anyone of any age and is great at tailoring her coaching to best suit each individual, helping them become more sociable and comfortable with learning. When playing, Lauren is adaptive in her communication skills and teamwork with her partners.

Lauren’s hard work, effort and honour is upheld everyday on and off the court. Her most notable qualities are ones that will help her long after the final whistle, as she moves through the academic and work world. Lauren consistently sets an unbelievable example for the younger athletes around her, and she is one of our greatest youth ambassadors for the sport.

Congratulations Lauren!