School District No. 35

Athletic success – and the coaches, athletic directors, teachers and volunteers who contribute to it – were front and centre Monday evening as the Langley School District hosted its annual Athletics Evening.

Held at the Langley Events Centre, the event serves as a celebration of the sports year that is nearing an end for 2026, and is an opportunity to celebrate all the teams’ and athletes’ accomplishments over the last nine months, be in on the court, field, track, pitch, ice or pool.

For the second year in a row, the evening was emceed by District Athletics Committee members Greg Kilvert, vice-principal at Langley Secondary, and District Principal Lisa Ellis. The evening also includes speeches from assistant superintendents Marcello Moino and Lisa Lainchbury, who welcomed everyone and acknowledged first-year coaches, respectively. As well, deputy superintendent Woody Bradford, who acknowledged the work and dedication of the district’s athletic directors.

Service Awards were handed out next, with one coach, Roland Calderon, honoured for 20 years of coaching, and another, Dan Renaud, recognized for 30 years of coaching. Calderon’s coaching career covered all many of sports, including basketball, rugby, track and volleyball, while Renaud’s career at both Walnut Grove Secondary and Aldergrove Community Secondary saw him coach basketball, hockey and volleyball.

This year’s Jim Ehman Memorial Difference Maker Award went to Kim Haber, a longtime coach at ACSS.

The Difference Maker Award is handed out annually to “someone who has exemplified the Langley School District’s core values in integrity, courage, community and excellence throughout their coaching career,” as well as to someone to has “made a significant difference in the lives of students, staff and the school community.”

In introducing Haber to the room, fellow teacher Emily Pollistretti called Haber “the heart of athletics at Aldergrove” as well as someone who “makes the school feel like a community.”

“No matter the school, no matter the need, Kim stepped up,” Pollistretti continued. “Coaching isn’t something she does. It’s something she is.”

In a video tribute that played for those in attendance, Haber, who is also a graduate of ACSS, was revered as a leader who put students first, and whose goal, more than wins and losses, was to get students moving and involved in athletics as much as possible. Her support of her fellow educators was also noted by many, whether it be serving as a coaching mentor, a tournament chaperone, or because she has a license to drive a school bus, often a last-minute chauffeur to tournaments and games for teams that were not always even her own.

In helping so many people, “her impact extends beyond her own school,” Pollistretti noted.

For photos from the evening, see below.