Support for Sports Award 2024 recipients

---

By the age of ten Jay Boyd  knew he would be a sportscaster. By the time he was a teenager his buddies were calling him Cummy, after former Detroit Red Wing Cummy Burton. At the time Burton was a sportscaster at the local Sudbury ON television station, Jay, his parents and siblings were living just three miles east of Sudbury in the small community of Coniston.  And a bit more about Cummy Burton, his claim to fame was that he played most of one season on a line with Mr. Hockey, Gordie Howe. Many years later, living and working in Yorkton Jay would interview Howe and Bobby Hull. According to Jay, Howe is the most famous athlete he ever interviewed. 

The road to Yorkton was a long one for Boyd, it started in Hamilton where he spent two years in a media course at Mohawk College. After that he was offered a radio DJ job in Kapuskasing ON. Next up he packed his bags and headed west, where he ended up calling Flin Flon Bomber games for CFAR radio long before the Bombers joined the SJHL. It was the beginning of many, many years covering junior hockey. 

His next stop was in Dauphin and that's where one day he received a call from the legendary Linus Westberg, the longtime sportscaster at Shamrock Television, also known as CICC TV. Linus was moving into a more management role at the station and decided that Jay would be his replacement. For Boyd it was ideal with Yorkton Terriers games to cover and any other SJHL games in other Saskatchewan communities. 

But it wasn't only hockey. Other sports like  football, baseball, curling, high school sports and so much more were covered by Shamrock/CiCC TV. One of Jays favourite duties was preparing and hosting a weekly 30 minute sports show called Sportsbeat which won a National CanPro award in 1994. Seven years later Boyds career at CICC was over. He ended up doing hockey games, usually with Terry Struthers on Image Cable, and next up was the same job with Access 7. After that he and Mike Stackhouse called games across the entire province for SaskTel Max. 

When the pandemic hit and shut down all sports Jay decided it was time to retire. His wife Lorna retired from her job with the city of Yorkton two years later. Jay has three daughters, all living in Regina, and four grandchildren. The two grandsons both play hockey and Jay and Lorna love travelling to the Queen City to watch them play.

This nomination recognizes the countless amount of hours that Warren Burrell, a grade 3/4 teacher at St Michael's in Yorkton, has dedicated to officiating minor sports in East Central Saskatchewan. The number of games that Warren officiates in any given year is truly astounding.

Beginning with hockey, Warren volunteers countless hours officiating minor, junior, and senior hockey, but will also spend numerous hours mentoring young officials by stepping on to the ice to be a supervisor, or sit in the stands completing evaluations and meeting officials in between and after games to offer advice, but mostly encouragement. 

In the 2021/22 season, Warren was recognized by the Sask Hockey Association as the Zone 4 Most Deserving Official winner for his countless hours dedicated in supervising and mentoring young officials.

Warren has also spent spring time and fall time at the football fields, acting as referee for minor football

games.

If that isn't enough, every spring and summer, Warren will be on the baseball diamonds, umpiring minor baseball and senior league baseball in the Yorkton area. In 2021, Warren was recognized as the Sask Baseball Umpire of the Year for his work in umpiring, mentoring, and assigning games in the area.

He was further recognized as he had umpired in five different provincial championships in the 2021 season.

It is estimated that between hockey, baseball, and football, you can find Warren officiating or supervising at up to 250 games during a calendar year.

Garrett Karcha just recently was recognized as the 2024 Saskatchewan High School Athletic

Associations Service Award for his dedication to high school sports in the East Central area at both the local and provincial levels.

This is an award that honours those that have provided outstanding leadership, service, and the promotion of high school athletics in the district.

A teacher for the last 15 years, he has been the Athletic Director of Sacred Heart High School for the last 12 years and currently plays the role of head football coach and a coach of track and field. 

He's also spent years coaching basketball and hockey in the community.

Garrett has committed to put the importance of physical activity for students and making the

connections between extra-curricular programming and school in the classroom. He believes in the importance of getting youth involved in all activities available, being active, and developing relationships with each other that will transform them into well-rounded individuals in our society.

Chad McDowell was introduced to coaching basketball in 1996 by Tony Hayden while in grade 9 at C.J. Houston Junior High School. Twenty nine years later, coaching Yorkton basketball teams remains to be a big part of his life.

In the past 20 years, Chad has coached many Yorkton school basketball teams including the YRHS Senior Girls, YRHS Junior Girls, Dr. Brass Girls, St. Michael’s Girls and St. Michael’s Boys basketball teams.

In 2017 Chad’s son Yianni wanted to play basketball in the upcoming year when he finished kindergarten. Since no such program existed Chad began planning for a youth basketball program in Yorkton. 

In 2018 Chad organized Yorkton’s inaugural season of the Steve Nash Youth Basketball Program for youth in grades 1-6. The following year this program amalgamated with the Junior NBA under Chad’s watchful eye. What began as 7 teams in 2 schools in 2017 has grown to 17 teams in 4 schools in 2024. 

Chad also stayed dedicated to the Junior NBA program over the pandemic. He offered weekly virtual challenges and a summer camp as school gyms were closed. Not only do Chad and his family coordinate and organize everything in this program but they also coach in it.

In 2019, Chad began coaching in Jason Payne’s Yorkton Blue Jays Basketball Program and has continued to coach a team each spring season. In 2023, he also began coaching in a Blue Jays 3 on 3 Basketball Fall Program.

Not only is there overlap each year with these programs, but Chad officiates basketball as well. When he isn’t officiating school, club, or Junior NBA, he can often be found volunteer officiating in one of Tony Hayden’s local basketball programs. Chad has especially enjoyed officiating lately as he is often paired up with his daughter Evia.

Chad often coaches on his own but he is thankful that his early school coaching career was alongside Tony Hayden. His most recent coaching has been alongside his wife Cara.

Michelle Pfeifer began her volleyball journey in the small village of Pennant, SK. The town hall was her gym, and the court spanned from wall to wall. It was there, in that humble setting, that Michelle developed her skills under the guidance of a great teacher. Her passion for the game grew as she attended high school at Swift Current Comprehensive.

From 1985 to 1987, Michelle was a key player for the Swift Current Ardens team, leading them to provincials each season. She then played for the University of Regina Lady Cougars in 1988-89, before joining the Red Deer College Queens in 1992-93. During her time with the Queens, Michelle earned an impressive collection of medals: a Silver Medal at the 1992 ACAC, a Silver at the 1992 CCAA Nationals, a Gold Medal at the 1993 ACAC, and a Bronze at the 1993 CCAA Nationals. 

Michelle also made her mark on the beach volleyball scene, competing in the Sylvan Lake AB Beach Tournament Summer Series in 1992 and 1993.

Michelle's coaching career began in 1992, running summer volleyball camps for grades 7-12 in Red Deer and surrounding areas. She took on various coaching roles, including Head Coach for the Blitz 16u Women, Prince Albert Central Institute, and Hugh Cairns VC Elementary School Boys team. Locally she has coached MC Knoll Boys Volleyball and Yorkdale Girls Volleyball, leading both teams to multiple City Championships from 2008 to 2016.

Dion Pfeifer’s volleyball journey started right here in Yorkton during the 1980s—a time when our city was known as the mecca of volleyball under coach Dennis Pomeroy. Dion's early years were marked by a string of successes. He won Provincial Gold Medals with the Yorkton Regional High School (YRHS) boys volleyball team in 1983, 1984, and 1985, numerous Western Canadian and National Championship medals with Team Saskatchewan and the Yorkton Mac’s boys club team from 1983 to 1986, and in 1987, won a gold medal at the Canada Games alongside seven fellow Yorktonites.

Dion went on to play volleyball for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies from 1987 to 1990, where he became a CIAU Gold Medalist.

Dion’s love for the game didn’t stop there. He continued playing senior men’s volleyball from 1990 to 2006, and in the early 1990s, he became a three-time Provincial Beach Champion, representing Saskatchewan at Nationals. His contributions to the sport have been recognized with his induction into the Yorkton, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Volleyball, and Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fames with various teams.

Transitioning into coaching, Dion led the Saskatoon Walter Murray senior girls volleyball team to a provincial gold medal in 1991 prior to coaching Grades 7 and 8 volleyball in Saskatoon from 1992 to 2001. In 2002, Dion moved back to Yorkton, where he took over the YRHS Senior Boys volleyball program. For nearly two decades, from 2002 to 2021, Dion was the guiding force behind the Yorkton Regional Raiders Senior Boys, nurturing young talent and instilling in them the same passion for volleyball that has driven him throughout his life.

Dion retired in June of 2022 after 31 years of teaching and coaching, but the call of the court was too strong to ignore. By the fall of 2023, he was back, proving that his dedication to the sport is unwavering.

In addition to their individual accomplishments, Michelle and Dion have also made significant contributions to the sport as a coaching team. From 1998 to 2000, they led numerous weeklong summer camps across Saskatchewan. In 2014, they started the local boys volleyball club program known as the Bongos, which they coached and managed until 2020.

From 2018 to 2020, Dion and Michelle served as Head and Assistant Coaches for the Yorkton Regional Raiders Senior Boys team, and as of 2023, they have taken on the same roles with the Yorkton Regional Raiders Senior Girls team.

Dion and Michelle’s contributions to volleyball extend beyond the court. Their dedication to nurturing young talent, their passion for the game, and their unwavering commitment to excellence have left an indelible mark on the sport in Saskatchewan. Together, they have created a legacy that will inspire future generations of athletes and coaches alike.

The Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame was created in 1994 and will be celebrating its 30th anniversary here in 2024. The YSHF had a strong group of volunteers and directors that created and set up the organization for long term and lasting success. However, due to numerous factors, by 2011 the YSHF only had a handful of board members remaining that continued to dwindle. One more induction was held in 2014 but it was clear that a push was going to have to be made in order to replenish the board to keep the organization active. 

Finally, in 2019, efforts by Don Pfeifer to resurrect the YSHF began. With the

assistance of Vern Pachal, Don made a public appeal to gain support and attempt to resurrect the YSHF.

At an informational public meeting, several members of the public pledged to help resurrect the YSHF.

This wasn't without challenges as a water pipe burst at the Land Titles Building (former home of the museum) where several artifacts and records in storage were damaged or destroyed. Thanks to an insurance claim and several volunteers, many artifacts and records were salvaged. 

Then, the COVID pandemic hit, restricting the opportunity to hold a long-awaited induction dinner. Finally, in 2022, the YSHF returned with its first induction night in eight years that was wildly successful. The resurrection of a

strong YSHF board of directors that helped rejuvenate an important historical organization would never have been possible with the foresight and dedication of Don Pfeifer. 

While Don is already inducted in the YSHF as a builder due to his contributions in the sport of volleyball, this nomination for the YSHF Support for Sports is for his work in rejuvenating the Yorkton Sports Hall of Fame..