Award Bio – Marc Caouette

MARC CAOUETTE

• 2004 Marc Caouette Award Recipient

(from Racquetball Canada Archives. Source: Canadian Racquetball, vol. 3, no. 3, 2004)

Finally, Racquetball Canada incorporated a new award this year to recognize significant contributors to junior racquetball in Canada, an important area of racquetball development. The award was presented by Racquetball Canada’s President, Usher Barnoff, whose presentation speech in part stated the following :

“The [winner of this award] was selected not only because he is a superb teacher and student of the game, not only because he is a certified NCCP coach, not only because he successfully helped revive a junior racquetball program in one of our major Canadian cities, not only because he has successfully coached his province’s junior team at a national level, and not only because he has competed successfully at a national level himself. He was selected also because of the way he addresses the challenges he faces everyday. He was selected because of the way he lives his life. More than anything, he is a symbol for us all: a role model for our youth, someone to look up to, someone to admire. He is a survivor. He is someone who, upon facing death, came out victorious in an extra point tiebreaker.

“There is a poster in his local home club that perhaps best summarizes the attitude and approach of this individual toward life. The poster features a picture of a triumphant doubles team with the following:

• “3 rounds of chemotherapy: $20,000
• “Bone marrow transplant: $400,000
• “Being back in the winners circle: Priceless.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, as President of Racquetball Canada, it is my honor and privilege to officially introduce The Marc Caouette Award – For Significant Contribution to Junior Racquetball Development in Canada and present it to its first recipient, from Edmonton Alberta, Mr. Marc Caouette.”