A teacher who has been volunteering to make a difference in high school athletics for nearly four decades has been recognized by the Richmond Secondary Schools Athletic Association.
Gayle Guest is the 2016 recipient of the Bob Jackson Merit Award of Distinguished Athletic Administration.
The McMath teacher was honoured at the annual RSSAA Coaches Banquet last week at Burnett secondary.
Guest has been involved in high school sports within Richmond for 38 years; the last 24 she has served as RSSAA president. This past school year proved to be her last overseeing the association.
It was only appropriate Bob Jackson presented the award named after him to a longtime colleague and good friend.
The award honours outstanding contribution to athletic programs in Richmond secondary schools for at least 15 years.
It is presented to an individual who has shown outstanding leadership in athletic administration.
“I think the RSSAA has selected a most appropriate and outstanding recipient of the (merit award),” said Jackson.
“During Gayle’s tenure as RSSAA president there has been a dramatic growth in the number of activities, in the number of school teams and in number of participants.”
Guest’s remarkable run began when she initially volunteered to coach the senior girls softball team at Steveston High back in 1979.
That fall, she joined the staff at Burnett junior secondary where she taught PE and social studies, and later business education.
During her 13 years at the school she served as athletic director for an extended time.
She would also coach girls volleyball and basketball, boys volleyball, gymnastics, track and field and cheerleader.
A two-year stint at Richmond High saw her coach the Colts field hockey team to the Vancouver league title and a provincial berth. Five of her players went on to play at the CIS level.
In 1995, Guest would spend the next three years teaching business education at McNair where she continued to coach field hockey.
She was also heavily involved in the RSSAA executive, serving as a member-at-large, secretary-treasurer and vice-president over a seven year span before taking over as president.
It was during this tenure, schools saw a huge increase in participation level of sports, especially among females thanks to the establishment of juvenile basketball, soccer, field hockey and golf leagues.
Guest also was vice-president of the Vancouver and District Inter-High Athletic Association for 24 years. She also held an executive role for B.C. School Sports for eight years.
This isn’t the first time Guest has been recognized for her tireless work. In 1999, she was presented the B.C. School Sports Honour Award. A year later she was presented the Leadership Award by ProMotion Plus, a provincial organization that promotes girls and women in physical activity and sport.
