Established in 1995 to recognize an active volunteer in the hockey community. This award is presented to a volunteer who makes outstanding contributions to the game.
“She’s a quiet person but she does so much,” says Lisa McLaughlin, president of the Tri-County Minor Hockey Association. “She does so much that people don’t even realize how much she’s doing. Her mind is always thinking ‘How can we do things better, how can we be more organized, what can we do to improve this?’ She is just so valuable.
Noble has been the secretary/registrar for the TMHA for more than six years. A friend knew she had done some secretarial work and asked her to come to a meeting to take notes. That eventually led to an invitation to take on the volunteer position full time.
Her fellow board members have crowned her the queen of spreadsheets and organization. She rosters more than 150 players and more than 50 coaches each season. She touches base weekly with those needing courses, criminal checks and certifications. She takes detailed notes at every meeting. She ensures all coaches have their necessary credentials and the MHA is compliant in everything it does.
A visual learner, Noble took it upon herself to create step-by-step instructions to walk new hockey parents through the Respect in Sport process. “They’re new to the sport, and it can be overwhelming for them,” she says. “[I wanted to] give them something that’s going to make their lives easier.”
At Noble’s suggestion, the TMHA created a new policy – parents would get their Respect in Sport documents at registration and need to complete the course before their kids could hit the ice instead of by the standard Dec. 15 deadline. “It’s streamlined the process immensely for our association,” says McLaughlin. “The document she created was sent out to the other associations in our district as a good way to deal with the Respect in Sport hurdle that comes up for associations.”
As methodical as Noble is, she is equally creative. Take last season’s end-of-year banquet; When Noble arrived to decorate, she brought with her 10 homemade poster boards – one for each team in the TMHA. Each poster board included a cut-out jersey for every team member, complete with the player’s name and number on the back.
While the hockey season has been cut unexpectedly short, Noble’s line remains open. She continues to assist parents and anyone else who reaches out with questions, as well as handle her regular responsibilities with the TMHA. She is proud to be a member of what she considers a great team.
Hockey New Brunswick is proud to present the 2019-2020 Volunteer of the Year Award to Tanya Noble.
video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpqRURJwnRE
