Mr. Troy Sandboe has been awarded the 2020 North West Zone Award of Merit (Photo: Grande Prairie Public School Division)

By Shaun Penner

Award of Merit

Longtime Comp. coach recognized with ASAA Award of Merit

Nov 9, 2020 | 6:34 PM

A longtime coach and teacher at Grande Prairie Composite High School is being recognized for his longtime service to student-athletes.

GPCHS Phys. Ed. teacher Troy Sandboe has been awarded the North West Zone Award of Merit from the Alberta School Athletics Association (ASAA). The award comes to Sandboe following 28 years of coaching basketball at the Comp.

“Honestly, I was surprised, and I am very flattered and very humbled,” said Sandboe of being informed he was named this year’s recipient of the award. “I was very flattered to be even nominated… I know some of the past award winners and I know what kinds of things they have done. I’m in pretty good company even just being considered for an award with some of those people.”

Sandboe says that he went into teaching 29 years ago to be able to coach, which he has done for nearly the entirety of that time within the Warriors program.

Though he couldn’t narrow down to a favorite moment as a coach over the years, he says the relationships he has built are some of the fondest memories he has.

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“I’ve had so many great young men that I have had the privilege of being able to coach, and I’ve had some great people that have been assistant coaches alongside me. We’ve had lots of great times together.”

He adds that he keeps in close contact with many of his former players and coaches from throughout his near three decades of coaching, people he considers very close friends now.

“That’s kind of the best part of it, for me.”

The Award of Merit has been given out in each of ASAA’s zones every year since 2002 to those who demonstrate exceptional service to student-athletes in Alberta. Zone secretaries, in consultation with members of the zones, nominate deserving individuals for the award.