Vallée named Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce Athena Award winner

Source: Windsor Sports Info

The Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce has named Lancer women’s basketball coach Chantal Vallée the recipient of the 2012 Athena Award.

Vallée was recognized with her award at the 22nd annual Windsor-Essex Business Excellence Awards on April 25th at the Ciociaro Club.

The award honours men and women who are recognized for business and professional excellence, for community service and for encouraging women to achieve their leadership potential through activities such as mentoring and role-modeling.

Since moving to Windsor in 2005, Vallée has not only substantially improved the performance of the women’s basketball program, including capturing two national championships, but has done tremendous work as a leader off the court. She has spent countless hours mentoring her student-athletes and assisting them in becoming leaders and role models in the community.

Through Vallée-Hoop, her personally run business mentoring young boys and girls age 7-15, Vallée and her players also pass these messages onto the next generation of young athletes at various camps and clinics across Ontario and Quebec.

In the community, Vallée and her team have been very involved with many different organizations in Windsor-Essex, including the Run for the Cure, “Girls in Motion”, LAWS (Leadership for Advancement of Women in Sports), and the “Body-Works Program”.

They have also visited countless schools participating in read-a-thons, clinics, and assemblies speaking on healthy living and anti-bullying.

Personally, Vallée has travelled across the globe coaching and mentoring at clinics in Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. She has also been an active member with “Athletes in Action”, and has been a part of the coaching staff with the national women’s basketball team.

Vallée joins more than a dozen outstanding leaders and dedicated members of our community, including Katherine Roth and former Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sandra Pupatello.