Soccer, basketball, volleyball — Kalyn Hartmann excelled at whichever sport she happened to be playing.
But in the end, volleyball won out and is now her sport of choice.
Hartmann helped her Langley Saints high school team capture the Fraser Valley championship banner in consecutive years, the first two Valley titles at the senior girls level in school history. She also has both a provincial and national title on her resume at the club level.
And Hartmann will continue playing on the court as she joins the SFU Clan in the fall.
The Grade 12 student was a nominee for the Pete Swensson Outstanding Community Youth Award, which is presented to a Grade 11 or 12 Langley student to recognize athletic achievements, scholastic effort, community involvement and personal qualities.
The award is presented in memory of Pete Swensson, an internationally recognized athlete and the originator of the Langley Walk, and this year’s recipient was Langley Fundamental’s Laura Stead.
And when Hartmann isn’t playing volleyball, she can most often be found volunteering at tournaments and practices with younger players.
The fact she gravitated towards coaching should come as little surprise to those who know the 18-year-old as she didn’t have to look far for examples of the importance of volunteering as both her parents were community coaches.
“I think their contributions have influenced me to volunteer with the sport I love,” she explained.
“Volunteer coaches have influenced my experiences as an athlete and I hope I can have the same positive influence.”
And Hartmann isn’t just an ace on the court, either, having earned an ‘A’ letter grade in 17 of her 19 courses since Grade 10.
She plans on pursuing a career in behavioural neuroscience or possibly law.
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