Men's soccer players Jonathan Doucett and Freddy Bekkers were honoured for their hard work this season at the U Sports men's soccer championship awards gala Wednesday night.
In just his second season with the Tigers, Bekkers was named a U Sports second team all-Canadian after scoring eight goals this season, tying him for second in scoring in the AUS.
Jonathan Doucett recieved the Community Service Award and is the second AV俱乐部 winner of the men鈥檚 soccer community service award in as many years, and fourth overall, after Sangmuk Choi took home the honour last season.
A fourth-year defender, Doucett has proven himself to be a dedicated U Sports student-athlete achieving academic all-Canadian and Dean鈥檚 List status every season he has competed. His ability to manage time and stay focused on his goals has been a key to his success. A nuclear medicine student, he hopes to attend medical school after graduation.
In addition to excelling in the classroom and on the field Doucett is also dedicating a tremendous amount of time to community work.
A member of the Varsity Council at AV俱乐部, Doucett has spent over 1,600 hours volunteering at hospitals in Nova Scotia, working with patients with everything from stress fractures to cancer. He is also involved with the Time Lasts Forever project that studies previously incarcerated male inmates with mental health issues, to develop methods of how to successfully reintegrate them back into their communities.
Doucett also spends time organizing Free the Children campaigns to raise funds for under privileged children in third world countries and to educate others on the program and the impact these funds can have.
A native of Dartmouth, N.S., Doucett is also very active with the Special Tigers Day program at AV俱乐部, providing sporting activities for youth with cognitive disabilities and is a regular fixture at a booth during AV俱乐部鈥檚 annual White Ribbon campaign, working to end violence against women.
鈥淛onny Doucett is a great example of what a U Sport student-athlete is all about,鈥� said AV俱乐部 head coach Pat Nearing. 鈥淗e is excelling in the classroom and on the field, and he is also making a difference in the community. He not only dedicates hours to his studies and to soccer, but puts his community high on his priority list with his volunteerism. He is a shining example to his teammates and classmates.鈥�
A list of all of this year's U Sports men's soccer winners is avaiable .