On Saturday, October 12, Pine City Dragons Tennis Head Coach Rick Engelstad was honored as a recipient of the George Haun Award from the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association.
According to the MSHSCA, Engelstad received the honor for his distinguished efforts to strengthen the "profession of coaching" and his commitment to the MSHSCA.
Engelstad has been a coach with the Dragon Tennis program for 22 years and has served as the Executive Secretary for the Tennis Coaches Association for the last 10.
Something that Coach Engelstad strives to do is leave the sport better than when he first was able to step in. To him, coaching is all about the kids and the relationships.
When WCMP talked to the Head Tennis back in July, the news was still soaking in for him, and it took until the banquet for the news to really hit home.
"Probably Saturday after I received it," he said describing when it felt real. "You know, holding that [award] up in front of people... it was pretty cool."
With this award, Rick Engelstad joins the ranks of former Pine City Head Tennis Coach John Eberhart, who was honored with the George Haun Award in 2008.
Above photo courtesy of the Pine City School District Facebook page.