Ontario Soccer honoured two soccer coaches with local ties to North Bay as part of the recent Ontario Soccer annual Centre Circle Awards.
Local Soccer contributor Giuliano Celebre was recognized with the prestigious Meritorious Award for his outstanding contributions not only in North Bay but also across the north and Ontario.
The awards are presented annually to deserving soccer leaders and organizations based on their outstanding contributions to the development of soccer in Ontario and Canada.
Celebre has more than 40 years of experience helping transform soccer into a thriving sport in North Bay. During that time he has been involved as a player, coach, club executive and mentor.
He was considered a key contributor to the collaboration and the amalgamation of three soccer clubs to form the Nipissing District Soccer Club in 2019.
"His efforts in amalgamating local soccer clubs, developing players, and mentoring others have had a lasting impact on the soccer community in the region," the Ontario Soccer release stated.
He was the VP of Competitive Programming from 2019 to 2021 at the Nipissing District Soccer Club and currently holds the role of coach, consultant and mentor for the club.
In 2023, he received the first Nipissing District Soccer Club Excellence Life Member Award for his outstanding contributions and commitment.
Also during the event, former North Bay resident Theo Margaritis was awarded the Coaches Soccer 4 Life Award.
