For over 27 years, Tim Krause has volunteered his time with the Western Howard County Youth Baseball/Softball League (WHCYBSL). Beginning in 1991, Tim joined the league as a baseball and softball coach. In 1993, he started a new girls fast pitch travel program and began officiating baseball and softball games for WHC as an umpire.

 In 1998, Tim assumed the role of Umpire Coordinator and provided leadership for the next 18 years. During this time, he trained and mentored a generation of umpires and was unanimously elected Umpire Coordinator for the next 19 years – a testament to the quality and integrity he brought to this important position. In 2010, Tim was recognized by the county and awarded Howard County’s GoodSports Award for his integrity and excellence as a sports official.

An inspiring adult mentor, Tim always takes time to teach and encourage his mostly teenage umpire crew as they gain confidence and an appreciation for a job well done. 

Since 1995, Eric McLamb has taken on a number of roles within Howard County’s youth basketball leagues and programs. This includes volunteering as a travel and recreation coach, league commissioner, and program director. He has worked across the board with various youth sports organizations in the county, including the Howard County Youth Program, Western Howard County Youth Basketball Association, Savage Boys and Girls Club and the Church of the Resurrection Basketball League. 

With over 40 years of experience officiating basketball, Eric sees the sport as a way to encourage the healthy development of children and impart important life lessons that will serve young players throughout their lives. Within the Howard County Youth Program, he has provided enriching and character-building sports experiences for over 2,000 young athletes and their families. One of Eric’s signature achievements was the creation of the HCYP Basketball Officials Certification Program, an accreditation process which trains individuals 13 years and older on the fundamentals of officiating along with special mechanics, rules application and professional ethics. Graduates of the program include Daniel Elliott, a ninth grader who was named Referee of the Year at last year’s Celebration of Sports ceremony.

Don Van Deusen has spent the past 16 years as the Executive Director of The First Tee of Howard County, whose mission is to impact lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf. 

Under Don’s leadership, The First Tee of Howard County has grown into one of the most successful chapters of the First Tee international organization and is one of only two chapters to receive Ace status (the highest possible ranking) two years in a row. He was also awarded the title of Master Executive Director, a distinction held by a very small percentage of Executive Directors in The First Tee program. Don’s accomplishments are even more remarkable given that he is also the Assistant General Manager of both the Fairway Hills and Hobbit's Glen golf courses. 

Additionally, he has served as a teacher, coach and athletic director in Howard County since the early 1970s and has received several Coach of the Year awards for his work coaching several championship high school teams. Don helped to launch the Allied Golf Program, a program in coordination with the Howard County Public School System which teaches disabled students the fundamentals of golf and gives them opportunities to play on County courses.

Vernon Seibert had a very long and illustrious career in sports. Following his service in World War II as a pilot, Vernon made his name as a running back and defensive player at the University of Maryland. In the 1950s, he coached as the team’s defensive coordinator and helped lead the University of Maryland to National Champion status in 1953.  

In the 1960s, Vernon took a physical education teacher position at Glenelg High School and coached a variety of sports (including varsity football, basketball, softball, wrestling and golf). He would also go on to create the first Howard County summer recreation program for local children as well as the Howard County Old Timers softball and basketball programs. “Coach Seibert” and his five children were actively involved in local sports and could often be found playing games of pickup basketball, wiffleball or tennis at the Atholton Swim Club (which he managed for many years). 

A Howard County resident for over 50 years, Vernon Seibert was a massively influential figure in the early years of the county’s sports scene whose mentorship and friendship helped shape many athletic careers. 

Judy DeJong has long been considered the beating heart of Howard County’s active recreational volleyball and indoor soccer scenes. In 1990, Judy and some of her fellow volleyball enthusiasts pooled their resources and founded the Volleyball House in a former Columbia warehouse. Originally envisioned as a tournament and training center for the USA Volleyball Chesapeake Region, it also offered a full range of volleyball and soccer leagues, clinics and open play for community members of all ages. 

In 1995, Judy became the Volleyball House Inc.’s Chairman of the Board (a role she continues to serve in to this day). Over the years, she has been deeply involved in the Volleyball House’s marketing and programming efforts while also making time to lead at least one team per season as captain. When the Volleyball House moved to a new location in 2001, Judy worked tirelessly to ensure the new space was just as welcoming as the original site and helped to expand the number of programs, leagues, summer camps and other activities hosted by Volleyball House Inc. 

Howard County Recreation & Parks Bureau Chief of Recreation Laura Wetherald, who passed away in February of 2021, left an immeasurable impact on sports and recreation in Howard County. The Celebration of Sports and the Community Sports Hall of Fame were both created under Laura’s leadership. Throughout her career, Laura spoke passionately about recreation programming and management, whether at the office with coworkers or in her daily life. In her own words, she reminded us each day that “the benefits of recreation and parks are endless!” 

As Bureau Chief of Recreation, Laura was responsible for overseeing thousands of programs, over 70 full-time employees as well as hundreds of part-time, contingent staff and contractors. She was a key voice in the planning of new parks, playgrounds, and facilities (including many of the new amenities found at Blandair Regional Park). Laura and her husband even coached their daughters’ basketball teams as volunteers for the Howard County Youth Program (HCYP). In her professional and personal life, Laura was proud to give back to the Howard County community.