Sara Gillis, the coach of R.D. Parker Collegiate's varsity girls basketball team, will be among 27 coaches honoured for dedicating 25 years of service to their sports in the province when Coaching Manitoba hands out its excellence awards at a banquet this weekend.

Years of service recognition awards are for coaches who have dedicated a minimum of 25 years to coaching at any level. To be recognized for this award, the coach must be nominated through their provincial sport governing body.

Gillis's team finished fourth in the province at this season's AAA high school basketball provincials hosted in Thompson March 15-17, losing by seven points to the St. Norbert Collegiate Celtics in the third-place game.

Other honourees at the Coaching Manitoba Excellence Award banquet in Winnipeg on April 15 will include six Manitoba coaches who coached internationally in 2011, as well as the winners of Coaching Manitoba's four major coaching awards – the Vince Leah Award for active start and fundamentals coaching, the Dr. Jack Hunt Award for coaches who prepare athletes for competition in regional and national competition, the Peter Williamson Award for coaches who work primarily with national and international-level coaches, and the Peter Dick Award for paid school employees who volunteer as coaches. The Manitoba Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Council will also recognize the winners of the 2011 Manitoba Aboriginal Coaching Awards at the banquet.