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For more information, contact:
The St. Louis Sports Commission
314-345-5120
mschreiber@stlsports.org
ST. LOUIS SPORTS COMMISSION'S YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP AWARDS $5,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS TO THREE AREA STUDENTS
SCHOLARSHIPS RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING SPORTSMANSHIP
IN ATHLETIC COMPETITION
APPLICATION AND NOMINATION FORM NOW AVAILABLE
ST. LOUIS – Aug. 9, 2011 – Katie Kennedy of Crestwood, Mo., Jason Grant of Kirkwood, Mo., and Zasmine Johnson of Florissant, Mo., are the recipients of the St. Louis Sports Commission Associates’ 2011 Sportsmanship Scholarships. Kennedy, a 2011 graduate of Lindbergh High School and incoming student at Maryville University, will receive a $2,500 award to apply to higher education expenses. Grant and Johnson will each receive $1,250 scholarship awards. Grant graduated from Vianney High School and will attend Western Michigan University. Johnson graduated from Hazelwood Central and is enrolled at the University of Missouri. (Photos of the scholarship recipients are available at http://www.stlsports.org/pressbox/2011-Sportsmanship-Scholarship-Recipients.php.)
The Sportsmanship Scholarship is presented annually to graduating high school seniors from the St. Louis metro area who consistently demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship in athletic competition. Created by the Sports Commission Associates – the Sports Commission’s young professionals group – the scholarship is part of the organization’s Sportsmanship Initiative and efforts to promote and encourage sportsmanship. The Associates raise funds for the scholarship and select its recipients.
Katie Kennedy
At Lindbergh, Kennedy was a member of the track and field team and captain of the varsity cheerleading squad. During her senior year, she broke the school’s pole vault record. But as proud as she is of that accomplishment, she says she takes even more pride in the kindness, integrity and class she exhibited in competition. That approach made her one of the most popular pole vaulters in the area. According to one of her coaches, Kennedy was always one of the first to congratulate anyone who beat her and was the first to console anyone who finished behind her. The coach described how at this year’s Kansas Relays Kennedy sat next to and comforted a competitor from Oklahoma who was distraught after missing her opening jump. Later, after Kennedy was eliminated from the competition, she helped calm a vaulter from Fort Zumwalt High School whose coach could not attend. At the State qualifying meet, Kennedy noticed a top rival vaulter was about to be in violation of a uniform infraction. She informed the competitor of the mistake, saving her from disqualification. Kennedy recognized the importance of sportsmanship on the sidelines as well. She said as a cheerleader she observed unsportsmanlike behavior. “It saddened me to see not only athletes behaving badly, but parents as well. I tried to use those times to point out to the younger cheerleaders that our job was to bring the schools together.”
Jason Grant
A first-team All-State selection, Grant was the captain of the Vianney varsity soccer team. According to his coaches, there were multiple times when referees would tell them how much they respected Grant and how well he carried himself on the field. In fact, the coaching staff received a letter from the Missouri State High School Activities Association indicating that a referee had written to the organization to acknowledge Grant’s professionalism, leadership and sportsmanship qualities. His respect for the game and the referees was contagious. His positive attitude made the players around him better. In his scholarship nomination essay, Grant wrote: “Although winning is very important, the way that you win is even more important. I was always taught by my parents and coaches to hold my head up after a loss, and to properly respect my opponent after a win.”
Zasmine Johnson
Johnson played volleyball, basketball and soccer at Hazelwood Central. Michael Loyd, who coaches Johnson’s club volleyball team as well as the varsity team at Fort Zumwalt East, said, “There isn’t a more selfless and classy athlete than her… Before every match, she would go tell the opposing coach good luck. At the end of every match she would make sure to thank the opposing coach, the refs and the players. If we would lose, she would always wish the winning team best of luck on the rest of the day. Several coaches would come up to me to talk about her attitude on the court and how lucky I was.” As an all-conference honorable mention selection in soccer, Johnson played goalie even though she wasn’t comfortable with the position. The team needed her and she did it for the team, according to Hazelwood Central coach Patrick Rocco. He added that her teammates nicknamed her “Grandma” because of her compassion and the way she treated them was as if she was watching over them like a grandma would. Rocco said, “In my seven years of coaching, I have coached and encountered hundreds of student-athletes. I know of no other athlete that I have coached or observed that is more deserving (of the scholarship) than Zasmine.”
In the third year of the Sportsmanship Scholarship, the Associates received 40 nominations. The scholarship seeks candidates who exemplify the ideals and values of sportsmanship: honesty, integrity, selflessness, kindness, compassion and class. Athletic performance (wins and other statistics) is not a factor in the selection. Candidates were evaluated on their approach and character in competition. A subcommittee of the Sports Commission Associates formed the selection committee.
The Associates participate in a variety of activities that support the Sports Commission’s mission to make St. Louis a better place to live, visit, work and play through sports. The Sportsmanship Scholarship is one of the group’s primary volunteer initiatives. On Saturday, Aug. 27, the Associates will host their second annual Trivia Night to raise funds for the scholarship. The Trivia Night will take place at Temple Israel in Creve Coeur. To register a team or obtain more information, visit www.stlsports.org/associates or call 314-345-5101. Information on the 2012 Sportsmanship Scholarship will be available next spring.
The St. Louis Sports Commission is the privately funded nonprofit
organization that benefits St. Louis through sports.
Its mission is to make the St. Louis region a better place to live, visit, work and play through sports.
- www.stlsports.org -
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