For more information, contact:
The St. Louis Sports Commission
314-992-0684
ncohan@stlouissports.org

            ST. LOUIS —June 21, 2007 – Athletic courage, integrity, determination and excellence will be showcased tonight in St. Louis during one of the most inspiring nights in sports.  The St. Louis Sports Commission and Citizenship Through Sports Alliance host the ninth annual AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards at 7 p.m. at the Chase Park Plaza.  The event honors athletes and personalities from around the nation who exemplify outstanding sportsmanship, citizenship, ethical conduct and community service.

Headlining tonight’s lineup of award winners is soon-to-be baseball hall-of-famer Tony Gwynn.  A model of class and a great ambassador of the game, the first ballot inductee will receive Major League Baseball’s Career Achievement Award.  Gwynn will be enshrined in Cooperstown July 29.

The AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards also will feature a keynote interview with Gwynn and Sharon Robinson, daughter of the late Jackie Robinson.  Sharon Robinson’s appearance comes as baseball marks the 60th anniversary season of her father’s breaking baseball’s color barrier.  The event will honor Jackie’s legacy and commitment to sportsmanship.

Among the other individuals being honored tonight are well-known local favorites – Rams quarterback Marc Bulger, Blues forward Jamal Mayers, and Cardinals reliever Josh Kinney – as well as national athletes who may not necessarily be household names, but bring with them the most heartwarming stories:

• The National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics will recognize the Army Women’s Basketball Team.  A year ago, after leading the Black Knights to their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance, head coach Maggie Dixon died suddenly of heart failure at 28.  Faced with the unimaginable task of moving forward the next season, the team showed amazing strength and resiliency in winning a school-record 24 games.

• The National Federation of State High School Associations will honor Trevor Bunch and Travis Jones: 
  
  Bunch’s legs were amputated just above the knee when he was one.  Despite that obstacle, he wrestled for three years at Marquette High School in Chesterfield, Mo.  This past season, his senior year, he was 44-4 and the state runner-up at 112 pounds. 
  
  Jones was seriously burned in a campfire accident when he was nine.  Although doctors told him he would never play sports again, he defied that diagnosis and earned honors in football and wrestling.  He also placed second in the Ohio State High School pole vault championship.  Soon after, he learned of a fourth grader in his community who suffered second- and third-degree burns in an accident.  Jones befriended the young boy and gave him his pole vault medal as a sign of support and encouragement.

• The NCAA will salute Mike Rose, a decathlete at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania.  Competing in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Outdoor Track Championships, Rose was credited with a distance in the javelin that exceeded where his throw had landed.  Although the score he received would have significantly increased his point total and that of his team, Rose pleaded with officials to correct the error.

A list of all 2007 AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards honorees and their full bios can be found here.

AT&T ON BOARD AS TITLE SPONSOR

In its three years in St. Louis, the National Sportsmanship Awards has become one of the most prestigious sports awards programs in the country.  Contributing to this year’s success is AT&T, the event’s new title sponsor.  The AT&T brand has been incorporated into the National Sportsmanship Awards logo and will appear on all marketing collateral, including 10,000 copies of “A Parent’s Guide to Improving Youth Sports,” which will be distributed in St. Louis.

“AT&T is proud to partner with the St. Louis Sports Commission in recognizing all of these very deserving athletes for their sportsmanship both on and off the field,” said Cindy Brinkley, president of AT&T Missouri.   “We like to think that we know a little bit about being good sports as, each year, AT&T employees and retirees donate more than $6 million in sweat equity while volunteering with organizations throughout Missouri.  On behalf of everyone at AT&T, I applaud the commitment of these athletes in setting such an admirable example for younger generations.”

The AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards is the signature event of the Sports Commission’s Sportsmanship Initiative.  By recognizing outstanding individuals who set a high standard with their approach on and off the field, the organization hopes to set the tone for all parents, coaches and fans to be “good sports” and to pass those values on to children in the community.  It is the Sports Commission’s goal to make St. Louis a model community for good sportsmanship and home to America’s “best sports.”

The Kansas City-based Citizenship Through Sports Alliance is the largest coalition of professional and amateur athletics organizations in the United States focused on character in sport.  CTSA promotes fair play at all levels – youth leagues to professional sports – to reinforce the value of sport as a test of character.  Since 1997, CTSA has been building a sports culture that encourages respect for self, respect for others, and respect for the game.

For more information on the AT&T National Sportsmanship Awards, visit www.nationalsportsmanshipawards.com.

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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.

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