2008 Jeff Rickel Memorial Scholarship 18 January 2008
First of all, my thanks to Debby Stegura and the AYSO Region 10 board
for establishing and supporting the Jeff Rickel Memorial Scholarship. It
is a wonderful tribute to honor a wonderful man.
This scholarship recognizes individuals who exhibit good sportsmanship
on and off the soccer field. Sportsmanship is about respecting your
opponent, your coach, your officials, your teammates, and yourself.
Sportsmanship is about respecting the rules by playing within those
guidelines for a fair game. Sportsmanship is about honesty and fairness.
Sportsmanship is about encouraging your teammates when they try and fail
just as you would recognize them for their success. A good sport
exhibits gracious behavior before, during, and after a game. Players,
coaches, and spectators all contribute to the attitude of the game. As a
coach, referee, parent, and player, I can say that being part of a team
that tries their best and keeps a positive attitude makes the entire
game experience enjoyable. Sportsmanship is an attitude to embrace on
and off the field; it is a reflection of the way you behave in life.
Every year I am so impressed by the accomplishments of these young
adults who apply for the Jeff Rickel Memorial Scholarship. The selection
of winners is never easy, and this year’s candidates proved to be very
challenging. As you know, it’s a blind draft (this is AYSO!). So armed
with only essays and referral letters, I read, re-read, and review all
over again to assess and rank these candidates for the scholarship. All
of these candidates have volunteered at registration, opening day, to
coach, and to referee. They have coached teams that won the
sportsmanship award, they embrace sportsmanship in their own behavior,
and they show respect for others on and off the field. And the referral
letters for these candidates, many of which were prepared by those of
you here tonight, were so sincere and let me know that each candidate
truly exhibited sportsmanship qualities. I am very proud of all of the
young people who applied for this scholarship, and I know that they are
good in their hearts because they have had the right influences from
their parents and friends. And I also believe that after many hours of
scrutiny and deliberation, that our top two candidates are being
recognized here tonight. My congratulations to you both!
