Lions Club Presents Sportsmanship Awards

Two Austin High Schools Honored

AUSTIN, May 2019– Two Austin high school teams and their coaches were honored recently by the Austin Founder Lions Club, the oldest continuously operating Lions Club in the world. Sportsmanship Award trophies were presented to the Anderson High School Baseball Team which is coached by Kenny Matthews and to the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders Soccer Team, coached by Andy Langford. Greg Harkrider, chairman of the club’s Sportsmanship Awards Committee, along with Austin Independent School District Athletic Director Leal Anderson presented the traveling trophies and $500 checks to the coaches.

Alexandria Anderson, a recently retired World Class NIKE American sprinter who specialized in the 100 and 200 meters, was the keynote speaker. She told the audience that “Good sportsmanship is the most important aspect of the game. It is how we show respect for our self, our opponent and the sport.” She pointed out that there always will be a winner and loser in a game, and that is it important to lose with dignity and win with humility.

            "For more than 70 years, the Austin Founder Lions Club annually has recognized local high school boys’ and girls’ athletic teams for their good sportsmanship," said Scott Hendrix, club president. “Club members believe teaching good sportsmanship is an important component of team sports. Our awards are intended to encourage good sportsmanship and recognize those teams and their fans who demonstrate it consistently throughout the year,” he added.

            Only team sports are considered for the awards. For boys, the sports considered are football, basketball, baseball and soccer. For girls, volleyball, basketball, softball and soccer are considered. One boys and one girls team from among the four sports is honored, and recipients are selected only from Austin Independent School District schools.

“The club asks various officials (referees, umpires, etc.) to vote on which teams demonstrate the best sportsmanship based on the behavior of players, coaches and fans,” Harkrider explained. “Each official picks the top three teams in the sport that he/she officiates during the year. A point/percentage system is used to compare the teams fairly,” he added.

“These school teams have coaches who teach good sportsmanship and hold players and fans accountable to maintain these standards,” Harkrider said. “We are pleased to recognize the coaches, players and fans of these teams, and appreciate the model they set for others.”

Austin Founder Lions Club President Scott Hendrix, left, posed with some members of the Anderson High School Baseball Team, which won the club’s Good Sportsmanship Award in a boys’ sport. Pictured are Brett Allen, Trevor Marek and Carter Raney, who holds the traveling trophy, and Coach Kenny Matthews.

 

 

AFLC President Scott Hendrix, left, congratulated Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders’ Meg Brown, center, athletic coordinator; and Andy Langford, coach of the soccer team, which won the club’s Good Sportsmanship Award in girls’ sports.