Character and sportsmanship are as important as winning for athletes at Byron-Bergen Junior/Senior High School. The school’s athletic program has just won the prestigious 2015 New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) Sportsmanship Promotion Award. As additional proof of the District’s commitment to character, the girls’ basketball team received the Carolyn and Jack Foote Sportsmanship Award, given by the Central Western Girls Basketball Officials (CWGBO).
Each year, NYSPHSAA identifies specific athletic programs throughout the state that best exemplify the highest degree of sportsmanship by all players, coaches and spectators alike. From 100 schools, the Section V Sportsmanship Committee chose only four for this honor, including Byron-Bergen Central Schools of the Genesee Region League.
Only four schools in NYS were chosen by the Section V Sportsmanship Committee to receive this award. Provided photo
“Our students and coaches have been working towards this for a while,” said Byron-Bergen Athletic Director Rich Hannan. “We have participated in the Section V Sportsmanship Summit for the past four years. It is an interactive and informative day for student athletes, filled with lecture, discussion and cooperative games. Every year, several of our coaches attend on-site clinics that focus on topics like positive interactions with officials, and dealing with playing time issues.”
This is also the second consecutive year the Byron-Bergen Lady Bees basketball team has earned the Carolyn and Jack Foote Sportsmanship Award, which they received for the first time in 2007. It rewards the highest degree of sportsmanship, character and ethics demonstrated not only by players, but also by coaches and spectators. Game officials select the winners.
“We have many things to celebrate here at B-B,” said Hannan. “I am so proud of the work the coaches and athletes have done on and off the field, including the varsity programs involved in community service projects. Our volleyball team has participated in cancer walks and supported the Muddy’s Buddies organization. The girls’ soccer program started a Cancer Awareness Game that has expanded each year. Our boys’ basketball and soccer programs have also been busy with community service projects.”
“On the field, our kids are finding success and doing it the right way, which is what makes me most proud,” said Hannan. “In the past four years, B-B teams have won a combined 30 GR League and Section V titles, compared to just eight in the four years prior. I know beyond a doubt that we are preparing students for life after high school, and athletics is an integral part of that entire experience.”
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