Middle School Athletes Celebrated
Presentation given by Connie Oberlin
Middle School Athletic Director
February 22, 2022
Good morning Canterbury Middle School! Today we will celebrate the winter recipients of our Middle School Cav-E awards, the Darby Maggard Attitude of Gratitude Award and the Austin Hatch Grit and Persistence Award. These awards are meant to recognize important character traits, ones that will lead to success not just in athletics, but in all that you do. A reminder that an individual athlete may win each award only once in a school year, thus the fall recipients are not eligible as repeat winners.
Prior to announcing the award recipients for the winter teams, I would like to recognize and thank our outstanding coaches for the winter season: 5/6 GBB-Melissa Walda and Jill Burnett, 7/8 GBB-Jimmy Schantz, Jim Brickley, and Janiya Freeman, 5 BBB-Mike Landgraf and Alex Locke, 6 BBB-Dustin Oberlin, Trevor Jacobs, and Reed Belcher, 7 BBB-Lincoln Gray and Drew Herendeen, and 8 BBB-Ben Truman and Jamarkus Parker. Thanks to all for their time, dedication, and leadership!
I would like to congratulate all of you who played basketball this season. I truly hope you had fun, improved your skills, and that you will continue to play Canterbury sports in future seasons.
Our first award is the DARBY MAGGARD ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE AWARD, and here is the description:
The Canterbury Athlete who shows appreciation and is thankful for the opportunities presented. This athlete is kind and respectful of teammates, opponents, officials and coaches, as well as the sporting arena as a whole. Gracious regardless of the outcome of a game, this athlete maintains a humble disposition while working to be the best he or she possibly can be.
And now a little bit about each recipient, as noted by their coaches:
This player maximized every minute on the floor with a positive can-do attitude. She always hustled back to stop the fast break and listened closely to instruction from her coaches. She often took the time to thank her coaches and continued to show up at practice, helping out and doing the drills she could even after breaking her hand. Way to go, Emme Russell.
This player is the model teammate who always puts others first and works extremely hard. His positive attitude, kindness, respect, and work ethic were vital for our success this year. These character and leadership qualities made him a joy to coach and it helped our team get better every day. Excellent work, Vasco Bobeck.
This young man works hard at all times. More importantly, he does this with humility and consistency. He is always kind and respectful to his teammates, opponents, officials, and coaches. We could always count on this player to represent Canterbury with hard work and class. Super job, William Hirschy.
When playing sports at Canterbury we are taught to "honor the game." Sometimes this expression, which we hear so often, is more easily understood by looking at an example than trying to find a definition. Look no further than this young lady. This past basketball season, she exemplified what it meant to honor the game with her always-positive attitude and joy she brought with her every day to the court. Well deserved, Grace Chaille.
This player has worked extremely hard all season and has always had a wonderful work ethic and a great attitude. He is very coachable and always did anything and everything that was asked of him. Serving as a great role model for the other players, congratulations go to Noah Hayes.
This player is a class act. She is tough as nails on the court, yet demonstrates gentleness and empathy toward others. She is attentive to the instruction of coaches and refs and never misses an opportunity to say thanks or help out. Her positive outlook set a great tone for the whole team. Nicely done, Sophia Miller.
This player has a never-ending positive attitude. Even when struggles arise or he gets frustrated, he deals with all things with grace and humbleness. He was grateful through all of the things that came his way this season and showed the type of demeanor all young men can strive for. Congratulations to our final Attitude of Gratitude award winner, Collin Bauer.
The next award is the Austin Hatch Grit and Persistence Award. This is the description of that award:
The Canterbury Athlete who shows persistence and toughness over time, maintaining a level of work and discipline that will lead to success. Exhibiting enthusiasm for every facet of the athletics experience, this athlete displays the resilience to rise up from failures and use them as lessons to grow stronger.
And now a little bit about each recipient, as noted by their coaches:
This player often provided the defensive spark we needed whether as a starter or coming in as a sub. She could play the passing lane and come up with a steal or crash the boards from the wing for a big rebound. Her intensity on the court and her hustle to get back on defense were consistently impressive. Great job, Victoria Kim.
If a shot went up and bodies began to collide with outstretched arms all grasping for the basketball, this player was always sure to be found in the middle of the scrum. By the last few games of the season, it was she who corralled in most of these rebounds. That was not the case when the season began but she insisted that her team work on rebounding drills until her coaches acquiesced. This young lady put in the hard work this past season and it became evident that she had. Nice work, Kate Laurie.
This athlete grew more than any other player throughout the season. He worked incredibly hard to improve on all parts of his game, never getting down on himself. This young man is turning into a top level player through his grit and determination. He has done all of this with a positive outlook and focus on improving as an individual player and a teammate. Great work, Nicholas Collins.
All season this player epitomized what we wanted for our 8th grade basketball team. His persistent work ethic, leadership, discipline, and determination helped carry us through the season. This young man was a great teammate, basketball player, person, and leader for us all year. Way to go, Taurean Brown.
This player is a fierce and relentless competitor. When he puts his mind to something he will accomplish it no matter what. He’s always the first to listen to instruction and the leader in carrying out the teams’ offensive and defensive objectives. Even after being hurt, he toughed it out and delivered. This player is the type of competitor all athletes should try to emulate. Nicely done, Ben Hardin.