January 2020 - 42

Awards honor
sports leaders
for school spirit
By Coach & Athletic Director
Most sports awards recognize championships and
exceptional performance, but the Varsity Brands School
Spirit Awards takes a different approach.
The School Spirit Awards honor the nation's best
high schools by recognizing outstanding schools,
organizations and individuals that go above and beyond
to build school pride, student engagement and community
spirit. Coach & Athletic Director this year will sponsor
two categories at the School Spirit Awards: Most Spirited
Coach and Most Spirited Athletic Director.
Chris Hobbs, athletic director at The King's Academy
in West Palm Beach, Florida, was
among last year's honorees. Hobbs
was nominated for his commitment to
build character and leadership within
his school, and he was taken aback by
the " first class " ceremony in Orlando.
" They really rolled out the red
carpet, " Hobbs said. " It was far beyond
my expectations in the venue that they
chose and the program they had.
" This spirit award has taken the
research that exists that says school
spirit creates connectivity with
students to their communities, and
that connectivity leads to higher
success rates in the classroom. "
Grady Bennett, the head football
coach at Glacier High School in Montana, was named
Most Spirited Coach in 2018. Bennett said awards like
these affirm his coaching philosophy, which is using
the football program to teach character and other life
lessons. That's critical, he said, because the wins won't
always come in droves.
Bennett recalls a couple seasons ago when his team
started the season 0-5. He knew his team could turn it
around and make a run at the playoffs, but he wanted the
players to know that failure to do so wouldn't mean the
season was a total loss.
" I remember telling them, even if we go 0-10, I don't
care because this will never not be worth it, " Bennett
said. " The things you guys are going to learn, I'm
really trying to stress that. It doesn't matter whether
we go undefeated or don't win a single game, I'm not
42 JANUARY 2020
going to change our approach to teaching you guys and
challenging you to be your best. "
That's the kind of attitude that epitomizes the School
Spirit Awards. All teams want to win, but Bennett
understands that getting to the top begins with the
development of the students. He joined the Glacier
football program when the school opened in 2007, and
that gave him the unique opportunity to establish his
philosophy from the ground floor.
" I got to build a program the way I dreamt of, " he said.
" One that was about instilling values and character. Just
trying to shape young men that can
become great fathers, great husbands,
great leaders in the community. It's
been special because not many people
get that chance. "
These types of leaders exist in
athletic programs throughout the
nation, and the School Spirit Awards
are an opportunity to honor them.
Bennett said it's a refreshing break
from the negative headlines that
typically attract the most attention.
" Here's a chance for the positive to
be highlighted and rewarded, " Bennett
said. " If you have people in your school
- educators, coaches - doing things
above and beyond that are changing
kids' lives and helping them in ways that are outside
the boundaries of just practicing and playing games,
nominate them. "
Individual award winners are given $3,000, while the
top prize for America's Most Spirited High School is
given $25,000.
" Nobody gets into education for the bonuses, but that
was nice, " Hobbs said. " I think for me, personally, the
award was a reflection of the tremendous support I
get from the community I'm involved in. Without those
people, nobody cares what I'm doing, but because of
those people we got some recognition out of it. "
The 2020 awards, taking place on May 9, consist of
25 categories with $100,000 in awards. To learn more
about Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards, visit
www.varsitybrands.com.
http://www.varsitybrands.com
January 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of January 2020
