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| Sam and his Benes teammates flanked by Brigade members Becky Limback (L) and Erica Clark (R) |
One player who caught the Brigade's attention was Sam Benoist of Benes. Sam played with the kind of intensity and hustle that would make any coach proud. Early in the second-half, Sam took an errant pass right to the face which knocked him to the floor. The ball ricocheted out of bounds and Sam immediately hopped to his feet, straightened his uniform and hustled back to play defense.
He didn't complain to the referee, his coach or even his mom - who was seated just behind two Brigade members. Not even a half-minute later, Coach Benes called a timeout as his player's face was beginning to match the color of his red uniform. Thankfully, Sam's injury wound up being a small scrape in a place on his nose that made it look a lot worse. Sam's mom said, "That's just like Sam. He loves the game and he doesn't complain about anything. He just wants to be a part of the team."
That statement from mom did it for the Brigade. This award is not about Sam's toughness, but about his team-first attitude. By doing what a player is supposed to do after an offensive mistake - fall back and play defense - Sam showed everyone in the gym what being a true team player is all about. The Brigade had no choice but to honor the young man for his character and stand-up attitude.
The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents and fans who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130. Until next time...
Be a Good Sport!
-Sol
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