Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) March 14, 2016
The 21 student athletes selected for the Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute High School Sportsmanship Award were officially honored today for their efforts in promoting sportsmanship in their given sports. At a breakfast ceremony held at the Sheraton Bucks County Hotel, award recipients, parents, principals, coaches and athletic directors gathered to celebrate the students’ efforts in promoting sportsmanship amongst their peers and sports teams. The students were presented plaques, and will also be given $1,000 scholarships sponsored by the Aria Health Foundation, to be used towards the college of their choice. Marshall Harris of Comcast SportsNet was also in attendance to share personal testimony on how sportsmanship has helped shape his career, as well as how he has seen these characteristics shape professional athletes’ careers while reporting.
“With so much competitive pressure put on young athletes today, we developed the High School Sportsmanship Award as a way to recognize and honor those students who are dedicated to their team and principles of sportsmanship,” said Arthur Bartolozzi, MD, medical director of Sports Medicine at the Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute. “It gives us great pleasure to honor these students who set an excellent example of what it means to be a good sport, and help make athletics fun.”
In spring 2015, Aria Health conducted a survey to determine attitudes towards high school sports and sports-related injuries, and findings led to the creation of the award. Aria’s survey found that:
- 71 percent of respondents completely or somewhat agree that youth sports have become too competitive.
- 95 percent of respondents completely or somewhat agree that it is important for children to learn about good sportsmanship.
- 88 percent of respondents completely or somewhat agree that sports present a good way to build character and teach life lessons.
The students who were selected for this award are true champions of sportsmanship who have consistently displayed outstanding qualities such as demonstrating respect for teammates, coaches and opponents; practicing fairness while playing; and encouraging teammates to exhibit these same qualities, while also promoting fun on the field.
In October 2015, nominations for the High School Sportsmanship Award were opened to senior high school athletes in the communities Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute serves, including Northeast Philadelphia, Lower Bucks County, Center City and South Jersey. High school principals and athletic directors were encouraged to nominate one senior athlete who displays characteristics of sportsmanship, and physicians at Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute identified these 21 students as award winners.
The inaugural High School Sportsmanship Award recipients included:
Philadelphia
1. Alison Wilson, St. Hubert High School, Basketball, Field Hockey and Lacrosse
2. Arnold Gonzalez, Community Academy of Philadelphia, Basketball, Baseball and Soccer
3. Brandon Teel, New Foundations Charter School, Basketball
4. E’drise Hightower, Tacony Academy Charter High School, Basketball
5. Jacob Small, Franklin Towne Charter High School, Cross Country and Track & Field
6. Janmarilyn Ramirez-Matos, Jules E. Mastbaum Area Vocational Technical School, Volleyball
7. Jeff Days, Philadelphia Academy Charter High School, Basketball
8. Kayla Winter, Archbishop Ryan High School, Volleyball
9. Lucy Smith, Northeast High School, Soccer
10. Miranda Ruk, Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush, Basketball and Softball
11. Taylor Champ, MaST Community Charter School, Basketball and Soccer
12. William McCarthy, Father Judge High School, Soccer
Bucks County
13. Ani Javardian, Villa Joseph Marie High School, Basketball
14. Denise Sacco, Morrisville High School, Basketball and Softball
15. George Alston, William Tennent High School, Basketball and Track
16. Jarrett Patman, Conwell Egan Catholic High School, Baseball, Basketball and Football
17. Katelyn Santana, Bristol High School, Field Hockey, Basketball and Softball
18. Nicole Cripps, Archbishop Wood High School, Volleyball
19. Olivia Sargent, Pennsbury High School, Cross Country and Track & Field
20. Patrick Donahue, Holy Ghost Preparatory School, Cross Country and Indoor Track & Field
Camden County
21. Taylor Lanzillo, Haddon Township High School, Football and Lacrosse
For more information about the Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute High School Sportsmanship Award and to learn more about our winners, please visit http://www.ARIA3BORTHO.org/SportsmanshipAward.
About Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute:
Recognized as leaders in their fields, the specialists of Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute have over 100 years of combined experience with expertise in joint replacement for hip and knee, sports medicine, complex shoulder treatment, foot and ankle, and comprehensive spine care. To learn more, visit http://www.ARIA3BORTHO.org or call 1-888-ORTHO3B.
About Aria Health:
Aria Health is the largest healthcare provider in Northeast Philadelphia and Lower Bucks County. With three leading-edge community hospitals and a strong network of outpatient centers and primary care physicians, Aria upholds a longstanding tradition of bringing advanced medicine and personal care to the many communities it serves. For more information about Aria Health please visit http://www.ariahealth.org “Like” Aria Health on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ariahealth and “Follow” Aria Health on Twitter at @AriaHealth.
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