For more information, contact:
The St. Louis Sports Commission
314-345-5121
bshulman@stlsports.org

NATIONAL SPORTSMANSHIP AWARDS TO AIR ON KSDK-TV
IN ST. LOUIS THURSDAY, JUNE 16 AT 7 P.M.

            ST. LOUIS – June 10, 2011 – St. Louis area viewers can watch one of the most meaningful and inspiring events in sports next week.  KSDK-TV (NBC) NewsChannel 5 will air a special presentation of the National Sportsmanship Awards – presented by Maryville University – at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 16.  The show will re-air on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 19 at 11 a.m.

Hosted by Mike Bush, the one-hour broadcast features the most compelling stories and highlights from the National Sportsmanship Awards, which took place at the Edward Jones Auditorium in St. Louis on April 30.  The event celebrates the best sportsmanship moments and people of the past year.  It showcases extraordinary examples of selflessness, civility, kindness, compassion, integrity and class.  Award recipients and stories featured in the broadcast include:

- Manchester (Conn.) High School:  In a meet against a rival school, the Manchester wrestling team was trailing its opponent with four matches to go.  But the other team did not have any wrestlers available in the final weight classes and would have to forfeit.  Rather than win by forfeit, Manchester coach Lou LaGuardia instructed his remaining wrestlers to not go out on the mat for the final matches.  That resulted in double forfeits, allowing Manchester’s opponent to win the overall meet.

- Rick Wallace and Tom Walter:  Wallace, a high school football coach in Texas, and Walter, the head coach of the Wake Forest University baseball team, both became kidney donors in the past year when players they coached needed a transplant.  Wallace and Walter selflessly put their careers aside to give the ultimate gift.

- Bryane Heaberlin:  Heaberlin was the goalkeeper for the United States U-17 women’s soccer team that played Haiti two months after the devastating Haitian earthquake.  At the end of the game in which the U.S. won 9-0, the Haitian goalkeeper fell to the ground in tears.  Heaberlin walked across the field to console, comfort and hug the opposing goalie.  The moment inspired Heaberlin to create her own foundation to help the Haitian national team recover from the tragedy.

The National Sportsmanship Awards broadcast is produced locally by BVS Productions in partnership with the St. Louis Sports Commission.  The Sports Commission hosts the National Sportsmanship Awards annually in St. Louis.  Through its Sportsmanship Initiative, the organization creates positive environments for kids to play sports so they remain active and lead healthier, happier lives.  The National Sportsmanship Awards provides the Sports Commission a high-profile platform to help instill the values of sportsmanship on and off the playing field.

For more information on the National Sportsmanship Awards – presented by Maryville University, visit www.stlsports.org/awards.   The list of individuals honored at the 2011 event and their stories are posted on the website.

The St. Louis Sports Commission is the privately funded nonprofit
organization that benefits St. Louis through sports.

Its mission is to make the St. Louis region a better place to live, visit, work and play through sports.

- www.stlsports.org -