Honoring Sporstmanship on the Shore

Sportsmanship is defined as fair play, respect for opponents and polite behavior by someone who is competing in a sport or other competition.

To the athletic directors of the 47 schools that make up the Shore Conference it’s a character needed now more than ever and Sunday they saluted those who best define what a true sportsman is. More than 350 student-athletes, parents, athletic directors and coaches gathered inside the Pine Belt Arena on the campus of Toms River High School North for what was a first.

For nearly two decades there has been a Sportsmanship Awards program but prior to yesterday it was split into two events: one in Ocean County and another in Monmouth. We at the Shore Sports Network were thrilled to partner with the AD’s and bring it all under one roof and where else but the Pine Belt Arena, where the banners of all 47 schools hang from the rafters.

93 high school seniors were saluted Sunday, a male and female from each school…the odd number because CBA is an all-boys school. Rusty Todd, the president of the Shore Conference and the Athletic Director at Ocean Township High School welcomed everyone and expressed just how important the award is to his fellow AD’s as those chosen represent their teams, school and family. I had the pleasure to serve as Master of Ceremonies for what has always been one of my favorite events as I annually hosted the Ocean County program in the past.

Having all 47 schools together made for an even better event with a diverse mix of athletes. Some are celebrated ones who have garnered many headlines while others compete in relative obscurity. However yesterday they were all equal and all extraordinary in their own right. Also saluted were Jackson’s Mike Walsh and Randy Westrol of Holmdel as Ocean and Monmouth County Athletic Directors of the Year. Both are retiring after 33 years in education.

A nice addition to the breakfast was the donation of four $1,000 scholarships from the Pine Belt Auto Group through a random drawing conducted by Alana, who is the “face of the franchise.” Those scholarship were awarded to Amanda Kennedy of Toms River East, Taylor Devlin of Freehold Township, Colton LaLima of Colts Neck and Manchester’s Robert Planter Jr.

A special thank you to the Toms River School District, including District Athletic Director Joe Arminio, Toms River North Athletic Coordinator Paul Barnoski, the food staff from Café 1144 and the athletic administrative assistants who volunteered their time. For more on the event including a complete list of the winners visit shoresportsnetwork.com