Behind many athletes and teams, there are always good stories.
Those stories are what Cheney High School athletics director Jim Missel hopes to find, and are just one of the reasons he is putting together the first “High School Champion of the Stars Recognition Night.” The awards dessert ceremony is scheduled to take place Tuesday, June 2, from 7 – 9 p.m. at Northern Quest Resort and Casino, and will feature athletes from all four classifications in District 7.
That second sentence is another reason Missel is inspired to put together the ceremony. It’s a chance to honor athletes and teams that are often overlooked by other larger-name sports organizations and schools in the region.
“Here’s a chance for our kids, in our different district to get recognized,” Missel said.
He had hoped that was going to happen last season when NWPreps approached the District 7 board of directors with an offer to honor athletes and teams from the district’s four leagues: the Great Northern League, Northeast A League, and Northeast 2B and 1B leagues along with athletes and teams from District 8 — essentially the Greater Spokane League. In the end, the GSL was the only one recognized, so Missel put together a plan for the recognition night and presented it to the District 7 board, who received it enthusiastically.
Missel then sent the proposal to each league and individual schools, who also extended their support.
Nominations for winners in any of the 15 categories spanning the four classifications are due April 13, and can be made by athletics directors, coaches and community members. Athletes will be competing in their own classifications for awards such as female and male athlete of the year, male and female team of the year, coaches, Special Olympics athletes and sportsmanship.
Nominees not only can be defined by their performances at the league level or higher, but also for what they have done in the community and at school. As examples, Missel listed Cheney swimmer Makenzie Norman and West Valley football player and wrestler Jace Malek, who not only performed well and led their teams in sports, but provided inspiration to others by coping with personal challenges away from the competitive arena.
“These are the kids who have a story,” Missel said. “We need to get these things out there.”
Missel added that all athletes should be considered for nomination, not just those facing personal challenges.
The selection period runs from April 2014 to April 2015, meaning awards are open to spring sports athletes who graduated last year. Nominees will be selected by a panel consisting of District 7 board members, local media and school administrators, with all nominees receiving some sort of recognition by sports radio personality Dennis Patchin, who will be the evening’s master of ceremonies.
Missel said it could even come down to multiple winners in any of the categories.
“I’m hoping some of these kids, these programs, win with a story to tell,” he added.
Nomination forms are available by email at jtmissel@cheneysd.org, or at http://www.cheneyfreepress.com.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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