Wyoming Little League awards Powell youth with highest honorAfter a successful summer on the diamond, Powell Middle School student Shawnea Harrington earned an unexpected added honor when she was named the recipient of Wyoming Little League's Chris Wood Sportsmanship Award. The award is the state organization's highest merit and is bestowed to only one person annually.“The award is given to the individual who best represents what Little League is all about,” explained Bill Sedlacek, district administrator for Little League for the state of Wyoming. “We don't think of Little League as a baseball program. We see it as a youth development program and this award goes to the person we feel best reflects those traits.”In presenting the award to Harrington, Sedlacek noted the selection committee was impressed with the manner in which the Powell youth had shown a constant respect for her opponents at the state tournament and how she had consistently gone “above and beyond just playing the game.”“We were impressed by her,” Sedlacek said.“It feels really cool,” Harrington said of winning the award. “It was different, because I didn't really know what it meant at first. Then I found out and was like, wow, that's pretty special.”Wyoming Little League began presenting a sportsmanship award in 2005. The trophy is named for an assistant coach who stepped forward to reveal his community had manipulated scores and the number of innings played to ensure one of its teams would advance out of pool play through the tiebreak system.“We had talked in the state a few times about starting a sportsmanship award, but we were so impressed by his honesty, that it was the perfect opportunity,” said Sedlacek. “As a result, we named the award after that coach.”For Harrington, winning the award further kindled her love for the sport of baseball.

Wyoming Little League awards Powell youth with highest honor

After a successful summer on the diamond, Powell Middle School student Shawnea Harrington earned an unexpected added honor when she was named the recipient of Wyoming Little League's Chris Wood Sportsmanship Award. The award is the state organization's highest merit and is bestowed to only one person annually.

“The award is given to the individual who best represents what Little League is all about,” explained Bill Sedlacek, district administrator for Little League for the state of Wyoming. “We don't think of Little League as a baseball program. We see it as a youth development program and this award goes to the person we feel best reflects those traits.”

In presenting the award to Harrington, Sedlacek noted the selection committee was impressed with the manner in which the Powell youth had shown a constant respect for her opponents at the state tournament and how she had consistently gone “above and beyond just playing the game.”

“We were impressed by her,” Sedlacek said.

“It feels really cool,” Harrington said of winning the award. “It was different, because I didn't really know what it meant at first. Then I found out and was like, wow, that's pretty special.”

Wyoming Little League began presenting a sportsmanship award in 2005. The trophy is named for an assistant coach who stepped forward to reveal his community had manipulated scores and the number of innings played to ensure one of its teams would advance out of pool play through the tiebreak system.

“We had talked in the state a few times about starting a sportsmanship award, but we were so impressed by his honesty, that it was the perfect opportunity,” said Sedlacek. “As a result, we named the award after that coach.”

For Harrington, winning the award further kindled her love for the sport of baseball.