Beginning this year, the NCAA Honors Committee will have another option with which to bestow accolades on Association members.

The committee has established what it calls the NCAA Inspiration Award, which is a distinction that may be awarded annually to an athletics participant or administrator who "when confronted with a life-altering situation, used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome the event and now serves as a role model to give hope and inspiration to others in similar situations."

The award is born from the Honors Committee's desire to recognize another level of worthy candidates in intercollegiate athletics. Of the thousands of participants and administrators in intercollegiate athletics, many have inspiring stories to offer. Most of those, however, were being nominated to receive the NCAA's Award of Valor, which is an honor bestowed only in the most special of circumstances, usually when a nominee has risked his or her life in the face of imminent danger.

Noting the swell of nominees that did not quite fit the Valor criteria but nonetheless were worthy of recognition, the Honors Committee created an avenue for that to happen.

Thus, the Inspiration Award came to fruition.

"The committee felt strongly that there may be cases, situations and/or individuals out there who, while not specifically meeting the Award of Valor criteria, still deserve to be honored for their courage, perseverance, dignity and determination in overcoming a negative life-altering situation," said Valerie Richardson, assistant commissioner of the West Coast Conference and incoming chair of the Honors Committee. "And more importantly, if that person serves as a role model to those who are still battling to overcome a similar situation, then that's the kind of person the committee is looking to recognize."

Richardson said the Inspiration Award is more focused on a personal life-altering situation that the nominee faced, how he or she overcame the adversity, and how he or she is using that experience to give hope to others. In other words, she said, while valor may be captured in a moment, inspiration may in fact be more lasting.

Like the Award of Valor, the Inspiration Award is available to be awarded annually but the committee is not obligated to do so. The Award of Valor has been given only nine times since its inception in 1974. Likewise, the Inspiration Award, Richardson said, will be given "based on if and when the committee is especially moved by a particular individual's story or nomination."

That is a welcome option for the committee.

"There are several instances where individuals did inspirational things but did not fall under the strict definition of valor," said committee member Harry Carson, former professional football star for the New York Giants. "It's a shame to slight anyone who did something really inspirational. The committee thought it best to put in another category that allows individuals who may not have been the right fit for the Award of Valor to be recognized."