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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Honorable tradition
NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners exemplify best in competition
NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners exemplify best in competition
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By Leilana McKindra
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
“Hard, honest, honorable playing of any game, win or lose, is what this Association desires.”
Although the NCAA’s first membership President Palmer E. Pierce uttered these words nearly 100 years ago during the 1909 NCAA Convention, this year’s NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners prove the sentiment remains vitally alive within the Association.
The NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct announced Brian Hung, a tennis student-athlete at the University of Michigan, and the 2006 Framingham State College women’s soccer team as the 2007-08 NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners.
Hung and the Framingham State squad were chosen from among six finalists — three male and three female — representing Divisions I, II and III. Conferences submitted more than 100 nominations for the award.
The right thing to do
All Framingham State’s soccer team needed to win the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference regular-season title and advance to the postseason tournament was a win over Bridgewater State College.
Framingham State appeared to take a 1-0 lead in 59th minute of the October 29 game, but several players knew the goal their team had been awarded actually had entered the side netting rather than the back of the goal.
When play resumed, Framingham Stae coach Tucker Reynolds told his squad to allow Bridgewater State to score and tie the game. Reynolds said it was tough for his squad to accept the decision, but they understood why he made it.
“Had the girls not see it, maybe there would have been some kind of choice,” he said. “But most of my players are education majors and will become teachers someday, and most of them also will be parents. I’m not going to teach them that kind of lesson (by not admitting to the truth).”
Bridgewater State ultimately won the game, 3-2. After the match, the Framingham State players received a letter from the Bears squad. Reynolds also received positive e-mails from the Bridgewater State head coach and some Bridgewater State parents. Although the Rams ended their season without a postseason berth, Reynolds said they walked away with something far more valuable.
“Five years from now, nobody is going to know or care what the score of the game was, but maybe somebody’s going to be talking to their child about ethics and sportsmanship because of that game,” he said. “There’s no greater honor for me as the coach or for them as young athletes to be recognized for something that’s probably a little bit more important than the outcome of a game. It’s a thrill to be coaching the girls — and it’s an honor to be recognized by the NCAA.”
Leading by example
Michigan tennis coach Bruce Berque described Brian Hung as a quiet leader who listens and leads by example, but the senior’s actions on and off the court speak volumes.
“He is a player who is respected by his teammates and opponents, not only because of his skills, but also because of the way he treats people,” Berque said. “He is the complete team player, leading the team in workouts and helping players make difficult adjustments in class and on campus. Big Ten coaches often talk to me about the tremendous example he sets for everyone in the conference.”
Hung initially struggled to adjust to Ann Arbor from his native Hong Kong, but he used his trials to grow into a respected leader. A captain of the Wolverines squad, Hung completed his four-year career without collecting a code violation (point penalty) and always gave opponents the benefit of the doubt on line calls.
In addition, he frequently visited a local children’s hospital and participated in a Pen Pal program connecting underprivileged grade school children and student-athletes. He also mentored young students in the local school system and volunteered at youth tennis clinics.
Hung’s dealings with teammates, opponents and friends didn’t go unnoticed. The winner of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship for the Midwest region, he also was a three-time winner of the squad’s sportsmanship award. However, Hung said he’s especially proud of the NCAA award.
“It is important to compete hard, but at the same time it is equally important to compete fairly and with sportsmanship,” he said. “At Michigan, we try to be a team that is hungry to win but also always shows class. As the captain of the team, I am happy that I was able to lead the team in the right way.”
Dan Mara, commissioner of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and chair of the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct, commended the winners.
“Sportsmanship is probably at its highest among the student-athletes,” he said. “They are helping to carry the message to the public and their fans.”
In addition to Hung and the Framingham State women’s soccer team, divisional winners of the NCAA Sportsmanship Award were Cleveland State University tennis student-athlete Sarah Galon, Southern Connecticut State University soccer player Kieron Jennings, Clarion University of Pennsylvania tennis player Lisa Baumgartner; and St. Norbert College tennis student-athlete Andrew Winters. For profiles of the divisional winners, click the NCAA News tab at www.ncaa.org.
Although the NCAA’s first membership President Palmer E. Pierce uttered these words nearly 100 years ago during the 1909 NCAA Convention, this year’s NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners prove the sentiment remains vitally alive within the Association.
The NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct announced Brian Hung, a tennis student-athlete at the University of Michigan, and the 2006 Framingham State College women’s soccer team as the 2007-08 NCAA Sportsmanship Award winners.
Hung and the Framingham State squad were chosen from among six finalists — three male and three female — representing Divisions I, II and III. Conferences submitted more than 100 nominations for the award.
The right thing to do
All Framingham State’s soccer team needed to win the Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference regular-season title and advance to the postseason tournament was a win over Bridgewater State College.
Framingham State appeared to take a 1-0 lead in 59th minute of the October 29 game, but several players knew the goal their team had been awarded actually had entered the side netting rather than the back of the goal.
When play resumed, Framingham Stae coach Tucker Reynolds told his squad to allow Bridgewater State to score and tie the game. Reynolds said it was tough for his squad to accept the decision, but they understood why he made it.
“Had the girls not see it, maybe there would have been some kind of choice,” he said. “But most of my players are education majors and will become teachers someday, and most of them also will be parents. I’m not going to teach them that kind of lesson (by not admitting to the truth).”
Bridgewater State ultimately won the game, 3-2. After the match, the Framingham State players received a letter from the Bears squad. Reynolds also received positive e-mails from the Bridgewater State head coach and some Bridgewater State parents. Although the Rams ended their season without a postseason berth, Reynolds said they walked away with something far more valuable.
“Five years from now, nobody is going to know or care what the score of the game was, but maybe somebody’s going to be talking to their child about ethics and sportsmanship because of that game,” he said. “There’s no greater honor for me as the coach or for them as young athletes to be recognized for something that’s probably a little bit more important than the outcome of a game. It’s a thrill to be coaching the girls — and it’s an honor to be recognized by the NCAA.”
Leading by example
Michigan tennis coach Bruce Berque described Brian Hung as a quiet leader who listens and leads by example, but the senior’s actions on and off the court speak volumes.
“He is a player who is respected by his teammates and opponents, not only because of his skills, but also because of the way he treats people,” Berque said. “He is the complete team player, leading the team in workouts and helping players make difficult adjustments in class and on campus. Big Ten coaches often talk to me about the tremendous example he sets for everyone in the conference.”
Hung initially struggled to adjust to Ann Arbor from his native Hong Kong, but he used his trials to grow into a respected leader. A captain of the Wolverines squad, Hung completed his four-year career without collecting a code violation (point penalty) and always gave opponents the benefit of the doubt on line calls.In addition, he frequently visited a local children’s hospital and participated in a Pen Pal program connecting underprivileged grade school children and student-athletes. He also mentored young students in the local school system and volunteered at youth tennis clinics.
Hung’s dealings with teammates, opponents and friends didn’t go unnoticed. The winner of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship for the Midwest region, he also was a three-time winner of the squad’s sportsmanship award. However, Hung said he’s especially proud of the NCAA award.
“It is important to compete hard, but at the same time it is equally important to compete fairly and with sportsmanship,” he said. “At Michigan, we try to be a team that is hungry to win but also always shows class. As the captain of the team, I am happy that I was able to lead the team in the right way.”
Dan Mara, commissioner of the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference and chair of the NCAA Committee on Sportsmanship and Ethical Conduct, commended the winners.
“Sportsmanship is probably at its highest among the student-athletes,” he said. “They are helping to carry the message to the public and their fans.”
In addition to Hung and the Framingham State women’s soccer team, divisional winners of the NCAA Sportsmanship Award were Cleveland State University tennis student-athlete Sarah Galon, Southern Connecticut State University soccer player Kieron Jennings, Clarion University of Pennsylvania tennis player Lisa Baumgartner; and St. Norbert College tennis student-athlete Andrew Winters. For profiles of the divisional winners, click the NCAA News tab at www.ncaa.org.
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