Senior members of the West Point soccer program accept the Powerade Power Through Award from local Coca-Cola managers David Goodwin and Jeff Williams.
WEST POINT – It was an exciting day to be a soccer player at West Point Thursday as the teams were awarded a $2,000 check for winning an essay contest.
Coca-Cola Key Accounts Manager David Goodwin and Sales Center Manager Jeff Williams were on hand to present the Powerade Power Through Award to Principal Heith Yearwood and the seniors of the West Point boys and girls soccer teams.
The award, sponsored by Powerade and Wal-Mart, was given to seven different winners in north Alabama for their winning essays explaining why their programs deserved the award. West Point’s essay, written by soccer mom and president of the board Sabrina Hagamaker, outlined the need for funds for an upstart young team.
Here is the winning essay:
West Point High is a small county school with a first-year soccer team. With the help of parents, volunteer coaches, and the community, we were able to have a successful first season during the 2015-2016 school year. This team has given its members a sense of belonging, as well as taught them responsibility, and the power of working together. Seeing the positive impact the team has had on the students, as well as well as the community, our goal is to make the soccer program a permanent staple in our school system.
Throughout the trials and tribulations of starting a new team in a small community, our players have remained positive, and continue to be committed to making this team work. Through volunteer work, our team members were able to work off some of the expenses, but as a program grows, so do the costs. For the upcoming 2016-2017 season our expenses need to cover uniforms, equipment rentals, away game transportation, and field maintenance. Much of this financial burden falls to individual team members and their families. We have fundraising events planned this year, but we are still far from (our) requirement.
As the president of the board and the mother of one of the team members, seeing this team succeed is a mission near and dear to my heart. Myself, along with the other board members, are working our hardest to ensure we are able to keep this program alive and thriving. We strongly believe that team sports are a fundamental part of a child’s development and with your help, we are not only hoping to fund a single season of soccer, but sustain the program for years to come. Thank you for taking the time to consider our program.
The essay struck a chord with the judges of the Powerade Power Through contest, and West Point was informed that they had won one of the seven awards in the north Alabama. Having covered many of West Point’s first-year soccer contests, seeing first-hand the passion and drive the athletes have when they take the pitch each and every game, let me be the first to say congratulations, you deserve it!
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