They’ve Got Game: Top Sports Moments Honored (NAPSA)—Learning values such as sportsmanship, teamwork and responsibility are key elements of the youth sports experience. The “Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments,” a program developed by Liberty Mutual Insurance and Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA), is celebrating the positive values that sports instill in young people. The campaign, currently in its second year, honors moments that remind usof the power, impact and inherent goodnessof sports by compiling a list of the year’s “Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments.” Jim Thompson, PCA founder andchief executive officer, in addi- tion to the author of eight books on youth sports including “Elevating Your Game,” written for student athletes, knows how important youth sports can be in teaching leadership and responsibility. “Each of the ‘Top 10 Responsible Sports Moments’ should serve as a reminder and inspiration to all involved in youth sports of the opportunities we have to create a positive character-building environment that shape the character of those involved.” Here are some of last year’s winners: St. Mary’s of Lynn (Mass.) ends 100-win streak but congratulates Hingham HS: After St. Mary’s of Lynn lost in the Massachusetts Division 1 girls ice hockey quarterfinals to Hingham High School, ending a 100-game winning streak that spanned four seasons, senior captain Sabrina Jannetti boarded her opponents’ bus, congratulated the team that ended her high school career two games short of perfection, and promised that St. Mary’s would cheer them on throughthe rest of the state tournament. Andover (Minn.) HS runner carries Lakeville South opponent to finish race: Running in a recent Youth sports can play an impor- tant role in teaching leadership and responsibility. cross-country meet for Andover High, Josh Ripley, a junior varsity runner, was making his way through the trail at the AppleJack Invite when he heard a loud scream during thefirst mile of the two-mile race. Most of the other kids running didn’t pay much attention to Lakeville South runner Mark Paulauskas, who was writhing in pain at the time as they passed by, but Ripley stopped and carried the injured runner a half mile back to coaches and family members. eHKight-year-old catcher in Maryland helps scared batter take his first swing: Eight-year-old Trevor Yusko, a catcher for a minor league youth baseball team in Frederick, Md., was catching when a player on the other team was scared to step into the batter’s box. Trevor called time out, went over to the boy and gave him a pep talk. The young man then stepped into the batter’s box, swung at the next pitch and fouled it off—a small achievement, but a big step in his growingconfidence. To nominate a 2012 moment that showcases a young person behaving responsibly, visit www. Facebook.com/ResponsibleSports. Nominations close on November15, 2012. Each winning organization represented by a Top 10 Moment will receive a $1,000 award from Liberty Mutual Insurance.
