Springstead earns prestigious Rozelle Sportsmanship Award

According to a Florida High Athletic Association spokesperson, the state's governing body of athletics in Gainesville released the names of 25 schools that have been selected to receive the 2009-10 FHSAA/Fred E. Rozelle Sportsmanship Awards in their respective classifications.

The Class 5A Section 2 winner was Spring Hill-F.W. Springstead High.

According to the FHSAA's Laurel Ring, the Eagles edged out Kissimmee-Liberty for Class 5A's highest honor.

The Eagles were the lone Hernando County program to earn the honor. It's the first time in 32 years SHS has earned the honor.

"It's a tribute to (SHS Principal) Ms. Duval, our coaches, our athletes and fans; they're all a part of it," said Springstead's 10th-year Athletic Director Robert "Bob" Levija. "We're really glad that we won it; it's a tribute to Springstead High School for doing the right thing.

"I've gotten about 25 e-mails so far congratulating us," added Levija. "We'd like to do this every year."

Rozelle 101

According to the FHSAA Web site, the Fred E. Rozelle Sportsmanship Award program was implemented during the 1990-91 school year by the Florida High School Athletic Association to honor those schools that exhibited exemplary sportsmanship during the regular season and FHSAA State Series.

Each year the award is presented to one school in each classification whose total sports program best exemplifies the qualities of sportsmanship by its coaches, players and spectators.

Nomination forms for this award are provided to each member school FHSAA representative and officials' association.

Criteria for selection of the winners includes programs and activities implemented within the school and community to promote sportsmanship; number and type of unsportsmanlike ejections; number and type of exceptional sportsmanship reports; and source of the nomination.

An anonymous selection committee of representatives from the sports community reviews all nominations and selects the winners. There may be one winner from each of the four sections in all seven classifications; the overall winner in each classification shall be chosen from the section winners. The section winners will each receive $500 and a commemorative plaque.

The overall winners will each receive an additional $2,500 and a larger plaque. The award is named for FHSAA Commissioner Emeritus Fred E. Rozelle, who served as the Association's executive secretary and commissioner from 1980-1991.

FHSAA's final listing of 2009-10 award recipients:

Class 6A
• Section 2 - Apopka
• Section 3 - Wharton (Tampa)
• Section 4 - Cooper City
• Overall - Apopka

Class 5A
• Section 2 - Springstead (Spring Hill)
•Section 3 - Liberty (Kissimmee)
• Overall - Springstead

Class 4A
• Section 1 - Stanton (Jacksonville)
• Section 2 - Leesburg
• Section 3 - Braden River (Bradenton)
• Section 4 - Dreyfoos (West Palm Beach)
• Overall - Braden River

Class 3A
• Section 1 - Bay (Panama City)
• Section 2 - Heritage (Palm Bay)
• Section 3 - Tenoroc (Lakeland)
• Section 4 - Washington (Miami)
• Overall - Tenoroc

Class 2A
• Section 1 - Providence (Jacksonville)
• Section 2 - Taylor (Pierson)
• Section 3 - St. Stephen's (Bradenton)
• Section 4 - Benjamin (North Palm Beach)
• Overall - St. Stephen's

Class 1A
• Section 1 - Cedar Key
• Section 2 -International Community (Maitland)
• Section 3 - All Saints' (Winter Haven)
• Section 4 - Miami Christian
• Overall - Miami Christian

Middle School
• Section 1 - Fernandina Beach Middle
• Section 2 - Stewart Middle (Zephyrhills)
• Section 3 - Sebastian River Middle (Sebastian)
• Section 4 - St. Mark's (Fort Lauderdale)
• Overall - Fernandina Beach Middle