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Hershey's
STRIVE Award Program
Mark
Griffin
National Administrator
of the Year
Play
Rugby, Inc.
New
York City, New York
(event
location San Diego, California)
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT:
Sally S. Johnson, Executive Director
National Council of Youth Sports
772-781-1452
youthsports@ncys.org
PLAY
RUGBY EXECUTIVE RECOGNIZED AS YOUTH
SPORTS LEADER IN NATIONAL AWARDS
PROGRAM
Griffin's sheer passion for
rugby and commitment to leadership
give youth the empowerment and mentorship
needed to succeed both on and off
the field
 NEW
YORK, NY. (December 1, 2007)
- Mark Griffin, founder/president
of Play Rugby, has pioneered a completely
new and unique youth sports education
program using a non-contact "flag"
version of rugby as an effective
tool for boys and girls in urban
area schools and after-school programs
across America.
It is for this reason, Mark Griffin
is being honored by the National
Council of Youth Sports (NCYS) as
the recipient of the 2007 Hershey's
STRIVE National Administrator of
the Year Award.
STRIVE stands for Sports Teach
Respect, Initiative, Values and
Excellence and the award honors
adult leaders for their "heartfelt
passion, enthusiastic commitment
and contagious spirit to help kids
succeed in youth sports activities."
This year, NCYS will present Hershey's
STRIVE Awards to a national administrator,
a volunteer, a coach, and two local
administrators. Honorees were nominated
by team members, parents or colleagues
and judged by a panel of NCYS officials.
Play Rugby was first piloted in
New York City. More than 3,000 youth
players and more than 400 teachers
from close to 40 after school programs
were trained and played in the program's
first 18 months. Griffin now drives
the program's growth and is developing
non-contact rugby in schools and
after school programs throughout
the United States.
Play Rugby encourages kids to have
fun, improve their fitness and learn
a new game while developing 10 core
values. Those values include: caring,
citizenship, commitment, discipline,
fairness, leadership, respect, responsibility,
teamwork, and trustworthiness. USA
Rugby, the governing body for the
sport in the U.S., shares the same
youth development goals with Play
Rugby proving fun and educational
rugby programs will make rugby the
"best experience in American
sport." USA Rugby is encouraging
its State-based Youth Rugby Organizations
(SBOs) to incorporate Play Rugby
programs into their development
plans.
Griffin brings more than 23 years
of experience as passionate and
motivational rugby player, coach
businessman and administrator to
his role at Play Rugby. He works
tirelessly with young people to
strengthen character, encourage
academic commitment and build a
diverse range of social, moral and
physical competencies needed to
succeed in life. Griffin's leadership,
passion and extensive rugby experience
makes him the perfect role model
in promoting Play Rugby's philosophy
of "developing youth through
rugby'.
Sally S. Johnson, NCYS Executive
Director, noted that the lack of
recognition given to outstanding
adult leaders involved in youth
sports prompted NCYS to create the
STRIVE awards four years ago. "Honoring
America's hometown heroes on a national
scale gives them the praise they
deserve," Johnson said. "It
is awe-inspiring to pay tribute
to these exceptional individuals
who devote countless hours each
week, all while juggling full-time
careers, families, and other commitments."
Griffin will be honored on Saturday,
December 1st at a USA Rugby conference
in San Diego, California. The STRIVE
event presentation is hosted by
the NCYS and The Hershey Company.
During the celebration, Griffin
will receive a check for $2,500
which he has announced will be donated
to Play Rugby, Inc. to support free
rugby programming for a qualifying
school in 2008.
Other STRIVE winners
In addition to National Administrator
of the Year, the other STRIVE Award
winners for Volunteer, Local Administrator(s),
and Coach of the Year include:
Hatti Hartman of Austin, Texas
was chosen as the Hershey's STRIVE
Volunteer of the Year. Hartman was
recognized for her contagious spirit
of enthusiasm, her unparalleled
ability to organize and communicate,
and her unquestionable integrity.
The Oak Hill Youth Sports Association
community agrees, "It would
take ten people to wear all the
various hats that Hatti Hartman
wears each and every day."
She is a motivator, a doer, and
the one who "pinch hits"
whenever and wherever the need arises.
'Hart'man is the humble heart of
the volunteer-run sports league.
George Waldbauer of the Suffolk
County New York Police Athletic
League (PAL) will also be honored
as the Hershey's STRIVE Local Youth
Sports Administrator of the Year.
PAL aspires to make a youngster's
first experience with the police
officer a positive one by keeping
at-risk kids off the streets and
out of trouble in supervised athletic
activities. Waldbauer has been Executive
Director of PAL for 26 years. The
program has grown and now serves
over 29,000 boys and girls many
of whom would have no sports in
their lives without PAL. He led
the extraordinary effort to build
a state of the art multi-sports
complex for players and families
to enjoy. His supporters say, "For
George, it's all about the kids
and his community."
Amy Skeen of Chicago, Illinois
will also be honored as one of the
Hershey's STRIVE Local Youth Sports
Administrator's of the Year. Skeen
serves as Executive Director of
Girls in the Game, a program that
incorporates both multi-sport and
quality fitness opportunities with
comprehensive health and nutrition
education. Girls in the Game is
committed to enabling girls to try
a variety of new sports and develop
healthy habits in a safe and supportive
environment. Skeen leads by example
mentoring staff and coaches who
provide individual attention and
serve as positive role models while
improving the health and overall
well-being of girls.
Ron Komornik of Virginia Beach,
Virginia was chosen as the recipient
of the Hershey's STRIVE Coach of
the Year Award. Komornik coaches
baseball and basketball to youth
ages 7-17. Komornik's nominators
said his focus on respect, discipline
and perseverance, as well as basic
sports skills, has improved young
players' self-esteem. His testimonials
are a tribute to the positive difference
one can make in the life of a child.
"He treats every player as
amazing individuals while leading
each one to great achievements as
a unified team.
# # #
EDITOR'S NOTE: To learn more about
Play Rugby visit www.playrugbyusa.com.
For more information about Mark
Griffin, the Hershey's STRIVE Award
or NCYS, please contact Sally S.
Johnson, NCYS Executive Director
at 772-781-1452 or youthsports@ncys.org.
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STRIVE WINNER MARK
GRIFFIN |
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| Mark
Griffin Executive Director of Play Rugby wins NCYS Hershey’s STRIVE
Award as National Administrator of the Year! The elegant
hand-engraved crystal award, a check to Play Rugby for $2,500 and
lots of Hershey product is on display. The Award was presented
December 1st at the USA Rugby’s Youth Leaders Conference in San
Diego, California. STRIVE: Sports Teach Respect, Initiative, Values,
and Excellence. |
(L-R)
Pete Steinberg: USA Rugby’s Director of Age-Grade Development, Pete
Waldron: Hershey’s Fundraising’s Marketing Manager, Mark Griffin:
Play Rugby’s Founder and STRIVE Award National Administrator of the
Year, Sally Johnson: National Council of Youth Sports Executive
Director of NCYS, Katie Wurst: STRIVE Nominator and USA Rugby’s Game
Development Officer. |
Sally
Johnson, NCYS Executive Director and Pete Waldron, Hershey
Fundraising’s Marketing Manager present award to Mark Griffin. |
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| Play Rugby’s Mark
Griffin proudly accepts his award. Mark has been a rugby player,
coach and administrator for over 23 years. On the field he has
represented the USA National Team and has been coaching youth rugby
for over 11 years. |
USA Rugby conference
leaders learn more about how the non-contact flag version of rugby
encourages kids to boost their fitness and learn the skills of rugby
while developing a set of core values including teamwork and
leadership. |
Pete Waldron explains
Milton Hershey was a motivator and a positive role model committed
to the highest standards of quality and integrity. Hershey’s
sponsorship of STRIVE stems from the company’s devotion to help
children of all ages, ‘Dream, Reach and Succeed’ in everything they
do. |
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| National Council of
Youth Sports Executive Director Sally Johnson presents Griffin
founded Play Rugby to bring educational and developmental benefits
of rugby to urban youth in the United States. |
Pete Steinberg stated
that Mark has played a major role in developing youth and high
school initiatives within USA Rugby. Steinberg explained that Play
Rugby programs are an innovative youth sports education program. |
Hershey’s Pete
Waldron and NCYS’ Sally Johnson stand proudly with STRIVE Award
winner Mark Griffin. |
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| Keynote Speaker Dan Lyle, Tournament
Director for the USA Sevens and former NFL player, addresses the
group with a motivating speech about the world rugby experience. |
Rugby youth leaders read the STRIVE
Award promotional material before the award ceremony begins. |
The STRIVE award considers the
nominator a very special person too! USA Rugby’s Katie Wurst (right)
is all smiles with her winning nomination for Mark Griffin (center).
Wurst said, “Recognition of Mark’s work by the NCYS will help many
others to view rugby as a viable option in youth sports.” Pete
Steinberg (left) shares the moment.
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| USA Rugby’s Pete Steinberg (R)
explains to Hershey’s Pete Waldron (L) the Play Rugby philosophy of
developing youth through rugby. |
Conference attendees learned more
about how the Play Rugby programs are curriculum-based driving the
development of non-contact rugby in schools and after-school
programs. Play Rugby also supports USA Rugby’s state-based
organizations in the improvement of youth programs as part of the
State-Based Development Model. |
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| ABOUT The NCYS:
The National Council of Youth
Sports (NCYS) comprises the
who's who in the youth sports
industry. Its membership represents
more than 180 organizations/corporations
serving 52-million boys and
girls participating in organized
youth sports throughout the
United States. NCYS members
include organizations such
as: Little League Baseball,
Pop Warner Football, U.S.
Youth Soccer Association,
United States Olympic Committee,
and Boys & Girls Clubs
of America.
To learn more about the NCYS
visit www.ncys.org.
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ABOUT The Hershey Company:
The Hershey Company has long
offered successful fundraising
programs for youth in America.
Its sponsorship of the STRIVE
Awards stems from The Hershey
Company's devotion to helping
children of all ages to "Dream,
Reach and Succeed" in
everything that they do. For
more information about The
Hershey Company and its fundraising
programs, visit www.hersheysfundraising.com.
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