|
NEW
YORK CITY, New York. (August 29,
2005) - For 11 years Lenny Silberman
has served the JCC Association as
Vice President of Program Services
and the Continental Director of
the JCC Maccabi Games. For his efforts,
Silberman will be honored as the
recipient of a 2005 Hershey's STRIVE
Award as the National Youth Sports
Administrator of the Year presented
by the National Council of Youth
Sports (NCYS).
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 two administrators, one
volunteer and one coach. Honorees
were nominated by team members,
parents or colleagues and judged
by a panel of NCYS officials.
Silberman
will be honored on Sunday, September
11 during the JCC Association Board
and Leadership meetings in Jersey
City, N.J. The event is hosted by
NCYS and The Hershey Company. During
the reception, Silberman will receive
a check for $2,500, which he has
announced will be donated to the
JCC Association and the Israel Sport
Center for the Disabled.
Among
his many exceptional achievements,
Silberman created the "Day
of Caring, Day of Sharing"
where youngsters are taught the
lesson to give back to others in
the form of a community service
project and to help "repair
the world." Silberman also
has been instrumental in advancing
Israel Sport Center for the Disabled,
a leading rehabilitation facility..
He also is dedicated to teaching
future generations of Jewish athletes
about their notable history.
The
JCC Maccabi Games are an annual
international Olympic-style sporting
and cultural sharing event, which,
under Silberman's leadership, has
grown from 2,200 to 6,500 teenage
athletes. "Lenny is committed
to sports being the conduit through
which children learn life lessons,
values, compassion and ethics; and
coaches, parents and spectators
respect the concept of fair play,"
Steve Becker, a colleague of Silberman's,
said.
Previously,
Silberman served as the athletic
director at the Pittsburgh JCC and
director at the Emma Kaufmann Camp,
the Pittsburgh JCC's resident camp.
He serves on many influential youth-serving
industry boards.
--more--
"This
award recognizes four outstanding
leaders, but these individuals are
not alone," said Stephanie
Moritz of The Hershey Company, which
sponsors the award. "They are
a reflection of thousands of other
youth sports mentors across the
nation that work very hard and expect
little or nothing in return. Hershey
congratulates each of this year's
winners and we are proud to be associated
with them."
Sally
Cunningham, NCYS Executive Director,
noted that the shortage of national
spotlights for those involved in
youth sports prompted the NCYS to
create the awards.
"We
felt it was time to recognize them
on a larger stage and to give them
the praise they deserve" Cunningham
said. "Many of these individuals
devote countless hours each week,
all while juggling full-time careers,
families, and other commitments."
Other STRIVE winners
Other
STRIVE Award winners are Rob Martin
from Perkasie PA, who has carried
his vision to admired achievement
earning him the title of Local Youth
Sports Administrator of the Year.
In 1995, Martin began transforming
the Deep Run Valley Sports Association's
(DRVSA) softball program to what
community supporters now say is
"the luckiest sports association
in Pennsylvania."
Through
his exemplary leadership, Martin
has shaped a youth sports program
introducing the "Everybody
Hits" program for special needs
players, implementing coaches and
umpires clinics/training, a youth
coaching mentoring program, and
more than doubling the youth participation
in the intramural program. Martin
led his association to raise substantial
funds to build a state-of-the-art
sports facility complete with five
fields, permanent fencing, a two-story
clubhouse, concrete block dugouts,
bleachers, a pavilion and batting
cages.
Martin
is dedicated to creating an undying
zeal for the girls and their families
as well as a safe environment for
children of all skill levels to
play. Martin humbly says, "Every
girl should experience the fun side
of the game."
Hershey's
STRIVE Volunteer of the Year Award
goes to Janet Holliday, who 13 years
ago became the chair of the San
Antonio Sports Hall of Fame Tribute.
The gala occasion recognizes the
legends in sports. All event proceeds
go toward young hopefuls "Dream
for Youth" program, which provides
training to disadvantaged children
in the Olympic sports of badminton,
diving, gymnastics, fencing, swimming,
and volleyball. Holliday also is
an active leader of the Go!Kids
Challenge, a fitness walking program
for K-5th graders and the co-chair
of the NCAA Final Four Division
1 Volleyball Championship.
Holliday
says, "I have seen time and
time again the relationship between
sports skills and life skills. I
will do my best to continue to 'strive'
for excellence in sports for our
young people."
Brenda
Gilmore of Upper Marlboro, Md.,
received the Hershey's STRIVE Coach
of the Year honors for her devotion
to the Prince George's Tennis &
Education Foundation. Against all
odds, and from a wheelchair, Gilmore
launched the foundation to enrich
the lives of under-served county
youth through productive activities.
Gilmore
coaches tennis as well as after-school
programs, tutorial and college preparation
assistance, high-performance player
support and tennis camps for hundreds
of youth of all ages. The program
develops self-esteem and promotes
physical activity, healthy lifestyles,
life skills, and academic excellence.
Gilmore is an example of all that
is best in sports and in life. She
is a role model of inspiration both
on and off the court.
#
# #
EDITOR'S
NOTE: For more information about
Lenny Silberman or the Hershey's
STRIVE Award, please contact Sally
Cunningham, NCYS Executive Director,
at (772) 781-1452 or youthsports@ncys.org.
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 173 organizations/corporations
serving 52 million boys and girls
participating in organized youth
sports throughout the United States.
NCYS member organizations include
Little League Baseball, Pop Warner
Football, the American Youth Soccer
Association and the Boys & Girls
Clubs of America. To learn more
about the Council visit www.ncys.org.
ABOUT HERSHEY'S FUND RAISING:
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.
National Council
of Youth Sports (NCYS) presents
the Hershey's STRIVE Award's 2005
National Youth Sports Administrator
of the Year to Lenny Silberman,
JCC Association Vice President of
Program Services and Continental
Director of the JCC Maccabi Games
on Sunday, September 11, 2005 at
the Hyatt Regency on the Hudson.
|
Lenny
Silberman accepts his
honor from National Council
of Youth Sports (NCYS)
as Hershey's STRIVE Award's
National Youth Sports
Administrator of the Year!
National
Council of Youth Sports
(NCYS) and The Hershey's
Corporation present Silberman
with two checks for JCC
Association and Israel
Sport Center for the Disabled.
(L-R) Steve Becker, JCC
Association Continental
Consultant Sports Wellness
and Lenny's STRIVE Award
nominator; Sally Cunningham,
NCYS Executive Director;
Pete Waldron, Hershey's
Marketing Consultant;
Lenny Silberman, JCC Association
VP Program Services and
Continental Director of
the JCC Maccabi Games;
Wanda Rutledge, NCYS President.
New
York City skyline and
the home of the JCC Association!
Statue
of Liberty, The World's
Promise of Freedom.
Steve
Becker (left) JCC Association
Continental Consultant
Sports Wellness and Lenny's
STRIVE Award nominator,
shares the moment with
Lenny Silberman (right),
JCC Association VP Program
Services and Continental
Director of the JCC Maccabi
Games. Silberman is NCYS'
2005 Hershey's STRIVE
Award National Youth Sports
Administrator of the Year.
Hershey's
FundRaising product, something
to shout good things about!
Allan
Finkelstein, JCC Association
President shares celebratory
remarks with Lenny Silberman.
Lenny and his
cherished JCC Association
colleagues. (L-R) Jonah
Geller, Director of the
Fresh Air Society Camp
Tamarack; Steve Reiner,
Chairman of the JCC Maccabi
Games; Allan Finkelstein,
JCC Association President;
Leonard Rubin, Executive
Vice-President of Program
Services; Lenny Silberman,
JCC Association Vice President
of Program Services and
Continental Director of
the JCC Maccabi Games;
Steve Becker, JCC Association
Continental Consultant
Sports Wellness; Jeff
Soloman, personal friend;
and Edward Kaplan, JCC
Association Chair.
Lenny is all smiles
with his STRIVE Award
crystal trophy and surrounded
by his mother and Vicki
Roitman.
Master of Ceremonies Steve
Reiner, Chairman of the
JCC Maccabi Games (left)
greets Larry Rosenberg,
President of the JCC of
Greater Baltimore following
the event ceremony for
Lenny Silberman's STRIVE
Award at the Hyatt Regency
on the Hudson September
11, 2005.
|
|
