Inspirational Florida Youth Named Runner-Up for Inspireum Football Awards

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Small in Stature but Big in Heart, Shane Halpin overcame Developmental Delays and Binocular Dysfunction to Become Captain of the Offensive Line

Bend, OR  -- Shane Halpin of Gulf Breeze, Florida was named today as Runner-up of the third annual Inspireum Football Awards. The Inspireum Football Awards celebrate outstanding young athletes - not because of their statistical performance, but because of their ability to inspire and motivate teammates, classmates and communities. Looking across the towering offensive line of Gulf Breeze High School, Shane Halpin catches your eye as the pint-sized heart of the team. Halpin is a workhorse at center, standing 5' 6'', and is the captain of the offensive line. He has not only overcome being severely undersized as a lineman, but also developmental delays and a frightening accident along on the way.

At the age of five Halpin's pencil would quiver as he fought to stay within the lines. Halpin learned concepts quickly, but fell frequently on the playground and it was soon identified that he suffered from developmental delays and binocular dysfunction. With countless hours of physical therapy and adaptive physical education, Halpin's hard work led to athletic and academic success. Halpin is a straight-A honors student and has earned his place as a starter on his team each year. Due to his work ethic Halpin received the John Jeffcoat Memorial Award for sportsmanship, respect, hustle and desire, both on and off the field.  

In 2009, Halpin was on his way to the Senior Bowl Game in Mobile, AL when a reckless tailgater pinned Shane beneath his truck in the parking lot. Shane's family and the frightened crowd, shoved the truck off of Shane's body before he was rushed to the hospital. As Halpin recovered in order to play the  following season he was in attendance, supporting his team every practice and game.

The Winner of the 2011 Inspireum Football Awards is Addison Marshall, a resident of Fulshear, Texas, and a cancer survivor. Addison was nominated for the Awards because others look to him for courage and strength in the face of their own adversity. Three others were named Runners-up for the Awards. They are Quinton Anderson of Joplin, Missouri, who lost his home and family to a terrible tornado but returned as a captain for his team, Kaleb Mackey of Afton, Oklahoma, a two-way starter who has Cerebral Palsy, and Rashawn King of Raleigh, North Carolina, who played football this past fall after beating Leukemia.

A Fan Favorite scholarship was also awarded to Ryan Anderson of Kent, Ohio. Anderson was selected as Fan Favorite by an online fan vote. Anderson was a top recruit from the state of Ohio until it was discovered that he had bone cancer, and he was forced to sit out his senior football season. Despite this, he was voted as Captain of his team, and he attended every practice and game his chemotherapy schedule would allow.

A $7,500 scholarship will be awarded to the Winner. $2,500 will go to each of the four Runners-up, $1,500 to the Fan Favorite, and $1,000 to each of the six remaining Finalists from the top 12.  You can learn more about the Inspireum winners at InspireumFootballAwards.com.

The winner and runners-up were chosen by an esteemed Selection Committee, which includes former NFL greats Troy Aikman, Drew Bledsoe and Shaun Alexander.  The fan favorite was determined by online voting. A total of $25,000 in academic scholarships, provided by the Trusted Sports Foundation, will be awarded to those players who bring the most heart to the game, as opposed to the highest stats.

About Inspireum and the Inspireum Football Awards

Inspireum utilizes the power of social media, technology and community-based marketing to share inspirational youth achievement in sports and community service.  We discover, amplify, and celebrate young people who inspire their schools, teammates, friends, family, and community.  The Inspireum Football Awards celebrate inspirational young athletes who embody the values of character, courage, contribution and commitment through the sport of football. Recognizing and rewarding these outstanding players inspires other youth to pursue sports as a positive, action-oriented path to self-discipline, leadership, strong academic performance and a healthy lifestyle.

Images and video are available online at www.InspireumFootballAwards.com.
Contact:   Kristin Hansen (541-508-0400 / Kristin@inspireum.com)

About Trusted Sports Foundation

Trusted Sports Foundation is a nonprofit organization focused on inspiring kids to thrive in life through sports.  Our goal is to empower underserved youth to live up to their full potential through positive sports experiences that form active, healthy habits for a lifetime.  Through our national inspirational youth sports awards programs, we reward character, courage, contribution and commitment with academic scholarships for athletes who inspire their teams, schools, and communities.  Through our Kids In The Game program, we provide financial resources to help youth from low-income families, youth that are physically or mentally challenged, and kids that are at-risk gain access to sports programs. Learn more at www.TrustedSportsFoundation.org.

Contact:   Sandy Henderson (541-848-9509 / Sandy@trustedsports.org)