Let's Play Two

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The Sportsmanship Brigade was party to an unintentional home-and-home series between Holy Spirit and Sts. Joachim & Ann (SJA) last weekend. Friday night took us to Holy Spirit in suburban St. Louis for a 5th grade girls volleyball contest. It was a spirited match between the two teams, but our new friend Rachel of SJA stole the show. Her cheerful and encouraging attitude along with an all-out passion to help her team succeed was all the Brigade needed to see. Her selection was an easy and obvious one.

Saturday's matchup required a trip to the beautiful SJA facility in St.. Charles County. It was the Brigade's first trip to the Marvel of McClay Avenue, but the results were all too familiar. This volleyball game was between the 8th grade girls. The spikes were a little harder, jumps a little higher and the yells a little louder. However, good sportsmanship doesn't vary in degrees. You can spot it anywhere. Marielle of Holy Spirit and her coach, Dave McDonald were two peas in a pod.

Marielle was the team's inspiration on the court and Coach McDonald was its biggest cheerleader from the bench. The Holy Spirit team engendered an atmosphere of fun - the true essence of youth sports. Marielle is a shining example of a winning attitude not being determined by the score. Coach McDonald realizes that his girls are a winning team because of the character they display and not the points they score. The Brigade was proud to honor them both. Please visit our Facebook page to see all of the pictures from this weekend's slate of games.

The Sportsmanship Brigade is a group of Sports Commission volunteers who attend youth sporting events looking for acts of good sportsmanship. Athletes, coaches, parents, fans and officials who exhibit good sportsmanship are rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a gift card to a local business. With just a $10 or greater donation, you can enhance the Brigade's efforts. Your gift supports the prizes we provide our weekly winners. Please click here to donate. The Sportsmanship Brigade is a program of the St. Louis Sports Foundation, a 501c3 not-for-profit organization. So, your gift is tax deductible. For more on the Brigade, including scheduling and volunteering information, please visit sportsmanship.org or call 314-345-5130. Until next time...