Sports Commission to award $5,000 Scholarship

The St. Louis Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Scholarship awards $5,000 annually to a deserving St. Louis area high school senior who exhibits outstanding sportsmanship in athletic competition. Administered by the Sports Commission Associates - the Sports Commission's young professionals group - the scholarship is part of the organization's ongoing Sportsmanship Initiative and efforts to promote sportsmanship in the community.

Please go to sportsmanship.org to download the nomination packet or call 314-345-5130. Nominations must be received by June 14, 2013. The recipient will be selected by July 31.

Simple, isn't it? This scholarship is about sportsmanship - its potential, practice and reward. The criteria are plain and straightforward. It does not matter how many touchdowns, baskets or goals an athlete scores. It does not matter how many times the team made the state playoffs. It only matters how the athlete treats others on the field.

'Others' take on a special significance relative to the Sportsmanship Scholarship. Respecting your coaches, teammates and even younger members of your club team is great. However, none of them are technically 'others.'

Volunteering at a local shelter or leading the canned food drive are tremendous examples of community service, but it's not sportsmanship. How did you treat your opponent? How did you treat the person you don't know? More to the point, how did you treat the person that it's usually OK not to like?

St. Louis, like all communities, has some strong rivalries: Kirkwood-Webster, Hazelwood-McCluer, Vashon-Sumner, University City-Normandy, Clayton-Ladue. There are many others, but you get the idea. How did you act when your biggest rival hit the deck? Did you reach down to help him up?

The goal you scored in the playoffs wasn't really a goal. What did you do? Did you accept an ill-gotten score or did you do the right thing? It's often said that character is what you do when no one is looking. Well, sportsmanship is what you do when everyone is looking.

Sportsmanship cuts both ways. It is a double-edged sword that strengthens the athlete and encourages the fan. When you download the application please read the bios of past scholarship recipients to get a better understanding of what the committee is looking for. Good luck to all of the applicants and above all - remember to be a good sport!

You can view a gallery of our previous scholarship winner by clicking on this link - Sportsmanship Scholarship recipients.