Editorial
Winning attitude

Members of the Eagles Youth Hockey club have won big.

No, it wasn't a game scoring goals, power plays and hat tricks. Instead, the team won the "Honoring the Game" award for sportsmanlike values. The award is presented by the Positive Coaching Alliance, a non-profit organization based at Stanford University.

About 60 youngsters participate in the Eagles program, for boys and girls age 6 through high school students.

The Eagles recently celebrated, not by hoisting a trophy, but by hauling food and stuffed animals to area service organizations.

Last Friday, team members delivered boxes and bags containing about 300 canned goods to the Samaritan Center, which distributes food to needy area residents.

"That's a pretty nice thing they did for us," said Samaritan Center Assistant Manager Richard Clarkston, who added the food would help between 15 and 20 families.

The youngsters then went into overtime to bring 130 backpacks and 500 stuffed animals to the Prenger Family Center.

Juvenile Court Administrator Winston Rutledge appreciated the contribution. "Sometimes (juveniles) come here on very short notice. They don't always have time to pack nicely. Sometimes they come here without being able to bring anything from home."

The "Honoring the Game" recognition is a national award. Other winners were in San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

The Eagles activities reflect an attitude.

Haley Bartow, 12, summed up the players' philosophy when she said: "The reason I like to play for the Eagles is it's more than a hockey team. We play to win, but we also play to have fun and help other kids out."

By embracing that attitude, they can't help but be winners.

News Tribune