Miami Dolphins And Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) Announce Youth Programs Week 6 Award Winners
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October 11, 2017
Miami Dolphins And Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) Announce Youth Programs Week 6 Award Winners
Miami, FL – The Miami Dolphins and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) today announced their Week 6 award winners in a program designed to recognize the members of the community who have demonstrated their commitment to being leaders on and off the field.
Each week, the Dolphins identify a high school coach of the week, high school player of the week, youth player of the week and team mom of the week. Award recipients are presented with a plaque on the field during a Dolphins home game at Hard Rock Stadium and receive acknowledgement of their accomplishment in the game program and through the Dolphins’ and RISE’s social media platforms. They also receive tickets to a Miami Dolphins home game, access to the Dolphins/RISE pregame tailgate and a Dolphins/RISE T-shirt. For each home game, the Dolphins identify a team of the week and they will be on the field during the national anthem. The program concludes at the Dolphins-Patriots game on December 11 where the Dolphins will honor yearly award winners in all categories with the exception of the team of the year.
Week 6 Winners:
- High School Coach of the Week: Chris Merritt from Christopher Columbus High School. Last week, the Explorers beat Lake Gibson 28-7. Coach Merritt and his team have played four games in 14 days and earned a 4-0 record, improving to 5-1 this season. Merritt also is a Regional Master Trainer for USA Football.
- High School Player of the Week: John Smith from Park Vista High School. Smith threw two touchdowns, had a touchdown reception and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in a 29-7 win over Boca Raton.
- Youth Player of the Week: Cormury Butts from the Miami Beach Dolphins 12U of the Youth Academic Sport League. Butts rushed six times for 127 yards and two touchdowns and added three catches for 80 yards in a win over the Muck City Gators.
- Team Mom of the Week: Angela Lawrence from the Gwen Cherry Bulls (7U) of the Florida Youth Football League. Lawrence takes care of all of the administrative work and goes above and beyond with disseminating, collecting and proofing all of the required paperwork for the league. She keeps the parents informed of the park rules, expectations, schedules, uniform orders and accessory orders. Lawrence also purchases food, water, ice and Gatorade for the kids, often times with her own money. She treats all of the kids as if they are her own. Lawrence instills good qualities in the kids at the park by carrying herself as a role model. At times, she picks kids up from home and ensures that they return home safely. The kids on other teams at the park all know her, because she is always there. Academics are a big deal to her as well. She constantly reminds the kids that academics come first and football/sports are second.
About Miami Dolphins Youth Programs
The Miami Dolphins Youth Programs’ mission is to transform the lives of youth football players by instilling character building and reinforcing safety standards that help to increase football participation and grow a new generation of Dolphins fans.
About the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE)
Founded in 2015 by Stephen M. Ross, the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to harnessing the unifying power of sports to improve race relations and drive social progress. Supported by an unprecedented alliance of sports leagues, organizations, athletes, educators, media networks and sports professionals, RISE uses sports as a vehicle to promote understanding, respect and equality. Through public awareness campaigns and educational programming, RISE aims to spark enduring action. To learn more, visit RISEtoWIN.org.
