Morgan Maguire and Ryan Pittari Recognized with Sportsmanship Award
Posted on 05/11/2018
The 17th Annual Greater Middlesex County Sportsmanship Awards Luncheon was held at the Pines Manor, Edison, NJ on Wednesday, May 9, 2018. The sportsmanship awards are given in memory of Day Hayston to those student athletes who exhibit good sportsmanship before, during and after an athletic competition. Speakers at the luncheon were Kate Hickey, Associate Athletics Director, Rutgers University, and John Dicola – retired Athletic Director, Jefferson, High School.
  
The Bishop Ahr High School athletes chosen for this very prestigious award are Ryan Pittari and Morgan Maguire. Bishop Ahr traditionally selects 2 juniors for this honor because they are expected to be leaders in their senior year.

Reflecting on receiving their award, Ryan and Morgan both agreed that they were grateful for being recognized not for their athletic abilities, but more importantly for their sportsmanship. Both of the speakers at the Awards luncheon stressed the importance of making good choices, even when you are not winning. Winning isn’t everything! But being a part of a team that cares for one another and has fun playing the sport is just as important as winning. Ryan said: “Growing up I’ve always valued sportsmanship and it was one of the core values I was taught. To receive this award is an honor and means that I’ve really exemplified what it means to be a good sport.” Morgan reflected: To me, demonstrating good sportsmanship encompasses four actions on the part of an athlete: 1. Playing fair, 2. Following the rules of the game, 3. Respecting the judgment of the referees and officials, and 4. Treating your opponents with respect. When you win, it's important to be a gracious and generous winner. Good sportsmanship means acknowledging victories without humiliating opponents, being quietly proud of success, and letting victories speak for themselves. Even if you win by a landslide, good sportsmanship means still finding ways to compliment your opponents. When it comes to losing, good sportsmanship means congratulating the winners willingly. It also means accepting the game's outcome without complaint and without excuses, even if you sometimes might feel the referees made a few questionable calls.

Joining Ryan and Morgan at the luncheon was Mr. and Mrs. Pittari, Mr. and Mrs. Maguire, Principal Sister Donna, Campus Minister Sister Cynthia, Athletic Director Mr. Michael Wolfthal and Assistant Athletic Director Ms. Yancy Munoz.

Congratulations to Ryan and Morgan on a well-deserved Sportsmanship Award!