Lake Superior State's Scott Perkins is among 20 Semifinalists for the John Wooden Citizen’s Cup
Release courtesy of Linda Bouvet and the Lake Superior State Sports Information Department
ATLANTA – Lake Superior State senior
guard Scott Perkins is one of 20 semifinalists for the 2010 John
Wooden Citizen’s Cup, an award given for the most outstanding
role model among athletes and sponsored by the Athletes for a
Better World organization.
The Wooden Cup is given to a collegiate and a professional athlete
who have made the greatest positive influence in the lives of
others. The award recipients will be announced at a ceremony held
at Atlanta’s East Lake Golf Club on Wednesday, Jan. 19. The
five finalists are Division I athletes from the University of South
Florida, University of Texas, University of North Carolina,
Dartmouth College and Harvard University. Soccer player Mia Hamm is
the professional honoree.
With Peyton Manning, John Smoltz, John Lynch, Andrea Yaeger and
Cal Ripken, Jr. as previous recipients, the Wooden Cup is becoming
one of the most prestigious awards in all of sports. Recipients are
considered role models and athletes of excellence both on and off
the field.
Founded by Athletes for a Better World (ABW), a non-profit
organization committed to changing the culture of American sports,
the Wooden Cup is unique in that it is open to athletes in all
collegiate and professional sports. Nominations come from every
conference in the NCAA.
Perkins, who is one of only four non-Division I athletes to make
the semifinal cut, is a four-year starting guard at LSSU and the
current Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference scoring
leader averaging 21.9 points per game. He is a sociology major with
a 3.4 grade point average. Off the court, Perkins has been one of
the most-active members of the LSSU Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee and a willing participant in community activities such as
the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowling, the Make-A-Wish Foundation
fund-raiser, assisting senior citizens during the holidays and
mentoring of younger athletes.
“Anytime you’re even nominated for something like that
it means you’re the best of the best,” LSSU men’s
basketball coach Steve Hettinga said. “To make the semifinal
list means you’re in exclusive company. It’s a true
credit to him. It’s not just for what he’s done this
year. But for four years he’s been a model citizen and a
model student, and a true pleasure to coach.”
The Wooden Cup is named in honor of John Wooden, one of the most
successful coaches in collegiate history. Wooden’s legacy as
a person of integrity, high moral character, compassion, and
civic-mindedness continues to make him one of the most admired
coaches in the history of sport.
Recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup are chosen by a
committee chaired by Vincent Dooley, former University of Georgia
athletic director, and other distinguished individuals involved in
athletics across the country.
The list of semifinalists and finalists includes men and women
representing 11 sports. The only non-Division I athletes recognized
were Perkins, Kimberly Reeves (basketball) of Agnes Scott College,
Amy Smith (basketball) of Lewis University and Kara Teresi (soccer)
of Georgia College and State University.
During the past four years, Hettinga has repeatedly emphasized how
much Perkins cares about his teammates, his team and Lake Superior
State.
“You don’t see that in guys,” Hettinga noted.
“He just cares about people. I don’t have a bad kid on
this team, but he’s the standard I wish all kids lived up
to.”
About Athletes for a Better World:
Founded in 1998, Athletes for a Better World (ABW) exists to
change the culture of sport by developing individual character,
teamwork, and civic responsibility through commitment to the Code
for Living. ABW’s vision is to have the Code become a part of
every sport at every level, so that it becomes the common language
and standard expectation of behavior for everyone. ABW provides
free support and resources to coaches and athletes across the
country who want to teach and live out these values. “The
Code for Living” can be found on playing fields, locker rooms
and athletic facilities across the country. Currently, ABW players
and coaches are represented in every state and several foreign
countries.
Click here for a complete list of finalists, semifinalists, and honorable mention recipients
