Five collegiate athlete finalists recognized
ATLANTA (April 26, 2012) – Pat Summitt, the esteemed University of Tennessee’s Lady Vols’ basketball coach, was honored at the 8th annual Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup Awards, held last night at the Fox Theatre. Aleca Hughes from Yale University was presented with the collegiate Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup award. Aleca co-founded the Mandi Schwartz Foundation in honor of her former teammate who succumbed to leukemia in 2011.
Founded by Athletes for a Better World, a non-profit organization committed to changing the culture of American sports, the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup is presented to one professional and one collegiate athlete for their character, leadership and contribution to sport and society both on and off the field.
Additional collegiate finalists recognized at last night’s event included:
- Tommy Chase, University of Notre Dame – Baseball
- Roddy Jones, Georgia Tech – Football
- Josh Nadzam, University of Kentucky – Track and Field
- Cody Reichard, Miami University of Ohio – Ice Hockey
Sports celebrities on hand at the event included Nan Muehlhausen, Coach John Wooden’s daughter; Zak Boggs, current MLS Humanitarian of the Year and former Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup winner and Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech head football coach.
“It’s difficult to measure the impact that each of these athletes has in the community and on their respective fields of play,” said Fred Northup, president of Athletes for a Better World. “We are honored to celebrate each athlete’s outstanding achievements and praise them for their continued dedication to society.”
John Wooden, regarded as the greatest college coach of all time, gave permission for his name to be associated with the annual award and spoke at the inaugural event in Los Angeles in 2005.
The Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup selection committee is chaired by Hall of Fame coach and former University of Georgia athletic director Vince Dooley and includes more than 100 distinguished individuals involved in athletics across the country.
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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. ABW provides free support and resources to coaches and athletes across the country who want to teach and live out these values. ABW’s 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.
