The 2015-16 VESPY Awards was held on Saturday, April 30th, at the Wyndham Hotel. This event celebrated the remarkable year our athletes and teams had during the 2015-16 schoolyear. As soon as our athletes, parents, and coaches entered, they walked the red carpet, took pictures, and gave interviews about the highlights of their season! They were the stars of the evening.

Once they entered the large banquet room, the beautiful décor captured everyone’s attention. The white linen tables with black chair covers were an elegant touch. In the center of the table were trophy centerpieces, which were filled with hydrangea flowers. The Viking blue black-lighting and senior banners decorated the walls of the room. The stage area featured a streaming video where everyone was able to see all of the athletes arriving who were walking the red carpet. The athletes and guests then flowed in and out, snapping fun pictures in the photo booth, and then settling down to enjoy the delicious food. Soon after, it was time for the opening remarks from Associate Athletic Director, Jeff Bond, and Athletic Director, Dustin Embrey.

The award presentation is always a very thoughtful and touching moment. Each coach celebrated the success of their season, and praised the commitment, character, and development of each of their athletes. Our boys soccer team had special State Championship ring presentation. There were also a series of new specialty awards: Newcomer of the Year, Staff Supporter of the Year, Performance of the Year, Strength and Conditioning Award, 4 Year Varsity Athletes, Academic All-State Recipients, and the Exemplary Athlete Awards. All of the deserving award winners were on hand to receive their awards.

The award presentation also featured two special presentations. The first special presentation honored a legendary coach, great leader, and friend, Judi Klausmeyer. Coach K built the high school volleyball program. In her time as coach, she was able to successfully grow her program, experience tremendous success, and make an everlasting impact on so many young ladies. Two of her current players spoke about their relationship with Coach K and the lasting impact she has had in their life. One of Coach K’s former players, Lauren Fernandez-Miller, who is currently playing college volleyball, was also on hand to share her love for her former coach. The second special presentation recognized the commitment our Viking athletes and teams have made to serve the community around us. The Athletic Service Learning Program had 136 athletes participate in Service Learning projects, combining for over 500 hours of community service. The girls helped a local elementary school by providing reading assistance to their kindergarten ELL students. The boys volunteered at Open Door Mission, which is a drug and alcohol recovery program, by helping in their kitchen area. They prepped food for 170 residents, organized the pantry, washed dishes, and served the men. This growing Service Learning program has been able to help the community around us and help instill the proper values and character into each of our athletes.

The night concluded with the presentation of our final specialty award: The Male and Female Exemplary Athlete Award. The Exemplary Athlete Award recognizes a male and female Senior Viking student-athlete that not only excels in his or her athletic life, but also contributes to the betterment of our school by his or her community involvement, leadership, and academics. These two people epitomize a Viking student-athlete and it is considered our most prestigious award. The recipients of this year’s Exemplary Athlete Awards were Michael Wille and Michelle Menkiti.

The 2015-16 VESPY Awards was a fun night. It had a red carpet, photo booth, and a beautiful banquet room to celebrate our memorable year. The evening had a million laughs and smiles, kids cheering for their teammates, videos, and funny presentations. As much fun as it was, the VESPY Awards was also an emotional goodbye. Our senior athletes will be moving on, but their legacy will remain. The close relationships and memories will be lasting. On behalf of the Village Athletic Department, thank you to all of our athletes, parents, staff members, coaches, and supporters, for a wonderful 2015-16 year.

For a list of all the Award Winners, please click the attached document.

The document VESPY Award Winners was attached to this post.