Paradise Valley High School’s Boys Varsity Soccer Team was awarded the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) Sportsmanship Award on Feb. 23. This prestigious award is given to a team that demonstrates extraordinary sportsmanship during the season. The student-athletes and coaches have exhibited outstanding character both on and off the field, making them true role models.
“This award is a huge honor and means so much to our team and program. Our program strives to win games and play good soccer, but we want our players to leave our program with qualities that will allow them to be successful later in life. This award is a direct result of the efforts my coaching staff and I put in to train these young men in soccer and life. Whether we win or lose, we want our teams to play with integrity and show good sportsmanship. The coaching staff and I would like to thank this class of seniors for setting the standard for future teams as we continue to build up young men who will be successful beyond their time in our program,” says Coach Brett Bowman.
According to the AIA, the Sportsmanship Award is given to the team in each conference that exhibits the highest level of sportsmanship throughout the season. The game officials rate all teams on their sportsmanship following every contest. The number of teams in each conference varies. It is usually roughly 40 schools per conference spread out across the state.
This is the first time that Paradise Valley High School has received this award.
