“One thing I’ve always learned is that I’m gonna get up!” — Herschel Walker
By M. Shaye Smith
On Saturday, February 20th, athletes, fans and supporters of the All Sports Association gathered at the Mattie Kelly Arts Center located at Northwest Florida State College for the 52nd annual awards ceremony featuring the athlete award recipients, a live auction which brought in $64,700 for the Association, and keynote speaker, Herschel Walker. Athletes in various categories were recognized for their hard work and dedication – not only on the field, but also in other areas.
Closing the ceremony, attendees got the opportunity to hear from former professional and collegiate football player, bobsledder, and mixed martial artist, Herschel Walker. He entertained the attendees with stories of his experiences, and didn’t shy away from what it took to get him where he wanted to go in life and reach the achievements he did. A few attendees even managed to snag a few selfies with him as he mingled and greeted attendees seated close to him.
“I remember my mama told me, ‘Man can’t stop what God’s got in store for you,” Herschel said as he encouraged the athletes and attendees to push into their faith and hard work to achieve the goals they set out for.
Six of the eight athlete award recipients were in attendance and were honored with trophies and recognition during the ceremony. “The All Sports Association does so much in our area for youth sports and supporting our community, and it’s a huge honor to be recognized because there are so many amazing female scholar athletes in our area,” said Fort Walton Beach High School Student, Colby Orcutt, who received the Female Scholastic Award and shared that she has her sights set on Michigan State University following high school where she has received a rowing scholarship.
2020 All Sports Association Award Recipients:
Teton Saltes: Wuerffel Trophy Winner, University of New Mexico
Drew Frederic: Male Collegiate Winner, Troy University
Amber Leggett: Female Collegiate Winner, Sam Houston State University
Joe Brunson: Male Scholastic Winner, Baker High School
Caroline (Colby) Orcutt: Female Scholastic Winner, Fort Walton Beach High School
Tinsely Abbott: Taylor Haugen Award Winner, Walton High School
Brandon Lockridge: Professional Award Winner, Charleston Riverdogs
Regan Rountree: Special Olympics Award Winner, pickleball
Kennedy Hansen: Amateur Award Winner, Water Skier
ASA has donated roughly 1.1 million to local youth sports over the last seven years, and “it will be at 1.3 million by the end of this year,” says Don Collins, ASA president. “$145,000 was given Saturday evening!”
Congrats to all of the award winners and thank you to the All Sports Association for everything it does for our communities. To view the photo album of photos from the event and award recipients, visit facebook.com/MyDestinLife.
