By Doug Stauffer
The All Sports Association (ASA) recently celebrated its 54th Annual All Sports Association Banquet at the Emerald Coast Convention Center. The auction raised a record-setting $138,500, amassing an impressive $319,000 for the year. That support concluded on the fourth Friday in February by recognizing a Who’s Who of talented, successful, academically-minded, philanthropic athletes ranging from prep to college to amateur and pro. The banquet serves as one of the year’s premier social gatherings, with a Who’s-Who from the Emerald Coast in attendance.
Since 1970, the ASA has supported and honored the “Best of the Best” High School, Collegiate, Amateur, Professional, and Special Olympic athletes. The organization also recognizes individuals fostering youth activities in Northwest Florida.
The ASA, composed of dues-paying volunteers, donate their time to raise money for non-profit organizations emphasizing local youth sports programs. These men, clad in their trademark blue blazers, raise awareness and support for area athletes year-round. Gary McCoy serves as this year’s All Sports president.
This year’s main benefactors included The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Emerald Coast, the Eleanor Johnson Youth Center, the Okaloosa County Special Olympics, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Northwest Florida State College.
This year’s individual award winners:
The Male Collegiate Award winner is Dalton Simpler, the former All-American national champion offensive lineman from Freeport High School who’s the first in his family to graduate from college.
The Female Collegiate Award winner and Niceville High School Alum Lauren Miller, who played golf at Mississippi State and SMU, earned three degrees in five years. She is looking forward to the LPGA.
Blake Garland, the Male Scholastic Award winner, is a three-sport standout graduating Summa Cum Laude and headed to Spring Hill College to play baseball.
The Female Scholastic Award winner, Caitlin Staudt, a three-sport captain who started an elementary program centered around “26 acts of kindness” and whose life centers around the mantra: “You get out what you put in.”
The Taylor Haugen Trophy winner Chi Medina, the first-ever Choctaw recipient, is a two-sport athlete who competes in track and cross country. Medina volunteers with the elderly and her church. She is a straight-A student and works as a school photographer.
Conner Snitko was chosen as the Special Olympics Award winner. He is a 29-year-old who plays 11 sports. He has the most infectious personality, with the medals reflecting his drive to be best at everything.
Byron Cotton was selected as the Amateur Award winner. He was a graduate of Choctaw who left tennis for a couple of decades before picking up the racket and achieving the top 50 national ranks nationally in doubles. He also works as a local attorney.
Michael Carter, a star running back at Navarre High School before going to UNC, now plays for the New York Jets. At 5-feet 8 inches and 200 pounds, he packs a punch in that small frame. He “preached” about striving for greatness, saying, “Slow motion is better than no motion.”
Wuerffel Trophy winner Dillan Gibbons, an FSU grad who started the non-profit “Big Man Big Heart, “ is now gearing up for the NFL draft. Like his father and grandfather, Gibbons keeps a poem called “The Individual” in his pocket to give him perspective and guidance. He was a gentle giant off the field. The Wuerffel Trophy exists to honor college football players who serve others, celebrate their positive impact on society, and inspire greater service worldwide.
The keynote speaker, Chad Hennings, delayed his NFL dreams, because he had committed to being a fighter pilot in the Air Force. His NFL career began as a 26-year-old NFL rookie. He went on to win three Super Bowls in four years and played nine years in the NFL before retiring. Chad is one of the best inspirational speakers of our day.
