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SportsEngine Athlete of the Month

Nominate an athlete making an impact both on and off the field of play!

Do you know a young athlete making a difference in their sport and beyond? Each month, SportsEngine and TrueSport will choose one athlete who embodies TrueSport’s core values and Sport’s Engine’s love of sport to be selected as the Athlete of the Month.

The SportsEngine TrueSport Coach Excellence Award was an award program to recognize coaches who are putting positive coaching values into action within their teams and their communities. Click here to view the Coach Excellence Award winners.

Nominate an athlete today!

November 2023

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month: Aria Pearce.

Starting her track and field journey in the sixth grade, Aria Pearce knew she loved running. Transitioning from being one of the speediest athletes on her town’s boys’ flag football team, Aria quickly became a beacon of inspiration for many

Diving into track meets, Aria became a rising star, defeating many formidable competitors some of whom were two years her senior.  

SportsEngine and TrueSport sat down with Aria as she was nominated for this month’s Athlete of the Month. TrueSport Ambassador and Team USA Weightlifter Abby Raymond has the story on what has to be one of our most memorable interviews to date. 

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September 2023

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month: Isabella Castellanos Lopes.

Meet Isabella or “Bella” Castellanos Lopes—this month’s Athlete of the Month. This dynamic soccer player is not only outstanding on the field but also off the field. Bella is a role model to her peers by offering support during their off days, helping teammates struggling to understand the game, and displaying the utmost respect for her coaches, opponents, and officials. Currently, this valedictorian student plays up with the U17 players for FC Berlin team, in Ontario, Canada, dominating the field as a left winger.

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August 2023

SportsEngine and TrueSport present: Athlete of the Month Lily Angsouvan

Lily Angsouvan can take on challenges and adapt. 

“Lily has the determination, resilience, and perseverance of someone many years older, but she still manages to enjoy life and have fun with her friends and family. Even though Lily deals with anxiety, she doesn’t let it affect how she sees the world and never lets anything sideline her for very long,” states her mom, Lorraine Hartkemeyer.

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June 2023

SportsEngine and TrueSport present: Athlete of the Month Harper Messiah

Very few athletes show as much grit on the gridiron as Patrick Mahomes, but this month’s SportsEngine x TrueSport Athlete of the Month might give Mahomes a run for his money one day. Like Mahomes, he is a multi-sport athlete. Also, like Mahomes, he is a leader for his teams on and off the field. Meet 11-year-old Harper Messiah.

Whether running the 50-meter dash, leading his team in flag football, or pitching a baseball game, Harper gives his team and coaches 110%.

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april 2023

SportsEngine and TrueSport present Athlete of the Month: Eli Diaz

What does it take to become a soccer maverick? A lot of strength, time, and skill. We found all three when we met this up-and-coming midfielder from Texas. Exemplifying all the qualities of a TrueSport athlete, Eli Diaz started playing soccer at three. Eli began  as a defender and moved to the midfield position, so he had the opportunity to, in his words, “become an efficient part of the team.” 

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march 2023

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month Olivia Casabona.

To be a back-row volleyball specialist requires a lot of talent and trust. Trust that you will have everyone’s back during a game—literally. With impeccable ball control and defensive skills, the back row offensive and defensive players keep the game moving fast and consist of an outside hitter, libero, and a setter. These players are often seen as leaders of the pack for their team, and our latest Athlete of the Month, Olivia Casabona, is no exception. 

Nominated by her teammate, London Walsh, Olivia has averaged four aces a game, over 20 digs, and was named MVP of her team at John F. Kennedy Catholic Prep School in Somers, New York. 

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FEBRUARY 2023

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month Taryn Draine.

Tackling dreams and motivating teams is exactly what the most recent Athlete of the month, Taryn Draine, is doing. From her team pep talks dubbed “Taryn Talks” to averaging 17 points a game and her junior journalist career, this 13-year-old paves new paths for young female athletes everywhere.

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2022 Athlete of the Month Award Winners

JANUARY 2022

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month Aparna Ramakrishnan

When senior golfer Aparna Ramakrishnan steps up to tee off during one of her Naperville Central High School team tournaments, she knows that she’s ready for the round ahead. 

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FEBRUARY 2022

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month Adelyn Jones.

Adelyn Jones does not see herself as a “pioneer” in sport. What started out as a coach saying to a 9-year old, “hey do you want to try weightlifting,” turned into a passion for the sport.

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MARCH 2022

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month Cru Martinson.

 Cru Martinson is a forward for NXT Level Hockey and the Jr. Ducks. Cru’s passion and persistence made him an excellent nomination for SportsEngine and TrueSport’s Athlete of the Month. 

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APRIL 2022

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month Riley Thames..

When 7-year-old Riley Thames picked up a basketball and started dribbling around her kitchen, her dad, Randy Thames, decided to pick up his phone.

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MAY 2022

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month Madison Faith.

Madison Faith’s dedication to teamwork and the passion she has for sharing the game of soccer with young girls like her make her the perfect choice for SportsEngine and TrueSport’s Athlete of the Month.

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SEPTEMBER 2022

Athlete of the Month: Lehua Siaki.

Lehua (pronounced ley-hoo-ah), known by her teammates as ‘Hua,’ is a 13-year-old fastpitch softball player for the Washington Ladyhawks. Starting in the sport when she was just eight years old, Hua is nominated for her outstanding sportsmanship on and off the field. 

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NOVEMBER 2022

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month Mason Asis.

As many coaches know, perseverance and fun go hand and hand. “The amazing thing about Mason is that he only started playing hockey one year ago,” says Paoli. “He worked very hard in the learn to skate/play program. And then he transitioned onto a Pee Wee team seamlessly.”

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DECEMBER 2022

SportsEngine and TrueSport Present: Athlete of the Month MaKena Rodgers.

MaKena Rodgers suffered a traumatic brain injury falling out of a bunkbed on a family vacation at the age of 10. After missing half the school year from her injury, Makena’s parents were told by doctors that she would never be the same. Two years later, MaKena, or as her softball team refers to her as ‘Mighty Mouse,’ is now an accomplished athlete. 

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What was the Coach Excellence Award?

Outside of parents, coaches are the most influential person in an athlete’s life. Their dedication and commitment to athletes is immeasurable, and the life lessons taught by coaches through sport transcend the athletic experience and help shape a young person’s life.

The SportsEngine TrueSport Coach Excellence Award was an award program to recognize coaches who are putting positive coaching values into action within their teams and their communities.

2020 AWARD WINNERS

2020 Award Winner: Coach Greg Krahn (Milwaukee Jr. Admirals Hockey)

Ice hockey coach Greh Krahn with two young athletes.

Ice hockey coach Greg Krahn with team.

Read Why Greg Coaches
Read About Greg's Award

2020 Runner-Up: Benoit Bouysset (Fencing)

Fencing coach Benoit Bouysset with his youth athletes.

Coach Benoit Bouysset fencing with a young athlete.

Read Why Benoit Coaches

2020 Runner-Up: Cassandra ‘Cass’ Cefolo (Softball)

Softball coach Cass Cefolo with a young athlete.

Softball coach Cass Cefolo with team.

Read Why Cass Coaches

2019 AWARD WINNERS

2019 Winner: Jose Miguel Burgos (Soccer)

Jose Burgos posing with his SportsEngine Coaching Award.
Read more about jose's award

2019 Runner-Up: Kie McCrae (NetBall)

Coach Kie McCrae posing with Netball team.
Read Why Kie Coaches

2019 Runner-Up: Fallon Buckner (Basketball)

Coach Fallon Buckner posing with basketball team.
Read Why Fallon Coaches

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Goal-Setting Lesson Video Transcript

Hi. I’m Trevon, Trey, Jennifer. Team USA wheelchair basketball player, paralympian, and true sport athlete. Today, I want to talk to you about goal setting. And there are three things that I would like you to know. First, successful athletes set goals and a planned roadmap. Second, goals should be written down, assessed over time, and changed if necessary. And third, goals need to be challenging in order to be worthwhile. As a freshmen at Edinboro University, I was a part of a team that made the national championship game. And at that time I recognized I was the low man on the totem pole, but I felt in my heart that I knew my dreams were so much bigger than winning a national title. I wanted to make Team USA. I knew what achieving my lofty goal was not going to be easy and that I would need to work hard every day.

So, as a reminder, I created a pyramid of goals that I kept right above my bed. This pyramid reminded me of the accomplishments that I was working towards and visually represented my need to create a solid foundation underneath me before reaching the top. In the bottom roll of my pyramid of goals I listed goals such as obtaining my bachelor’s degree, becoming a scholar athlete award recipient, and becoming an All-American. The middle row listed winning a national title and playing for a professional team. And at the top row, the most challenging of them all, I listed becoming a gold medalist for Team USA.

By understanding that there are smaller stepping stones to achieving my ultimate goal of being on Team USA, I was able to stay motivated and to stay focused on completing the smaller stepping stones fully before moving onto the next one. Now I’ll be the first to admit that not every goal that I listed on my pyramid was accomplished, but seeing my goals every day when I went to bed, I was able to push through the days that I felt like doing nothing in hopes of achieving the bigger picture. Remember, create a clear goal roadmap, assess your goals often, and continue to challenge yourself. I hope that you never stopped dreaming big or reaching for the stars. And I look forward to seeing where your roadmap takes you.

Body Image Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Kara Winger, Olympic javelin thrower, and true sport athlete. Today I want to talk to you about body image and I have three things I’d like you to know. First, healthy thoughts often lead to healthier bodies. Second, there are varying body types and no one’s body is exactly like another. And third, true beauty goes deeper than the skin. As a multi-time Olympian, I’ve experienced a lot of variation and progression in my training. My coaches and I adapt to my training frequently, all with the goal of supporting my long-term success and health in the sport of javelin. I’m talking to you about body image today because sometimes even with the best of intentions and a common goal in mind, the changes you make to your training habits can prove to be detrimental if made for the wrong reasons. In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic trials, I was told in order to improve my performance on the field, I should try to become a leaner, skinnier version of myself.

So I changed my diet. I went along with what I was being told to do, even though I’d had great success at a slightly heavier weight and higher body fat percentage, and became much leaner than ever before. It seemed like a successful change at first, but I didn’t have nearly the results I’d had before. And I believe becoming leaner than my body naturally wanted to be was what caused my ACL to tear. In the end, it cost me heavily going into the 2012 London games. The takeaway for me, and hopefully for you, is that it’s important to know what works for you and your body and to not compare yourself to others. You should do your research and experiment with your diet to find what makes you feel the best, rather than focusing on what you look like. Today, if I feel like having a chocolate chip cookie, I have one, just not every day.

I’ve learned what a properly balanced meal for my body looks like and I recognize food as the fuel that keeps me throwing. I hydrate and allow myself time to recover. And I listen to and communicate with my body so that I can be the best version of myself. In the end, you are in control of how you see, treat, and respond to your body. We only get one and it’s amazing to discover how many things our bodies can do. Be a true sport athlete. Love who you are in this moment and get excited for all the places your body will take you.

A Good Sport Lesson Video Transcript

Hi, I’m Izy Isaksen, Team USA, Modern Pentathlon, Olympian, US Army Sergeant, and True Sport Ambassador. Today, I want to talk to you about being a good sport. There are three things I’d like you to know. First, real winners act the same toward their opponent, whether they win or lose. Second, follow the rules and be a gracious winner and respectful loser. And third, sportsmanship reveals your true character.

I started competing in Modern Pentathlon eight years after my older sister and three-time Olympian, Margaux Isaksen, began competing. I soon realized that people often compared the two of us. I would overhear spectators and teammates asking, “Who’s the better athlete,” and “Who’s going to beat the other.” Instead of letting outside pressures create a negative experience for us, I chose to practice winning and losing with grace and respect. I know that it would have been easy to let our hyper competitive mindset affect our relationship, but instead we decided to support and cheer for each other, regardless of our own performance. My experience of competing against and being compared to my older sister, taught me to focus on how to perform at my best, rather than putting wasted energy into wishing for others to fail.

I believe that sportsmanship reveals true character. So, no matter what situation I encounter during competition, I know it’s important to always treat people with respect and be a good sport. Remember, be a fierce competitor, find grace in all your victories and losses. And I hope to see you out there.

What Kind of Coach Do You Want to Be? Video Transcript

Edwin Moses: You’re a coach. Maybe what you want is very simple, for everyone to just run in the right direction, score for their own team, to try and try again and again. Maybe you want your athletes to become all stars. You want them to earn trophies, medals, win titles. You want them to reach the highest height their sport allows. And wanting all of that, of course, that’s good. But as every great coach discovers, developing a great athlete means nurturing, nurturing the even greater person within. Truth is, you have even more influence than you know.

You have the ability to affect even deeper change, to take what’s in your hands and do something even more extraordinary. You can be both the coach who provides the skills needed to win the game and the coach who helps them learn and succeed beyond the sport, to become all stars wherever they land in the future, and to enjoy their lives more now, because the confidence and courage they find working with you will stay with them when they need it the most. There are games to be won, lives to change. Coaches have the power to do both.

I’m Edwin Moses, and the lessons I’ve learned through sport have challenged me, guided me, and shaped my life forever. What kind of coach do you want to be?

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.