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DES
MOINES, Iowa. (September 21,
2006) - For more than three decades,
Neil Parmenter has given countless
volunteer hours to youth sports.
He has served as coach, board member,
officer, player agent, tournament
director, commissioner, volunteer,
and administrator for multiple sports
including the Beaverdale Little
League, the Parochial Football League
and the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).
For his efforts, Parmenter will
be honored by the National Council
Of Youth Sports (NCYS) as the 2006
Hershey's STRIVE Local Youth Sports
Administrator of the Year.
In
the late 1980's, Parmenter was asked
to start a baseball program for
the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU)
in the state of Iowa. Under Parmenter's
leadership, the Iowa AAU baseball
program began with a 16-and-under
division, but quickly expanded to
include 12-and-under teams. Today
there is a program for every age
from six to sixteen with numerous
tournaments in the spring and the
fall. Almost 20 years later, Parmenter
continues as chair of Iowa AAU Baseball
and has served for about ten years
as chair of national AAU Baseball.
The
father of eight children, Parmenter
has fulfilled about every volunteer
position in connection with ice
hockey, swimming, soccer, softball,
water polo, golf, baseball, football,
and basketball programs. He has
helped with everything from concession
stand duty to mowing, preparing
and chalking hundreds of baseball
diamonds in his lifetime. "He
has always kept young people involved
in supervised extra curricular activities
geared toward a youngster's level
of interest and ability," says
his wife Teresa. "For Neil
youth sports are a labor of love."
STRIVE
stands for Sports Teach Respect,
Initiative, Values and Excellence
and the award honors adult leaders
for their "heartfelt passion,
enthusiastic commitment and contagious
spirit to help kids succeed in youth
sports activities." This year,
NCYS will present Hershey's STRIVE
Awards to one national administrator,
one local administrator, one volunteer
and one coach. Honorees were nominated
by team members, parents or colleagues
and judged by a panel of NCYS officials.
Sally
S. Johnson, NCYS Executive Director,
noted that the lack of recognition
given to outstanding adult leaders
involved in youth sports prompted
the NCYS to create the awards.
"We
felt it was time to honor America's
hometown heroes on a larger stage
and to give them the praise they
deserve," Johnson said. "Many
of these individuals devote countless
hours each week, all while juggling
full-time careers, families, and
other commitments."
Parmenter
will be honored on Sunday, November
5th during an awards banquet at
the Hy-Vee Hall in downtown Des
Moines Iowa. The STRIVE event is
hosted by the NCYS and The Hershey
Company. During the celebration,
Parmenter will receive a check for
$2,500, which he has announced will
be donated to the Iowa Amateur Athletic
Union.
Other STRIVE winners
In
addition to Local Administrator
of the Year, the other three STRIVE
Award winners for National Administrator,
Coach and Volunteer include:
Jon
Butler, Executive Director of Pop
Warner Little Scholars, was selected
as the Hershey's STRIVE National
Administrator of the Year. Butler
has led this national youth football,
cheer and dance organization in
setting high standards for academic
and athletic achievement. He is
a strong proponent that young athletes
can excel both on the playing field
and in the classroom. Pop Warner
Little Scholars is the largest youth
football, cheerleading & dance
program in the United States. More
than 360,000 young people (ages
5-16), 37,000 coaches and one million
parents and volunteers are involved
in the program in 41 states and
several countries. Pop Warner is
the only national youth sports organization
that requires minimum scholastic
achievement to participate.
Cindi
Hart of Indianapolis, Indiana was
selected the Hershey's STRIVE Coach
of the Year for her commitment to
the IndySpeed Sports Club and the
Special Olympics Indiana. Against
all odds, and through breast cancer
treatment, Hart continued to coach
and compete as an athlete while
teaching her speed skaters and cyclists
that "all obstacles can be
overcome" with a positive attitude,
attainable goal setting, courage
and resilience through adversity.
Hart's expertise and ability to
bring out the best in her student
athletes has taught athletes of
all levels the life skills of compassion,
perseverance and discipline.
Barbara
Tobias of West Seneca, New York
was chosen as the Hershey's STRIVE
Volunteer of the Year. Tobias was
recognized for her untiring volunteerism,
valued organizational skills, humble
work ethic, and ability to motivate
others within the West Seneca Youth
Hockey Association and her community.
She is the mom of three hockey players
and the adopted mother to a whole
team of boys and their siblings.
She is the association registrar,
travel team manager, Booster Club
president, hockey association board
member, as well as the voice of
the hockey moms.
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EDITOR'S
NOTE: For more information about
Neil Parmenter, the Hershey's STRIVE
Award or NCYS, please contact Sally
S. Johnson, NCYS Executive Director
at
772-781-1452 or youthsports@ncys.org.
ABOUT The NCYS:
The
National Council of Youth Sports
(NCYS) comprises the who's who in
the youth sports industry. Its membership
represents more than 180 organizations/corporations
serving 52 million boys and girls
participating in organized youth
sports throughout the United States.
NCYS members include organizations
such as: Little League Baseball,
Pop Warner Football, American Youth
Soccer Association, United States
Olympic Committee, and Boys &
Girls Clubs of America. To learn
more about the NCYS visit www.ncys.org.
ABOUT The Hershey Company:
The
Hershey Company has long offered
successful fundraising programs
for youth in America. Its sponsorship
of the STRIVE Awards stems from
The Hershey Company's devotion to
helping children of all ages to
"Dream, Reach and Succeed"
in everything that they do. For
more information about The Hershey
Company and its fundraising programs,
visit www.hersheysfundraising.com.
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Hershey’s
STRIVE Award gives us something
positive to shout about!
Hershey’s sponsorship
of STRIVE stems from the
company’s devotion
to helping children of ages
Dream, Reach and Succeed
in everything they do. On
display is the STRIVE trophy,
a check for $2,500, megaphones,
and lots of Hershey candy!
Neil
Parmenter (center) proudly
shows off his award trophy
as the NCYS’ Hershey’s
STRIVE Award’s Local
Administrator of the Year.
Nominator Teresa Parmenter
(left) and Sally Johnson,
Executive Director of the
National Council of Youth
Sports (right) are all smiles
sharing the moment.
NCYS
Executive Director Sally
Johnson recognizes Des Moines
Iowa’s Neil Parmenter
for decades of exemplary
leadership. From concession
stand duty to chalking hundreds
of baseball diamonds; from
coach to commissioner to
youth sports administrator;
from baseball to basketball,
football, ice hockey, soccer,
softball, water polo, golf
and swimming; athletics
has been a volunteer “labor
of love” for this hometown
hero.
Neil
accepts his STRIVE award
and thanks the NCYS and
the Hershey Company. He
also extends his appreciation
to the dozens of senders
of congratulatory letters,
proclamations, and special
recognitions from U.S. Senators,
U.S. Congressman, the Governor,
County Supervisors, USA
Baseball, Little League,
AAU, the Greater Des Moines
CVB, and lots of friends
and supporters who offered
their best wishes.
The
STRIVE presentation was
held during the Iowa Amateur
Athletic Union Awards Banquet—a
hometown event for a hometown
hero. Over one hundred boys
and girls received special
recognition as the 2006
Iowa outstanding amateur
athletes.
“Sports
for all Forever” is
a strong and powerful motto
of the AAU. Pictured above
are just some of the outstanding
athletes who are learning
the important life lesson
of linking sports as the
conduit through which children
learn important life lessons,
values, compassion and good
ethics…and having fun
while playing youth sports!
Young athletes
from all over Iowa were
awarded in the sports of
baseball, basketball, gymnastics,
track and field, trampoline/tumbling,
volleyball, and wrestling.
Nearly four hundred people
were on hand at the Iowa
Event Center.
Neil Parmenter
leads the way standing full
of pride among his cherished
colleagues of volunteer
sport coaches. It is the
relationship between sport
skills and life skills that
provide our young athletes
with the fundamentals they
need to succeed both on
and off the playing field.
Shawn Johnson pauses for
a photo-op with NCYS Executive
Director Sally Johnson (no
relation!). Shawn is a 14
year old 9th grader from
West Des Moines. She began
gymnastics when she was
3 years old and is the current
member of the U.S. Women’s
National Team. Shawn was
this year’s recipient
of the Iowa AAU’s Vic
Young Outstanding Athlete
Award.
Tim McClelland, Major League
Umpire offers a congratulatory
handshake to STRIVE winner
Neil Parmenter. McClelland
was the event’s Keynote
Guest Speaker with a special
message to keep your “ACE”
in your ballcap. ACE is
an acronym for Attitude,
Concentration, and Effort.
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