AYSO Region 88 Hands Out Sportsmanship Awards

The American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) Region 88 held its third annual Sportsmanship Award ceremony at the Glendale Sports Complex on Oct. 22.

Honored for exemplifying the spirit of AYSO and good sportsmanship during the 2006 season were 253 youths ages 4-18.

Selected by their coaches, the recipients were given a Region 88 T-shirt and pin. The honorees will also be listed in the 2006 yearbook that every player in the program receives at the end of the season.

“Good sportsmanship is one of the five tenets of AYSO,” said Aldo Mascheroni, Region 88 commissioner. “It is particularly important to recognize those players who have embraced the philosophy,” he said.

The Sportsmanship Award was started in 2003 to recognize players who demonstrate qualities besides good play and success on the playing field.

AYSO Region 88 is an all-volunteer soccer and child development organization and is the largest youth athletic program in the Glendale area community.

In the program, more than 3,260 players on 287 teams play 147 games every weekend from September through December on various venues throughout the Glendale area.

The Region 88 website is www.ayso88.org and new members are always welcome to join any of the teams.