2022 Marlon Johnson Award of Excellence Recipient

2022 winner Kaija Kunze-Hoeg presented by Adam Beamer

The following speech was made by 2019 Maurice Batie Award winner, Anna Erickson on June 2, 2022 as she announced the 2022 Marlon Award of Excellence for a Player.

Good evening players, parents, coaches and directors.

It’s a thrill to be a part of the banquet tonight and I’m very happy you can all have this end of the year experience as I’ve treasured the memories from the six banquets I had the honor of attending.

For me, Northern Lights has been so much more than a volleyball club. It’s been a home, it’s been a family and it’s given me many life lessons. I’ve loved all of my coaches and it has been a privilege to work with every single one of them.

One coach in particular made a huge impact on many players throughout the club and it gives me great pleasure to talk about him tonight. Marlon Johnson coached and influenced hundreds of players during his 16 year tenure at Lights. He had a very enthusiastic coaching style and was very passionate about not only the game but the players as well.

This award, now called The Marlon Johnson Award of Excellence pays tribute to his memory as he passed in 2019. This award keeps his memory alive and recognizes an athlete that personifies the same qualities that Marlon possessed such as determination, compassion, leadership, energy, grit, work ethic and many more. Having received the Maurice Batie award in 2019 was one of my greatest accomplishments and most cherished memories.

It is a privilege to pass this great honor in Marlon Johnson’s name to this remarkable individual. This young woman excels not only in the gym but in academics and as a member of the northern lights community. She has contributed and made a big impact on this club for the past 5 years. Although I have never met her, I have heard such wonderful things about her as a player and as a person. I know she will continue to do great things throughout her college career and beyond.

This person is a multi sport athlete, a coach, a mentor and will soon be embarking on her collegiate path at one of the most prestigious and highly respected institutions of higher education in the country. This school has many notable alumnae including Madeleine Albright, Hillary Clinton and Cokie Roberts. I have no doubt that this person will add her name to this list of accomplished women and further empower women of her generation and of generations to come. It is with great pleasure that I announce the 2022 Marlon Johnson Award of Excellence to this Wellesley commit, Kaija Kunze-Hoeg.