2019 Maurice Batie Award of Excellence Recipient
2019 winner Anna Erickson presented by Adam Beamer
The following speech was made by 2018 Mo Award winner, Emily Tran on June 10, 2019 as she announced the 2019 Maurice Batie Award of Excellence.
Hello Parents, Coaches, Teams, Adam, and Curt.
Thank you so much for having me back. It feels great to be here.
Every player here, you can understand the sacrifices you make to be a part of this club. But with these sacrifices, come many opportunities. So, despite all of the power leagues, there comes ice cream socials, national championships, lifelong friends, and eventually Italy! I loved and embraced my time here at Northern Lights and I am a witness to the great wonders this club serves to a player. Northern Lights not only gave me great experiences and lifelong friends, but this club gave me the opportunity and room to grow as a woman. I obviously still have a lot to learn, but without Northern Lights who knows, I could still be like this in thirty years. But just like every girl here, I was learning what it took to be a good player, teammate, and most importantly a great person.
Every year, Northern Lights honors Maurice Batie who possesses the ideal “great person”. This Award of Excellence is Northern Lights’ way of keeping Mr. Batie’s legacy alive. Although I never got to meet Mr. Batie, his legacy echoes throughout the Northern Lights gym. His picture on the wall stood as an example to not only work hard, but strive for good character. This special honor is given to a graduating senior who has outshined in our community, showing “good people” qualities that Mr. Batie would have admired.
Have received this special award, it was something I’ll never forget. I remember being up on this stage completely speechless, slurring the words “Uh”, “I love you mom”, and “this is crazy”. I really had no words to explain the love I had for this club and the honor I just received. I also continued to cry the whole drive home, still not being able to interpret the gushing happiness I was feeling. Throughout college, I have kept this award along beside me as a constant reminder to continue and strive to be a good person, representing this club, my university, my family, and myself.
I’m so grateful to be standing here to present something so special to this special girl. The senior receiving this award is so deserving. Not only is she known for her great work ethic and competitive spirit, she’s a friend to everyone. Her smile lights up the entire room and she’s really funny. I even have had the honor playing with her. I’ve witnessed her grit and hard work paying off in the game. She also pushes her team to be the best, but makes the people around her better and happier. She’s placed in a variety of 1ndplace finishes, played in 2 national championships, and has earned an AAU All-American Award. This girl isn’t only a player, but truly an honor to have as a teammate and most importantly a friend. I’m glad to announce this year’s Maurice Batie award who will be attending Central Michigan University, to Anna Erikson.