Coweta-Fayette EMC is proud to be among Georgia’s Electric Membership Cooperatives who help shape the future of the local community by sponsoring the Georgia High School Association Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award, which honors GHSA member schools throughout the state that exhibit outstanding sportsmanship during competitive events throughout the school year.
In order to be considered for this award, student athletes, coaches, spectators, and any others associated with high school activities and programs must demonstrate the fundamental values of respect, fairness, honesty and responsibility during events. Only one school in each region within each classification is selected to receive the award for a total of 56 winners.
Coweta-Fayette EMC has presented the Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award to local high schools since 2006. For the 2019-2020 school year, four CFEMC area schools received the award to include Heard County High School, McIntosh High School, Northgate High School and Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School.
In coordination with two local Georgia EMCs, Heard County High School Athletic Director Shane Lasseter and Principal John Wahl were presented the award during a football game kickoff, where Mr. Lasseter gave praise to all those involved in the achievement of the award.
“This award means a lot to us. It shows that our school system is teaching the right fundamentals to our students. We strive to provide a family atmosphere and do the best we can to succeed, but at the end of the day, we really want a good experience for all involved,” said Lasseter.
The awards are usually presented at sporting events, school board meetings and pep rallies; however, due to COVID-19, faculty members from both McIntosh High School and Northgate High School accepted the award on behalf of the student athletes, coaches and spectators.
McIntosh High School Principal Daniel Lane and Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Leon Hammond expressed their gratitude to accept the award, which is a testament to how hard coaches and athletes work each year, according to Mr. Hammond.
“This is a huge honor for us. This award really encourages a great sense of pride for our students, who represent our community well on and off the field, along with those who help to make this successful, including parents, coaches and local partners,” said Hammond.
Northgate High School Assistant Principal John Vaughn accepted the award, along with several fellow coaches who were thrilled for the honor of being selected two years in a row.
When asked what the award meant for Northgate High School, Vaughn expressed the importance of practicing proper sportsmanship in athletics, “Good sportsmanship is something we really value here at Northgate, and we teach these values to all of our athletes. This award is a good indicator to the community that it’s not always about winning; It’s about building the character of our students,” said Vaughn.
Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the GHSA Cooperative Spirit Sportsmanship Award was mailed to Our Lady of Mercy Catholic High School.
These high schools displayed exemplary sportsmanship across a variety of athletics, ranging from student athletes to spectators. This award is not only an honor for the students and staff but an honor for the community as well.
Coweta-Fayette EMC is a consumer-owned cooperative providing electricity to over 80,000 consumers in Clayton, Coweta, Fayette, Heard, Meriwether, Spalding, South Fulton and Troup counties.
