On October 7th, 9 of Naugatuck High School’s senior athletes attended the annual CIAC Sportsmanship Conference at the Aqua Turf. At the conference, Greyhound Nation was awarded one of the Fred Balsamo Sportsmanship Awards. They received both a plaque and 500 dollars for winning the award.
The Sportsmanship Conference’s goals were to promote respect, leadership, and good sportsmanship among high school student-athletes. These skills will follow students throughout high school and beyond, so it is incredibly important to embed those ideas within them as soon as possible.
Greyhound Nation was awarded one of the Fred Balsamo Sportsmanship Awards at the conference. Applicants for this award were evaluated based on 4 criteria. The program’s promotion of tolerance, acceptance, and respect; the impact of the program on student development; alignment with the CIAC Class Act program principles; and the program’s reach among students and athletes at the school.
“It was wonderful that the state recognized Naugatuck’s Greyhound Nation for doing so much for our community in such a short period of time,” said Mrs.Stone.
Not only did they receive a plaque acknowledging the impact Greyhound Nation has had, but they were also awarded $500. The plan is to use that money to expand their brand and make it more visible. Mrs.Stone hopes to buy t-shirts and banners displaying the Greyhound Nation logo to achieve that goal.
Greyhound Nation is a relatively new club at NHS. This year marks only its 3rd year as a recognized club. However, they have already made a large impact on the Naugy community. Promoting good sportsmanship and leadership within both its members and other student-athletes.
“I have been able to combine my love for this town, my passion for athletics, and community service and teach young student-athletes how to stand up for what they believe in while making their teams, school, and community a better place,” said Mrs.Stone, advisor of Greyhound Nation.
Not only does Greyhound Nation influence at the high school level, but they also have a positive impact on the district as a whole. Many of the events they run take place at the elementary, intermediate, and middle schools. From their Read Across Naugatuck event focused on reading at elementary schools, to Little Greyhound Fun Day which involves all grade levels. Greyhound Nation runs fun events that all grade levels can look forward to.
Greyhound Nations’ impact on the Naugatuck community as a whole makes them well deserving of the Fred Balsamo Sportsmanship Award. With the positive influence already made by Greyhound Nation in such a short period of time, it is likely that they will continue to make an even bigger impact over the course of the next few years.
