Annual award presentation in memory of my son
Thought some of you might be interested in the press release about the award we gave on Sunday, in memory of our son, Liam ... any of you who play on PokerStars will see Liam's picture as my avatar.
The CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) web site has the story, and a picture ...
http://www.universitysport.ca/e/story_detail.cfm?id=4686
macbb (Dale)
Hamilton, ON) Matt Wood was honoured on Sunday evening, as this year's
recipient of the Liam Stevens Award. The award was presented at the
McMaster Marauders Courtside Club year-end banquet, by Liam's parents,
Angela and Dale Stevens.
Wood, a kinesiology student, and native of Whitby, ON, was the long-time
manager of the men's basketball team, who donned the Maroon and Grey
uniform for the last half of the 2004/2005 season.
The award is named for Liam Stevens, who passed away in February 2001, at
the age of 22 months. It is presented annually to the Marauder player who
best exempliflies the qualities of positive attitude, hard work, and
determination. Previous winners include Doug Doyle (2000/2001), Justin
Boye (2001/2002), Charles Kissi (2002/2003), and Steve Martin (2003/2004).
"Liam was a remarkable child," commented Dale Stevens. "He was faced with
many obstacles in his short life, including open heart surgery,
developmental delays, and other medical issues. But through it all, Liam
was the happiest, most determined child in the world. He would bounce
back from every setback, happier and more full of life than the time
before."
Following his passing, Angela and Dale decided to honour him. In addition
to the Liam Stevens Award, a fund has been established in his name at the
McMaster Children's Hospital. For more information about the fund, or to
donate, please contact Dale Stevens at stevensd@mcmaster.ca
Each September, Wood laced up the sneakers, and attended try-outs out for
the Marauders squad. But each year, he came up just short of cracking the
roster.
But rather than pout, be angry, or jealous of his teammates, Dale Stevens
said Wood simply asked how he could help. "Matt has such a high regard
for the McMaster program and the people associated with it, that he wanted
to be a part of it. If not as a player, he simply did whatever was
required. That is the ultimate definition of a team player."
What Wood did was become the team manager. He would carry the bags and
the water bottles. But more than that, Wood helped the staff and the team
with game preparation. Whether it was researching the opposition,
breaking down game film, or being part of the "scout" team in daily
practices, Wood was there. Last year, he was honoured with the Bruce
Cochrane Award, an award presented annually by McMaster Athletics and
Recreation, given to a staff member who shows unwavering dedication to
their group or team.
Over the Christmas break this winter, Coach Joe Raso surprised the team
and Wood by announcing the manager was now a player. Raso felt Wood was
working hard in everything he did, and thought his addition to the active
roster would send a message to the team about intensity and dedication.
The passion and perseverance had paid off for the 22 year-old.
Matt played in six OUA West conference games in 2005, logging 18 minutes
of court time. He didn't hit the scoresheet, with his only two
three-point attempts rimming out.
"Both of those shots were as close to falling as a three-point shot can,"
said Stevens. "And as the attempts were launched, the bench rose as one,
hoping they would find the mark. They didn't, but in the end, it's only a
statistic. Matt Wood proved that character and dedication are two of the
most important characteristics a student athlete can have. These are
characteristics we loved in Liam, and Matt shares the same passion."
Angela and Dale Stevens are very honoured to add Matt Wood's name to the
list of recipients of the Liam Stevens Award.
The CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) web site has the story, and a picture ...
http://www.universitysport.ca/e/story_detail.cfm?id=4686
macbb (Dale)
Hamilton, ON) Matt Wood was honoured on Sunday evening, as this year's
recipient of the Liam Stevens Award. The award was presented at the
McMaster Marauders Courtside Club year-end banquet, by Liam's parents,
Angela and Dale Stevens.
Wood, a kinesiology student, and native of Whitby, ON, was the long-time
manager of the men's basketball team, who donned the Maroon and Grey
uniform for the last half of the 2004/2005 season.
The award is named for Liam Stevens, who passed away in February 2001, at
the age of 22 months. It is presented annually to the Marauder player who
best exempliflies the qualities of positive attitude, hard work, and
determination. Previous winners include Doug Doyle (2000/2001), Justin
Boye (2001/2002), Charles Kissi (2002/2003), and Steve Martin (2003/2004).
"Liam was a remarkable child," commented Dale Stevens. "He was faced with
many obstacles in his short life, including open heart surgery,
developmental delays, and other medical issues. But through it all, Liam
was the happiest, most determined child in the world. He would bounce
back from every setback, happier and more full of life than the time
before."
Following his passing, Angela and Dale decided to honour him. In addition
to the Liam Stevens Award, a fund has been established in his name at the
McMaster Children's Hospital. For more information about the fund, or to
donate, please contact Dale Stevens at stevensd@mcmaster.ca
Each September, Wood laced up the sneakers, and attended try-outs out for
the Marauders squad. But each year, he came up just short of cracking the
roster.
But rather than pout, be angry, or jealous of his teammates, Dale Stevens
said Wood simply asked how he could help. "Matt has such a high regard
for the McMaster program and the people associated with it, that he wanted
to be a part of it. If not as a player, he simply did whatever was
required. That is the ultimate definition of a team player."
What Wood did was become the team manager. He would carry the bags and
the water bottles. But more than that, Wood helped the staff and the team
with game preparation. Whether it was researching the opposition,
breaking down game film, or being part of the "scout" team in daily
practices, Wood was there. Last year, he was honoured with the Bruce
Cochrane Award, an award presented annually by McMaster Athletics and
Recreation, given to a staff member who shows unwavering dedication to
their group or team.
Over the Christmas break this winter, Coach Joe Raso surprised the team
and Wood by announcing the manager was now a player. Raso felt Wood was
working hard in everything he did, and thought his addition to the active
roster would send a message to the team about intensity and dedication.
The passion and perseverance had paid off for the 22 year-old.
Matt played in six OUA West conference games in 2005, logging 18 minutes
of court time. He didn't hit the scoresheet, with his only two
three-point attempts rimming out.
"Both of those shots were as close to falling as a three-point shot can,"
said Stevens. "And as the attempts were launched, the bench rose as one,
hoping they would find the mark. They didn't, but in the end, it's only a
statistic. Matt Wood proved that character and dedication are two of the
most important characteristics a student athlete can have. These are
characteristics we loved in Liam, and Matt shares the same passion."
Angela and Dale Stevens are very honoured to add Matt Wood's name to the
list of recipients of the Liam Stevens Award.
Comments
Dito. :h:
Absolutely, we are proud of everyting associated with Liam, because he was such a great kid!
And yes, I do remember the tournament ... it was my first forum tourney, $33+3 not for leaderboard points ... and, we played 3 for the longest time, eventually agreeing on a chop because it was so late.
macbb