The Miami Dolphins and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) recognize the week seven youth football players, coach and parent who have demonstrated their commitment to being leaders on and off the field:
• High School Player of the Week: Kai Henry from Miami Northwestern Senior High School. Henry rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns in the 45-44 victory over the four-time state champion Miami Central Rockets.
He also scored the game-winning two-point conversion to secure the Bulls’ win. Henry leads all Miami-Dade County running backs in rushing yards.
• High School Coach of the Week: Laron Culpepper from McArthur High School. What’s amazing about this team is that just two years ago, the Mustangs were 0-10. Now, Coach Culpepper’s team sits at 7-0 and won their district.
• Youth Player of the Week: Deiontavius Glinton from Gold Coast Pop Warner. Glinton is a running back for the Boca Brave Varsity (180s). He ran for 170 yards, two touchdowns and added an additional receiving touchdown in a 22-0 victory over the Pompano Eagles.
• Team Mom of the Week: Fonda Ware from the Lauderhill Broncos of the Gold Coast Pop Warner League. Mrs. Ware has been a dedicated volunteer to the Lauderhill Broncos Football and Cheer Program. Despite the changes in leadership over the years, she has stayed dedicated to the program and the kids which it serves. Mrs. Ware’s children (now adults) all played for the Lauderhill Broncos program. Despite not having any kids currently enrolled, Mrs. Ware’s attitude is that all the current and future participants are her kids, and she will be there for them one way or another. Currently, she is member of the Order of Eastern Star, where she has served in various roles over the past 20 years. Mrs. Ware also is a YMCA volunteer, Girl Scout troop leader, Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteer and member of the Worldwide Fraternity of Turtle.
Each award recipient will be presented with a plaque on the field during the Oct. 23 Dolphins home game at Hard Rock Stadium against the Buffalo Bills, and receive acknowledgement of their accomplishment in the game program and through the Dolphins’ and RISE’s social media platforms. They also will receive a pair of tickets to a Miami Dolphins home game and a Dolphins/RISE T-shirt.
As a newly added component of the program and part of the Dolphins/RISE partnership, winners will be empowered to make a difference by participating in a RISE training program where they will learn how to use the unifying power of sport to promote the importance and benefits of unity, equality and inclusiveness as well as address racial tensions their teams, schools and communities might experience.
Awardees also will be encouraged to take a pledge, committing to stand up to racial inequality and share how they plan to affect change by creating a “How I RISE” video message, which will be posted on RISEtoWIN.org.
***Photo Credit: Miami Dolphins***