A scholar for sportsmanship

The Tabernacle Athletic Association has made its final decision for the winner of the fifth annual Sean Clegg Memorial College Scholarship Fund Award.

During this year’s Opening Day ceremonies, the TAA baseball program presented Seneca High School senior Erick Endt with the $1,000 college scholarship fund.

“TAA has always been a big part of my life, playing both basketball and baseball growing up,” Endt said. “I won districts when I was 12 years old. That was just one of the countless great memories that I got to share with my friends because of this program.”

This award was established in 2011 to provide one college scholarship each year to a participant who meets all eligibility criteria and best exemplifies and reflects Sean’s legacy of having an indelible human spirit, outstanding moral character, and strong love and connection to the game of baseball.

Sean started with TAA at a young age, as he participated at every level of the TAA recreational baseball program. He played the game with tremendous heart, dedication and sportsmanship, proudly representing the community of Tabernacle.

“TAA feels it is important to recognize participants who demonstrate the values of good sportsmanship, teamwork and community spirit both on and off the field,” TAA PR Director Peter Damiri said. “Our hope is that participants learn these valuable life lessons in part from playing TAA sports and carry these qualities with them as they grow into responsible young adults.”

Sean’s life was tragically taken from him nine days shy of his 15th birthday. His parents courageously decided to donate Sean’s organs to help others in need.

All six donor recipients received successful organ transplants, including a young lady who was the first woman to give birth to twins after a heart transplant.

Endt was awarded in recognition of his winning essay, selected by the review committee that is comprised of TAA board members and Sean’s parents.

“I’m not the strongest writer, but I did my best to really sit down and focus on creating a well-thought-out essay,” Endt said.

The topic assigned for the essay dealt with sportsmanship, dedication, teamwork, honesty and loyalty used in TAA’s baseball program.

“When I was younger, in baseball I never wanted to mess up because it made me feel like I was letting down the team, so I would get very angry and frustrated, but I was able to grow out of that stage because of the support and leadership from the folks with TAA,” Endt said.

Endt participated in every level of the program from T-Ball through Babe Ruth.

“It is very rewarding to learn about the positive experiences kids from Tabernacle had while growing up playing TAA sports, with the hope that someday they will share the same fond memories and teach these valuable life lessons to their children in the future,” Damiri said.

As far as Endt’s future goes, he plans to graduate from Seneca in June, attend BCC in the fall and then transfer to Stockton down the road.

He is looking to get into the computer forensic field and hopes to one day become an FBI agent.

As far as the future goes for the Sean Klegg award, the TAA plans to continue offering scholarship opportunities and increase awareness and participation.

“Winning this award is a great honor that I am very thankful for. It is a wonderful thing that they do each year in Sean’s memory,” Endt said.