YSA’s Circle of Excellence recognizes youth athletes

Park City Mountain Resort's Canyon's Village played host to the Youth Sports Alliance's annual Circle of Excellence ceremony. Invited families comprised the audience and on stage were the emcees, (l to r) gold and silver speedskating Olympic medalist Derek Parra, Executive Director of the Youth Sports Alliance Emily Boyle, and eight-time Olympic/Paralympic/Youth Olympic announcer Carl Roepke. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — Last night was the Youth Sports Alliance (YSA) Circle of Excellence, an event each year where local youth athletes are recognized for their achievements.

Recipients are participants from one or more of YSA’s seven member-teams and many of them are also scholarship recipients of Stein Eriksen Endowment Fund.

Advice Media, for its web design and IT services, was awarded the Spirit of Service Award.

Attendees purchased raffle tickets for which the winners were announced right then and there. Prizes included:

• A pair of Rossignol skis
• Two, day lift tickets to Park City Mountain
• Two tickets toYSA’s October 23rd’s Jan’s Winter Welcome to which ticket’s are on sale now and donation items/experiences are still being accepted.

Every athlete invited to the Circle of Excellence ceremony left with:

• A USANA shake bottle
• A day pass to Woodward

Sam Jackenthal of Live Like Sam‘s dad, Ron, presented the award in his late son’s name and said on stage, “I just really want to thank the YSA Board and staff and Emily and the whole community for recognizing Sam’s spirit of sport.”

Olympian, Wasatch Luge Program Director and head coach Jon Owen said to Townlift, “This is a great event each year for the younger, up and coming athletes to receive well-deserved recognition throughout the community.”

Owen has been involved in YSA’s Circle of Excellence ceremonies from its inception. Another long-time champion of the event is former and honorary YSA Board member Richard Sheinberg. Sheinberg said to Townlift. “This has been a wonderful yearly ceremony and it grows in importance for the young athletes as we have more and more folks participating. I’m so proud to be involved with YSA which is our premier youth activities organization in Park City.”

Pictured above, on the far left, in the group of All-Star award recipients is Carson Owen (no relation to Jon), 12, an ice hockey player. He said to Townlift regarding his invitation to the Circle of Excellence event, “It’s very exciting.”

Standing next to Owen is Christopher Biglow, 13, also an ice hockey player. Biglow said, “It’s a really fun event.”

Their teammate Peter Killilea, 13, pictured to the right of Biglow added, I’ve been looking forward to this night because it’s super cool.”

To the right of Killilea, above, is London Zarkos, 10. She’s been a snowboarder for five years. The somewhat shy Zarkos, in her first media interview, but likely not her last, described her experience as a YSA Circle of Excellence award winner as, “Good.”