2008 Water-Oak Gold Circle of Sports Awards Dinner
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| The Water-Oak Gold Circle of Sports held its 31st Annual Awards Dinner on Monday April 25, 2008. This event assembles some of the community’s most prolific and well respected sports figures each year, as well as a who’s-who of skilled student athletes and faces every Watertown/Oakville resident should recognize. The Gold Circle of Sports holds this event to honor both the achievements of long time residents and participants in the town’s numerous athletics programs through various achievement awards, among these is the Gold Ring Award, this year granted to Keith Borkowski, Marie Sampson, and Brian Stanley for their outstanding achievements and dedication to the sports community. In addition to the prestigious Gold Ring Award, twenty-nine Watertown High School seniors received scholarship awards, all sponsored by various groups in the community. The night, as always, was filled with everything from emotional speeches to irreverent comedy and anecdotes. Not the least memorable of those being Toastmaster Don Stepanek’s much feared and respected cow bell, brought to poke fun at the organization’s tendency to let speeches run a little long. Other highlights of the night included, in no short manner, guest speaker Chris Dailey, Associate Head Coach of the UCONN Women’s Basketball team, who, although appearing on short notice, answered questions and relayed anecdotes about her time with the UCONN basketball program. Dailey also had nothing but words of encouragement for the scholarship recipients, urging them to “set the bar high” in their future endeavors, sports related or otherwise. The nights first Gold Ring Award recipient Brian Stanley, long time coach and former All-NVL football player, delivered a heartfelt speech, in which he thanks his wife and three daughters Alicia, Lauren, and Jillian. The girls themselves delivered their own speech, as well. Mr. Stanley capped off his speech with by expressing sincere gratitude to all of the girls he’d ever coached saying, “You’re part of my life, and I’m honored to be part of yours.” Following the presentation of the next set of scholarship awards, the second Gold Ring Award recipient Marie Sampson delivered a speech that was no less heartfelt and grateful. Long time girl’s sports coach, Mrs. Sampson has been imparting her knowledge and experience for over twenty years. Currently, Mrs. Sampson spends her time in retirement practicing Tang Soo Do and other various martial arts. The last Gold Ring Award recipient, long time Watertown coach Keith Borkowski, displayed all the dignity and gratitude one would expect from a competitor of his caliber. Mr. Borkowski’s lengthy and impressive resume of successful coaching positions preceded him as he walked to the front of the packed room to accept his recognition. Coach Borrows’s Softball record alone puts him in another class entirely. Two NVL Championships, 36 All-NVL players, 19 All-State players, and 1 All-American rounds out his overall record of 259 wins and 68 losses. There was no more worthy recipient in the room than Coach Keith Borkowski. All in all, the night was full of all the humor and emotion one could expect from a room full of some of the most respected members of our community. Everyone honored could not have deserved their lauding more, and it is safe to say that next years event already greatly anticipated. . . . Jared Jacovich (Jared is a young man entering college this year, who sent us this letter after attending this years ceremony). |
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