For over twenty years the Maine McDonald's High School Senior All-Star Basketball Games has honored athletes that excel on the court and in the classroom. In 2009, the Maine McDonald's Spirit of the Game Award was added to honor two high school students involved in the basketball program - one from the East and one from the West Division - who embody the spirit of the sport, exemplify sportsmanship, show an ability to overcome obstacles and boundaries, and support and inspire their teammates and coaching staff.
The 2011 Spirit of the Game recipients will be honored at the Friday evening banquet and also serve as managers for their respective divisional teams on Game Day.
Two Maine athletes, Joshua Titus and Patrick Thibodeau, inspired this award. Though collectively the boys only played two games in High School, they inspired many in their community and showed a great commitment to their respective schools basketball programs.
The first year's honorees were nationally recognized, appearing on CBS Sports Final Four Broadcast and received additional awards and recognition including the Boston Celtic's Heroes Among Us Award. In honor of these two young men who inspired America, the awards have been named the Joshua Titus Spirit of the Game Award (East) & Patrick Thibodeau Spirit of the Game Award (West).
If you have a student athlete in your program that you think is deserving of this honor, please complete the enclosed nomination form and mail to the following address by February 16, 2011.
Perhaps it is a player who was injured during the season but still attended every practice and game to support his or her team. Or maybe it is an athlete who may not have the best athletic ability but has a positive attitude that motivated their teammates.
This year's Maine McDonald's Spirit of the Game recipients will be selected by a committee representative of McDonald's of Maine, Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Thibodeau and Titus Families.
Click here to download Patrick Thibodeau's bio.
Click here to download Josh Titus's bio.
If you have a player you feel is deserving of this award
Click here to download the nomination form.
Click here to complete the Spirit of the Game nomination form electronically.
