After a year that saw three rookie entries claim the four prizes in the annual NSCAA Writing Contest, an even balance of returning award winners and newcomers have earned honors in the eighth edition of the contest.
Dan Woog of Soccer America returns to the list of winners by taking College division honors for the first time since 1997. His article titled “A Coach and His Alumni” highlighted the relationship between Colgate men’s coach Mike Doherty and his former players and how that strong network provided support in the wake of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Three former Colgate players were lost in the World Trade Center attack.
Writing for Blue and White, a University of North Carolina fan magazine, Dan Satter took his third award in the past two years. In 2001, Satter won in the Deadline/Game Story and Non-Deadline/Feature categories. This year, his award came in the Columns division. His article “Just Like They Pictured It” related the experience of the Tar Heel men’s team in the moments that followed their NCAA Division I national championship victory.
In the Feature Story category, Student Sports magazine’s Sheldon Shealer was a first-time winner with his article titled “An Assist and a Save.” In it, he told how Scott Moore, the boys coach at Raytown (Mo.) High School, donated a kidney to save the life of a friend. In the Deadline/Game Story category, an article by Phil Goble Jr. for the Wilson (N.C.) Daily Times titled “Grubb Throw-Ins Push Falcons Past Clayton” illustrated how Ryan Grubb, a senior from Charles B. Aycock High School, used his throw-in skills to help his team to its first postseason tournament victory.
The entries were evaluated by a panel of three judges who have extensive experience in sports media and sports communications. The winner in each category will receive a plaque from NSCAA in recognition of their achievement. The contest was begun by NSCAA in 1995 to recognize the writiers who best chronicle soccer's personalities, problems, games and growth each year. The published work of any accredited writer for a daily or weekly newspaper, weekly or monthly magazine or media-related Internet site is eligible for consideration.
All-Time NSCAA Writing Contest Winners
2002
Deadline/Game Story: Phil Goble Jr., Wilson (N.C.) Daily Times, “Grubb Throw-Ins Push Falcons Past Clayton”
Non-Deadline/Feature: Sheldon Shealer, Student Sports, “An Assist and a Save”
Column: Dan Satter, Blue and White, “Just Like They Pictured It”
College: Dan Woog, Soccer America, “A Coach and His Alumni”
2001
Deadline/Game Story: Dan Satter, Carolina Blue, “Time is on Their Side: Heels Rally to Overcome Rutgers”
Non-Deadline/Feature: Dan Satter, CollegeSoccer.com, “Duke's McCluskey Driven to Success”
Column: Jeremy Pond, Poughkeepsie Journal, “From Triumphs to Tragedy, 'Mr. D' Endures”
College: Ryan Wood, The Daily Kansan (University of Kansas), “Love on the Soccer Field”
2000
Deadline/Game Story: Marc Connolly, ESPN.com, “Hard-Luck McBride Finally Catches a Break”
Non-Deadline/Feature: Dan Woog, Soccer America, “Religious Holiday Stirs Controversy”
Column: Mike Woitalla, Soccer America, “Silver Lessons”
College: Michael Lewis, CNN/SI.com, “Life is Beautiful -- San Francisco Coach Savors Success as Career Winds Down”
1999
Deadline/Game Story: Marc Connolly, ESPN.com Online, “Akers the straw that stirred U.S.”
Non-Deadline/Feature: David Woods, The Indianapolis Star, “Fortune smiling upon him — IU soccer star Lazo Alavanja realizes he’s lucky not to be in war-torn Eastern Europe”
Column: Paul Oliu, internetsoccer.com, “The False Burdens of History”
College: Michael Lewis, CNN/SI, “College soccer’s modern-day job — Virginia’s Gelnovatch endures loss of stars to MLS”
1998
Deadline/Game Story: Marc Connolly, ABC Sports Online, “Ramos’ comeback Nearly Complete”
Non-Deadline/Feature: Bob Luder, The Kansas City Star, “Crime & Competition”
Column: Jane Havsy, Journal News, “U.S. Needs Pro League Soccer”
College: Ed Hilt, The Press of Atlantic City, “Roeschke makes full schedule work”
1997
Deadline/Game Story: Mike Woitalla, Soccer America, “United States survives the Day of the Dead — Steve Sampson’s 10-man team finds a little gold with a historic 0-0 tie in Mexico City.”
Non-Deadline/Feature: Bob Luder, The Kansas City Star, “They’re having a Ball—Indoor soccer fans just won’t give up on the game they love.”
Column: Randy Beard, Anderson Independent-Mail (S.C.), “Wilson finds energy to shine.”
College: Dan Woog, Soccer America, “Big money floods new women’s programs — Full rides, huge travel budgets, stadiums becoming the standard in Title IX era.”
1996
Deadline/Game Story: Kevin Niendorf, The Salt Lake Tribune, “Coach Hides Eyes, but Bountiful’s Beautiful.”
Non-Deadline/Feature: Mike Woitalla, Soccer America, “Soccer spreads the Games around the nation.”
Column: Rick Burns, Women’s Soccer Coach, Drury College (Mo.) — Coach & Athletic Director “Attractive, Open, Attacking Soccer — How About That?”
College: Mike Woitalla, Soccer America “Would you like to be professional, young man?— MLS Project-40 to change the face of U.S. soccer, whether colleges like it or not.”
1995
Deadline/Game Story: Michael Lewis, New York Daily News, “U.S. strong on Sampson.”
Non-Deadline/Feature: Scott M. Reid, Atlanta Journal Constitution, “Akers alive and kicking after illness.”
Column: Dan Woog, Soccer America, “A Tribute To A Caring Parent.”
College: Mike Woitalla, Soccer America, “Gender equity’s other side.”
