Six PVMHS Student-Athletes Up for Hood Sportsmanship Scholarship

Six Peabody Veterans Memorial High School students are candidates in the annual Hood Sportsmanship Scholarship Program. 

They need your help if they're going to win. 

You can go to the site and vote from now until 3 p.m. April 18. The top 10 students who receive the most votes will be selected as finalists. They will be interviewed in May by a panel of judges. Three students per state will be selected as winners and they will receive $5,000 scholarships each. 

Each entry included an essay on why the participant should be selected for the scholarship. 

Here are each of the six students from PVMHS along with their essays:

Connor Bombaci

Joshua Canuel

Derek DeMild

Walking up to the mound, I knew we were playing the best team in the league, all my friends were there and all eyes were on me. My coach had told us countless times that, “Being nervous means that you are not confident about your preparation,” but that is exactly what I was feeling at the time, I was nervous and the butterflies in my stomach would not stop until I got the third out of that inning. Disheartened, I knew that I did not perform the way I should and that my preparation was not good enough, and from that point forward, my motive was that game and it fueled me to always be confident in whatever I am doing and compete during practice to get better. After I had been taken out of the game, I had a learned serious lesson that my coach had been preaching for the previous two years and it has changed my morals on and off the field since then. Both in school and on the mound I worked hard to prepare for my next test and next start on the mound. I had to compete and keep up the hard work to get where I wanted to be. I began to pitch and practice my fundamentals which paralleled my school studies to better myself and when I pitched again and tested again, I went out there and just did what I knew I could do and succeeded.

Alex McDonough

I could not be more grateful for being involved in the sport of tennis. However, it was not always this way, for my whole life I considered myself a baseball player. During my sophomore year, I was cut from the baseball team. This was heartbreaking. However, it taught me a very important lesson; never take anything for granted. This experience shaped my personal motto: when one door closes, another one opens. Since I am extremely competitive, I still wanted to play on a team, which is why I joined tennis. This is where I realized how important my motto is to me because of how frustrating the sport can be. This motto keeps me at peace when our team loses, and keeps me humble when we win. I try to be a role model for the team by reminding them that just because we win or lose, does not mean it will be the same outcome the next time we play our opponent. For this mindset, my coach presented me with the Coach’s Award in my junior year and made me a captain for my senior year. This was just one year after being cut from the baseball team. Although I was not on the team the longest or even the best player, my coach felt that my attitude demonstrated good sportsmanship that was important to the success of the team.

Christopher Sierra

Growing up deaf has helped me to appreciate the opportunity to play the sports that I love and has never hindered me in my ability to play them. While I love all the sports, the ones that I play are Football and Lacrosse.I am a normal person who has a profound hearing loss and I use an cochlear implant to gain access to sound. I feel like because of my deafness I am actually lucky to have had such good coaches and been able to play. Coaches always talked about being disciplined and having respect, honor, commitment and determination and several other factors that not just help you as an individual but the team as a whole. These factors help you become a better person not just on the field but also off the field and in everything you do on a daily basis and carry them through life.I've always listened to what my coaches have said and because of that, I was able to make a major accomplishment that I cherish, becoming Captain of the Varsity Football team. All these factors help determine your identity not just by watching other people go through it but also experience it first-hand. Junior year we had a bad season ,but I never gave up. everyone on the team had commitment, determination,and drive. Senior year which was when I became Captain, the whole team improved and together we turned the whole football program around with the fundamentals instilled in us.

Austin Solimine

Integrity is an important part of my character. As I have grown throughout my high school career, I have noticed it becomes harder and harder to maintain your integrity. There are more temptations every year that can compromise my character. I show integrity by not making those choices in which I compromise what I believe is ethical and moral. Both on and off the field, I believe in the importance of collaboration and encouragement. Collaboration is an invaluable skill that is taught through sports and can be applied to any field of study or career path, especially in today's global economy. Along with collaboration comes the postivie ecnouragment which I try to spread to all those I encounter. I am selfless in nature, and want to see others succeed. One of the most important things that I like to do in my life is volunteer in my community. Whether it be helping a teammate, or serving a meal at the local food bank, Haven From Hunger, I want to see people be in a better situation than they are in right now. Working together, something that I have learned a lot about through my participation in sports, is a valuable skill that I apply both on and off the field for the betterment of my community. I have a goal to become successful and enter into public service to help others, and so that I can give back to my community that has given so much to me.