Honor Calista Phippen Achievement

Senate Resolution No. 2751 BY: Senator MARCHIONE CONGRATULATING student-athlete Calista Phippen upon the occasion of being named the 2016-2017 Gatorade New York Softball Player of the Year WHEREAS, Excellence and success in competitive sports can be achieved only through strenuous practice, team play and team spirit, nurtured by dedicated coaching and strategic planning; and WHEREAS, Athletic competition enhances the moral and physical development of the young people of this State, preparing them for the future by instilling in them the value of teamwork, encouraging a standard of healthy living, imparting a desire for success and developing a sense of fair play and competition; and WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize our young individuals, who strive for athletic and academic excellence through rigorous training and mental and physical discipline; and WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to congratulate student-athlete Calista Phippen upon the occasion of being named the 2016-2017 Gatorade New York Softball Player of the Year; and WHEREAS, Each year, the Gatorade Player of the Year program recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states which sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track and field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport; and WHEREAS, As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Calista Phippen will select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward Program; she will also have the opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by writing a brief essay explaining why her selected organization deserves additional support; and WHEREAS, Calista Phippen is the first athlete from Ichabod Crane High School to be chosen for this prestigious honor; the award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Calista as New York's best high school softball player; and WHEREAS, Calista Phippen is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year Award which will be announced in June of 2017; and WHEREAS, The 5-foot-5 junior right-handed pitcher led the Ichabod Crane High School Riders to the Section 2 Class B championship game this past season, with an outstanding overall record of 16-3; Calista Phippen posted a 13-2 record and a 0.62 ERA in the circle along with compiling a

.483 batting average and 37 RBI; she struck out 250 batters and walked just 19 in 113.1 innings pitched; and WHEREAS, The Class B Player of the Year as a sophomore, Calista Phippen was also a First Team All-State honoree and a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American; and WHEREAS, In addition to her athletic prowess, Calista Phippen is an exceptional student, maintaining an A average; dedicated to her community, she has volunteered her time and energy to the local animal shelter and various youth softball programs; and WHEREAS, Sports competition instills the values of teamwork, pride and accomplishment, and Calista Phippen has clearly made a contribution to the spirit of excellence which is a tradition of her school; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to congratulate student-athlete Calista Phippen upon the occasion of being named the 2016-2017 Gatorade New York Softball Player of the Year, and to wish her continued success in all her future endeavors; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to Calista Phippen.