Who is the greatest all-time Gatorade Player of the Year?
For 25 years, Gatorade has recognized America’s elite high school students for their athletic achievement, academic excellence and exemplary character with the Gatorade Player of the Year award. Throughout the year, Gatorade will host 10 polls to determine the greatest all-time Gatorade Player of the Year in boys football, girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys baseball, girls softball, and boys and girls track & field.
You can cast your vote for your favorite athlete of all-time once per sport, per day at http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
Former notable Gatorade Players of the Year include:
• Kerri Walsh, Olympic gold medal winning beach volleyball player
• Lisa Leslie, WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder
• Lauren Cheney, Olympic gold medal soccer player
• Cat Osterman, Softball Olympic gold medalist
In addition, make sure to enter the Gatorade Player of the Year sweepstakes where you could win a trip to the 2010 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Awards ceremony and the ESPY Awards.
For more information about The Gatorade Player of the Year program and its 25th anniversary celebration, please visit http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
Marta named World Player of Year
Brazil’s Marta captured soccer’s World Player of the Year award for the fourth year in a row. The 23-year-old playmaker beat teammate Cristiane, Kelly Smith of England, and Germans Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings.
“I’m really surprised,” Marta said of winning the award again. Tearful but happy she described the accolade as “a landmark in my career and in my life”.
She was honored at the FIFA World Player Gala, during which former and current soccer stars and celebrities made appearances and Italian pop star Laura Pausini performed.
When asked how it felt to hear her name called once again, the 23-year-old replied, “It’s incredible. You can never prepare what you’re going to say and I just came out with the first words that came into my head.”
The prestigious FIFA award is voted for by the coaches and captains of each national side. With this year’s win, Marta becomes the record winner of the honor awarded by football’s world ruling body.
The dynamic striker, widely regarded as the best female to play the game, was a favorite last season in the revamped U.S Women’s Professional Soccer League, where she won the Golden Boot and was elected league MVP with the Los Angeles Sol.
American Mia Hamm won the inaugural women’s award in 2001, winning again in 2002.
Germany’s Birgit Prinz then picked up the award three years in a row from 2003-2005.
The men’s award when to Lionel Messi who added FIFA’s World Player of the Year award to his growing list of accolades, completing a nearly perfect campaign in which his club won an unprecedented trio of Spanish and European titles.
Wambach nominated for FIFA Award
October 30, 2009 by amo
Filed under Awards, Int'l Soccer, Soccer
Fresh off her 101st career goal and a U.S. 1-0 win against Germany yesterday, it was announced that Women’s National Team and Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach is the only American nominated for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Award.
Freedom teammate and French National player Sonia Bompastor is also on the list of ten nominees. There are 23 nominees on the Men’s side, with both lists reduced to five in early December. The winners will be announced at the FIFA World Player Gala on December 21st.
WOMEN NOMINEES: Nadine Angerer (Germany), Sonia Bompastor (France), Cristiane (Brazil), Inka Grings (Germany), Mana Iwabuchi (Japan), Simone Laudehr (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Kelly Smith (England) and Abby Wambach (USA).
Go Abby!
