Congratulations to our three award winners!
Isaiah Dorsey - Athlete of the Year
A huge congratulations to Isaiah Dorsey on being named 2021 SaWUSA Student-Athletes of the Year!
Isaiah is a rising Junior Seniors at Los Alamitos High School in Long Beach, California. He competed on SaWUSA’s U17 Men’s Basketball team that took home the Silver Medal at the Portugal Basketball Festival this summer.
Isaiah is also a Football player and carries a 3.5 GPA.
Tour Director Jody Burrows had this to say about Isaiah, “Isaiah was an awesome teammate both on and off the court. He was respectful and had fun with everyone he met while on the Tour. A perfect ambassador of the USA!”
The 7th annual STUDENTathlete of the Year award is our highest honor given to our travelers. This traveler demonstrates athletic success in International competition. But that’s just part of the story. This traveler also appreciates the culture and diversity of the different places we visit. They display awesome patriotism and interact positively with our new International friends and make a strong positive impression about America! They demonstrate leadership throughout the trip with their teammates and coaches. READ MORE HERE.
Neal Anderson - Coach of the Year
A huge congratulations to Neal Anderson on being named 2021 SaWUSA Coach of the Year!
Neal, who is currently the Head Coach at Norwich University led the SaWUSA’s Men’s Lacrosse team to a Silver Medal at the Lisboa Lacrosse Cup this summer.
We are especially thankful to Neal for helping SaWUSA connect us with some great athletes. Additionally, Neal went above and beyond in pre-trip preparations having multiple zoom meetings to get to know players and put in offensive and defensive game plans. Neal also helped organize a gear drive, donating lacrosse equipment to our partners in Portugal.
SaWUSA President Tim Ryerson had this to say about Neal, “While we appreciate the efforts of all the coaches we’ve had over the years, we’ve never had a coach put in the time pre-trip that Coach Anderson did. He had his team prepared to travel and compete and it showed in the way they played. He was selfless with his time and organizing the gear drive was really special. We are so appreciative!”
The 7th annual Coach of the Year award is our highest honor given to our travelers. The selection is based on; helpfulness in trip preparation, post-trip survey results from parents and athletes, commitment to team safety, commitment to trip morale, athletic competition success, and a commitment to well-being of our STUDENTathletes. READ MORE HERE.
Todd Haley - Guest Traveler of the Year
A huge congratulations to Todd Haley on being named 2021 SaWUSA Guest Traveler of the Year!
Todd is the father of Jack Haley, who competed on SaWUSA’s Men’s Lacrosse team at the Lisboa Lacrosse Cup this summer.
We are especially thankful to Todd for going above and beyond to help SaWUSA connect us with some great athletes that helped us win the Silver Medal. He volunteered in to serve as assistant Coach for the team as well, and did an amazing job.
Todd was also a great asset to our staff while abroad; showing a great passion and commitment to the well-being of all our STUDENTathletes. We appreciate him greatly!
The 7th annual Guest Traveler of the Year award is our highest honor given to our travelers. This ‘Trip Mom’ (or Dad) makes the trip better for all travelers. They are great at ‘going with the flow’ and handling the ups and downs of International group travel. During the trip they help the SaWUSA staff care for each traveler by going above and beyond to assist other travelers, especially those traveling without parents. Most importantly, they make the trip more enjoyable just by being along for the ride. READ MORE HERE.