Friday, June 20 saw clear skies and 80 degree temps for a much-needed break from the now commonplace daily downpour. It was a great day to be outside, but our finalists for the 2014 Kevin Gray Awards spent the evening with us at the Field Club at Sporting Park, so we could recognize them on their tremendous accomplishments.
The Kevin Gray Awards, presented by Pepsi, were established in honor of Kevin Gray, the late Kansas City Sports Commission president. Kevin was exceedingly passionate about soccer and its growth in the Kansas City area, so the Kevin Gray Player of the Year Awards recognize players, both youth and adult, for their excellence on the field. In addition to the Player of the Year Award, there is a Kevin Gray Coach of the Year Award, which recognizes a Kansas City area coach for his/her team’s success. The final award category is Soccer Ambassador of the Year, awarded to an individual who has worked tirelessly to support the game and its growth in Kansas City.
The 2014 Finalists are as follows:
• Female Youth Player of the Year: Cristina DeZeeuw, Haley Hanson, and Savannah Trujillo
• Male Youth Player of the Year: Matt Lewis, Jo Jo Piatczyc, and Steven Enna
• Adult Player of the Year: Frances Silva, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic
• Coach of the Year: Tony Tocco, Peter Vermes, Vlatko Andonovski
The winner of the 2014 Kevin Gray Soccer Ambassador of the Year is Robb Heineman.
Our finalists gathered at Sporting Park on Friday evening for the 2014 Kevin Gray Awards Finalist Show, presented by Pepsi. This event included a special TV broadcast, where each finalist was recognized and interviewed by Time Warner Cable representatives, and the show in its entirety was broadcast live by Time Warner SportsChannel. The show ran flawlessly, and due to the broad smiles on the faces of the guests, we can all assume that the event was a resounding success.
After the show, the finalists and their families enjoyed conversing with one another and taking pictures with the MLS Cup, which was also present at the event. No finalist walked away empty handed, as each was presented with a special gift bag, courtesy of Pepsi.
