Local athletes honored

Parents, players and coaches from through Central Virginia gathered on Sunday evening at the second annual BD Basketball School’s Honors Banquet to highlight character and academics of this year’s winter athletes.
Former UVa basketball coach Pete Gillen and former Cavalier guard Bobby Stokes spoke at the event.
The event honored 22 student-athletes for scholastic achievements and 30 others for their character displayed on the court.
“You want to be a winner in the biggest game, and that’s life,” Gillen said. “The boys and girls that are here, they’re not just going to win on the athletic field, whether it’s basketball, volleyball or tennis. They’re going to win in life because they know that it’s about character, discipline, responsibility and respect. Those are the important things, because the skills are going to leave them soon, but their character is going to last forever. Your education lasts forever. This event is long overdue.”
St. Anne’s Belfield’s Brett Goodloe and Fluvanna County’s Alex Farina shared the Boys Scholar-Athlete of the Year award while Covenant’s Emily Klein and Albemarle’s Caitlyn Suhler split the award for the girls.
Charlottesville girls basketball coach Harry Terrell was given the Character Coaching award, which will be renamed for him for future banquets.
“This is a great way to end the year,” Terrell said. “It’s great that they’re recognizing not just what’s going on on the court but also in the classroom. These are our leaders for tomorrow.”
Fork Union’s Kevin Laue took home the Lou Beeler Inspiration award for his compelling story of playing basketball with the use of just one hand.
Laue drew a standing ovation after FUMA coach Fletcher Arritt detailed the center’s story.
“It’s been amazing,” Laue said the award and the
recent attention he’s received. “On Facebook and MySpace, people with the same disability I have say ‘I didn’t know any us could do this,’ and when that’s said you really can’t ask for anything more. I feel that I owe it to a lot of people to succeed.”
Laue is mulling over whether to play for Colgate or Wofford. When he takes the court he will be the first Division I player to play with the use of one hand.
Other winners included UVa’s Monica Wright, who was named as the area’s outstanding performer, and Monticello’s Jacob Pelton, who was honored with the service award for his work in Guatemala.
As both the coach of the Covenant boys basketball team and executive director of the BD Basketball School, Ben D’Alessandro was happy to see the event grow in just its second year.
“The first time we did this I think everybody was wondering what this was all about,” D’Alessandro said. “I think people now are getting a better understanding of what our foundation is trying to do through the sport of basketball.”
D’Alessandro is hoping that the banquet’s following will continue to grow as his organization seeks to make an impact on the community.
“This is a way for us to galvanize our community,” D’Alessandro said. “Our vision is to be counter cultural. The culture is in my humble opinion — and not be a cynic — but in decline. Everything is about ‘me, me, me’ or the fast track to success. So we’re trying to bring it back to basics.”