26 Green Hornets Girls Lacrosse Players Receive Sportsmanship Award

When we moved to Severna Park six years ago, we were guided to the Green Hornets.  Our neighbors told us how much of a difference the club and the sports available through the club, had made for their children.  While many people spoke of the improvements their children made in individual sports, most spoke about the life lessons learned on the fields.

I recently came across a quote by the late Terry Robinson, who coached girl’s lacrosse in the Green Hornets program for 12 years. 

Coach Robinson said that the Green Hornets program was about more than winning or losing. 

Robinson said the program was about “the commitment of the girls to work hard in practice, pay attention, and carry their talents to the games. It has never been about winning or losing for me or any coach that I have encountered in Green Hornets, but about the teaching of lacrosse and the improvement of the skills of the girls.”

When Robinson passed away suddenly in 2009, the Green Hornets community came together in mourning for their coach.  They thought about the loss and what it would mean to the community and how they could honor his memory.  Appropriately, they decided to create the Terry E. Robinson Memorial Sportsmanship award.

According to a statement by the Green Hornets Girls Lacrosse program, the award is given to one player from each team “who best exemplifies the ideals of ‘sportsmanship’ throughout the season, as shown by their respect for fellow competitors, coaches and officials, their personal responsibility to their team and themselves, and their graciousness in winning as well as defeat.”

This year’s award ceremony took place on May 25 at Kinder Farm Park.  Jackie Harrison, the girl’s lacrosse commissioner presented the awards to 26 girls with the help of Coach Robinson’s wife, Lorie Hankins, and assistant coach and friend, Allen Black.

Awards were received by Maddie Gibson, Nora O’Reilly, Caroline Steele, Margaret Galdi, Madison Finnerin, Peyton Finnerin, Molly Carr, Sydney Daneman, Mallory Martel, Stephanie Shanahan, Ali Bradshaw, Gracie O’Connor, Katherine Hulting, Allie Bodner, Megan Peters, Lindsay Prugh, Emily Carson, Abbey Martel, Colleen Shrum, Marley Watkins, Molly Meyers, Elizabeth O’Neil, Caitria Demeroto, Danielle Gonyeau, Allie Gray and Alexander Jones.

The girls in the Green Hornets programs are taught how to scoop the ball on the run, how to shoot for the corner and intercept shots taken by other players but the most important lessons they are taught are the lessons they will take with them throughout life - being a team player, to respect every player on their team regardless of ability and to be a gracious winner or loser. 

By honoring Terry Robinson’s memory and the sportsmanship displayed by these players, the Green Hornets are reinforcing these lessons for our children.