Cardinal Ritter senior Imarion Griffin recently won a $15,000 Carl Fricks Sportsmanship Scholarship from the St. Louis Sports Commission Associates. The Cardinal Ritter soccer captain has had to overcome more than his fair share of obstacles and challenges in his high school career. Facing a litany of medical conditions, Griffin did not get discouraged or let the physical challenges slow him down as he worked harder than most to achieve on the soccer field and basketball court. It also did not affect his sense of civility, fair play, and sportsmanship.
In a district soccer game, a defender tripped and fell, appearing to injure himself while Griffin was dribbling with the advantage toward the other team’s goal. Realizing what had happened to the opposing player, Griffin stopped playing and ran back to help, putting the health of the injured opponent over the advantage he gained with the opponent’s fall. Griffin’s coach observed him always shaking hands with the other team before and after games, never arguing with officials even if he disagreed with a call, and once allowing a player on an opposing team to wear his extra pair of cleats because the player left his cleats on the bus. In the face of great personal struggle, Griffin has shown extraordinary courage, perseverance, and class in competition. He will attend Mid-America Nazareen University in Olathe, Kansas this fall.