Senate Resolution No. 2751

BY: Senator MARCHIONE

CONGRATULATING student-athlete Calista Phippen
upon the occasion of being named the 2016-2017
Gatorade New York Softball Player of the Year

WHEREAS, Excellence and success in competitive sports can be
achieved only through strenuous practice, team play and team spirit,
nurtured by dedicated coaching and strategic planning; and

WHEREAS, Athletic competition enhances the moral and physical
development of the young people of this State, preparing them for the
future by instilling in them the value of teamwork, encouraging a
standard of healthy living, imparting a desire for success and
developing a sense of fair play and competition; and

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize our
young individuals, who strive for athletic and academic excellence
through rigorous training and mental and physical discipline; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
congratulate student-athlete Calista Phippen upon the occasion of being
named the 2016-2017 Gatorade New York Softball Player of the Year; and

WHEREAS, Each year, the Gatorade Player of the Year program
recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50
states which sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and
girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer,
baseball, softball, and boys and girls track and field, and awards one
National Player of the Year in each sport; and

WHEREAS, As a Gatorade Player of the Year, Calista Phippen will
select a national or local youth sports organization to receive a grant
as part of the Gatorade Play It Forward Program; she will also have the
opportunity to enter for an additional $10,000 spotlight grant by
writing a brief essay explaining why her selected organization deserves
additional support; and

WHEREAS, Calista Phippen is the first athlete from Ichabod Crane
High School to be chosen for this prestigious honor; the award, which
recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high
standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated
on and off the field, distinguishes Calista as New York's best high
school softball player; and

WHEREAS, Calista Phippen is now a finalist for the prestigious
Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year Award which will be
announced in June of 2017; and

WHEREAS, The 5-foot-5 junior right-handed pitcher led the Ichabod
Crane High School Riders to the Section 2 Class B championship game this
past season, with an outstanding overall record of 16-3; Calista Phippen
posted a 13-2 record and a 0.62 ERA in the circle along with compiling a

.483 batting average and 37 RBI; she struck out 250 batters and walked
just 19 in 113.1 innings pitched; and

WHEREAS, The Class B Player of the Year as a sophomore, Calista
Phippen was also a First Team All-State honoree and a MaxPreps Sophomore
All-American; and

WHEREAS, In addition to her athletic prowess, Calista Phippen is an
exceptional student, maintaining an A average; dedicated to her
community, she has volunteered her time and energy to the local animal
shelter and various youth softball programs; and

WHEREAS, Sports competition instills the values of teamwork, pride
and accomplishment, and Calista Phippen has clearly made a contribution
to the spirit of excellence which is a tradition of her school; now,
therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
congratulate student-athlete Calista Phippen upon the occasion of being
named the 2016-2017 Gatorade New York Softball Player of the Year, and
to wish her continued success in all her future endeavors; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Calista Phippen.