Apr 9, 2026, 5:25 AM CT
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| Abundant Life Christian High School has been selected the 2026 National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Section 4 and Wisconsin recipient of the Spirit of Sport Award, presented by the WIAA, the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW). The award was created by the NFHS and adopted by the WIAA in 2018 in partnership with the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. The award recognizes individuals or groups that exemplify resilience, sportsmanship and the core values of education-based athletics. The school will be presented the award during the WIAA Annual Meeting Friday, April 24. On Friday, Dec. 16, 2024, an active shooter entered Abundant Life Christian School and opened fire in a study hall classroom, which claimed the lives of a teacher, and a 14-year-old student and wounded six others, including one who continues his rehabilitation journey. In the weeks following the tragedy, students, staff and community have coped with the grief by attending funerals and addressing fear, anxiety, anger and confusion and uncertainty. Resuming a normal routine, including athletics, helped restore a sense of stability and connection. Boys’ basketball practice was among the activities that resumed within weeks following the tragedy. The team entered the season with high expectations after placing runner-up at the school’s first-ever appearance in the WIAA State Boys Basketball Tournament in 2024. With the school under repair the team practiced at numerous alternate sites until repairs were completed, while also waiting for students and families to be emotionally ready to return. “Initially, it was strange at first to have basketball practices,” said Michael Thies, Abundant Life Christian Athletic Director and Boys’ Basketball Coach. “Athletics seemed meaningless, trivial and unimportant, but in the coming days, weeks and months we would come to realize just how important it really was. “Furthermore, it was when the victims’ families started showing up for practices and in the stands that we began to realize the significant impact of our sports teams returning to the court,” he said. “The players and coaches showed tremendous faith, resolve and resiliency to keep playing, and to keep playing for a higher purpose – to play for God, and to play for their community.” It took the team weeks of work to get back physically and emotionally from a competitive standpoint. On. Jan. 2, 2025, the Challengers played their first game following the tragedy, resulting in a 64-62 loss to Dodgeland before embarking on a six-game winning streak. The Challengers proceeded to win the South Division of the Trailways Conference championship and won five straight tournament games to advance to the State Tournament at the Kohl Center for the second consecutive year. One Spirit of Sport Application received honorable mention. University School of Milwaukee submitted the nomination of Ethan Van Genderen, a senior student-athlete on the Wildcats’ basketball, football and lacrosse teams. Two days after receiving football All-Metro Classic Conference honorable mention in 2024, Van Genderen was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in muscle cells. He has endured more than a year of extensive chemotherapy and radiation treatments, which made it difficult for him to walk and required him to receive additional medical attention at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee last spring. His final prognosis won’t be known for several years. Despite the physical toll, Van Genderen attended lacrosse practices last spring and played limited minutes when possible, scoring one goal. Despite not being able to play football last fall, he attended every football practice and game, and he helped coach the younger teammates on the offensive and defensive lines. This spring, he hopes to return to the lacrosse field this spring to play his senior year. The recipient of the WIAA Spirit of Sport Award also serves as the membership’s nominee submitted to the NFHS for Section 4 and national Spirit of Sport Award consideration. The following is a list of previous recipients of the WIAA Spirit of Sport Award. 2018 – Bryce Ladwig, Plymouth 2019 – Ashley Stich, Kenosha Tremper 2020 – Adam Szepieniec, DeForest 2021 – Abigail Tuma, Shawano 2022 – Jordan Glenn, Wisconsin Lutheran 2023 – Kenzie Koppenhaver, Kiel 2024 – Michael Turner, Hartford 2025 – Reid Hansche, Westosha Central Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is a proud sponsor of the WIAA Spirit of Sport Award. The organization exists to be a tireless advocate, marketer, and promoter for Wisconsin dairy farmers and to drive demand for Wisconsin’s dairy products. The organization represents Wisconsin farm families and works to increase the sale and consumption of Wisconsin milk and dairy products, as well as build trust in dairy farmers and the industry. For more information, visit wisconsindairy.org and follow on Facebook. |
John is a seasoned media and marketing executive with experience programming and promoting iconic radio brands in some of the nation’s most competitive markets, including New York City, Boston, Memphis, Dallas, and San Francisco. He has taught graduate-level courses in branding and marketing at the country’s largest private art and design school and has held business development and marketing roles at multiple technology startups. Reach him at john.scott@civicmedia.us.
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