Miami, FL – The Miami Dolphins and the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) today announced their Week 11 award winners in a program designed to recognize the members of the community who have demonstrated their commitment to being leaders on and off the field.
Each week, the Dolphins identify a high school coach of the week, high school player of the week, youth player of the week and team mom of the week. Award recipients are presented with a plaque on the field during a Dolphins home game at Hard Rock Stadium and receive acknowledgement of their accomplishment in the game program and through the Dolphins' and RISE's social media platforms. They also receive tickets to a Miami Dolphins home game, access to the Dolphins/RISE pregame tailgate and a Dolphins/RISE T-shirt. For each home game, the Dolphins identify a team of the week and they will be on the field during the national anthem. The program concludes at the Dolphins-Patriots game on December 11 where the Dolphins will honor yearly award winners in all categories with the exception of the team of the year.
Week 11 Winners:
• High School Coach of the Week: Brian Dodds from Park Vista High School. Dobbs guided his eight seeded Cobras (9-3) to a stunning first-round, 28-20 win over number one seed Miramar. Park Vista now advances to the second round against Delray Atlantic.
• High School Player of the Week: Alexis Alvarez from West Broward High School. He recovered two fumbles, including the game winning touchdown recovery which sealed the victory for the Bobcats. Alvarez also added 10 tackles as the Bobcats won their first ever playoff game, 31-26, against Forest Hill. West Broward will visit St. Thomas Aquinas this Friday.
• Youth Player of the Week: Schneider Joseph from the East Boynton Wildcats 12U of the Florida Youth Football League. Joseph had over 300 total rushing yards and receiving yards and scored four touchdowns, including an interception that he returned 106 yards for a touchdown to help seal the Wildcats' victory over the Miami Gardens Ravens.
• Team Mom of the Week: Helen Baxter of the from Leisure City Modello Timberwolves of the Miami Xtreme Football League. Baxter has been a part of her park prior to the 2000 season. She is the eyes and ears if her coaches off the field, because of her knowledge of the league rules and regulations, which means the coaches can spend more time coaching and mentoring the players on the field. Baxter also has three sons, who provide the coaches with additional hands for her team. Baxter handles all communication to the parents and she even fills in for the team president when he is absent. The program feels truly blessed to have such a dedicated team mom.
• Team of the Week: Booker T. Washington High School. The Tornadoes are part of the RISE Leadership Program, designed to empower sports administrators, coaches and athletes to be leaders in discussing and addressing matters of racism, prejudice, diversity and inclusivity within their teams, schools and communities. The multifaceted program increases awareness, builds skills and creates safe spaces to have difficult conversations. Participants learn about the history of race and sports, the power of sports to drive change and how they can become leaders in improving race relations.
