Bartow Students Win Positive Athlete Awards

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CARTERSVILLE, GA -- –Students from each of Bartow County’s three high schools were recently honored at the Northwest Atlanta Positive High School Athlete Awards.

Kylie Knox, a softball player at Woodland High, Cass High School track and field athlete Payton Chester and and Austin Cobb, a wrestler at Adairsville High School, all received recognition as a Positive Athlete.

Community leaders and former professional athletes honored student athletes from northwest Georgia counties representing 28 different boys and girls high school sports April 22 at NorthStar Church in Kennesaw.

Superintendent Dr. John Harper attended the event to support Bartow County Schools’ honored students.

"I am tremendously proud of these students and the fine example they display every day to their peers," Harper said. "We as educators strive to influence our students in a positive, encouraging manner; however, the most effective influence comes from those of their own age group. Each day these students are making important impressions on others to work hard, strive for the best and to maintain a humble, positive attitude.”

Hundreds of nominations from coaches, principals, athletic directors, teachers and parents were submitted. Former University of Georgia and Pittsburgh Steelers star Hines Ward and businessman Scott Pederson created Positive Athlete as a movement to promote a positive atmosphere in youth sports.

In addition to excellence on the field, each nominated student was required to show characteristics such as an optimistic attitude, teammate encouragement, servant leadership, heart for others, ability to admit imperfections, giving 100 percent all the time and realizing the team as more important than the individual.

“We did not put out a search for the best athletes in Georgia,” Ward said. “We put out a search for kids with positive attitudes whose efforts don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheets. These kids are also positive role models in their schools who get involved in charitable causes, have already learned the meaning of giving back at an early age, and many have overcome difficult circumstances and remained positive."

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