Mia Hamm, Zak Boggs receive 6th Annual
Wooden Cup Awards

L-R: Fred Northup, Mia Hamm, Zak Boggs, Vince Dooley

ATLANTA (January 20, 2010) –  Soccer star Zak Boggs from the University of South Florida was named as the college recipient of the 6th Annual Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup at the famed East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, according to Tom Arnett, Executive Director of Athletes for a Better World. The other finalists for the collegiate division included:

• Colt McCoy – University of Texas, football

• Brianna O’Donnell – University of North Carolina, field hockey

• Becky Poskin – Dartmouth College, soccer

• Melissa Schellberg– Harvard University, softball

L-R: Fred Northup, Adam Biel (for Brianna O'Donnell), Melissa Schellberg, Becky Poskin, Mia Hamm, Zak Boggs, Debra McCoy (for Colt McCoy), Vince Dooley, Donna deVarona

The Wooden Cup is given to one collegiate and one professional athlete who have made the greatest positive influence in the lives of others. Soccer icon Mia Hamm was the professional recipient.

“This is such a special honor for me. Just being mentioned alongside all of these incredible college athletes is so humbling,” Hamm said.

“I’ve been involved with so many awards in my life, but this award is the most meaningful one I know of,” said former University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, who announced the winner. “I honestly believe that this award is one of the best-kept secrets in the world.”

The Wooden Cup is named in honor of John Wooden, one of the most successful coaches in collegiate history. Wooden’s legacy as a person of integrity, high moral character, compassion, and civic-mindedness continues to make him one of the most admired coaches in the history of sport.

“What these young athletes have done to improve the lives of others would make Coach Wooden proud,” said Fred Northup, founder of Athletes for a Better World. “This might have been the strongest field of candidates we’ve had.”

Recipients of the Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup are chosen by a committee chaired by Dooley and other distinguished individuals involved in athletics across the country. With Peyton Manning, John Smoltz, John Lynch, Cal Ripken Jr., and Andrea Yaeger as previous recipients, the Wooden Cup is becoming one of the most prestigious awards in all of sports. Recipients are considered role models and athletes of excellence both on and off the field.

About Athletes for a Better World:

Founded in 1998, Athletes for a Better World (ABW) exists to change the culture of sport by developing individual character, teamwork, and civic responsibility through commitment to an athletic Code for Living.  ABW’s vision is to have the Code become a part of every sport at every level, so that it becomes the common language and standard expectation of behavior for everyone. ABW provides free support and resources to coaches and athletes across the country who want to teach and live out these values. “The Code for Living” can be found on playing fields, locker rooms and athletic facilities across the country. Currently, ABW players and coaches are represented in every state and several foreign countries.