League Awards
Every year, Welles Park Parents Association ("WPPA") recognizes several league participants who embody the goals and ideals of the league: sportsmanship and respect for all participants, skill development, positive attitude, community involvement, and most importantly, having fun and helping others have fun, too.
Coach of the Year Awards
These coaches embody WPPA's goals and mission to bring top-quality baseball and softball to the youth of our local community. They work hard to develop each player and deliver a fun, competitive experience throughout the season while simultaneously earning the respect of coaches, umpires, parents and the community at large. For baseball, the Gene Sims Award is named for WPPA's inaugural President who launched our league in 1990. Similarly, softball's Ray Owens Award is named for WPPA's inaugural Softball Commissioner who launched that division in 2014.
2024 Gene Sims Award:
Nick Frank
2024 Ray Owens Award:
Sarah O'Dowd
BASH Jim Price Player of the Year Awards
These players are well-known throughout WPPA as great players -- not because they are the best players, or the fastest players, or the smartest players, or the best hitters, or the best pitchers, or demonstrate the greatest sportsmanship -- but because they excel across all of those categories. WPPA's third president, Jim Price, donates a BASH Academy membership to each of these players as a prize for this award.
2024 Baseball Recipient:
Ben Kirsner
2024 Softball Recipient:
Katie McClain
Umpire of the Year Awards
These umpires represent commitment to fair play and execution of sportsmanship at the highest level. For baseball, the Andy Lowenthal Award recognizes the hard work of WPPA's fourth President from 2007 through 2010. Softball's Paul Thompson Award recognizes his unmatched dedication to WPPA in many facets across several decades, including umpiring WPPA games. Each umpire receives a $500 scholarship from WPPA.
2024 Andy Lowenthal Award
Charlie Goldstein
2024 Paul Thompson Award
Ella Breving
Kristin Reynolds Volunteer of the Year Award
The volunteer of the year award is given to someone that goes above and beyond to make WPPA a special community and organization. As a completely volunteer non-profit, it takes a lot of individuals and hours to make the league successful. Each year, one volunteer rises above the rest and emobodies the same dedication and spirit of making WPPA all it can be just like Kristin Reynolds has done every year since joining the league.
2024 Recipient
Jen Patras
Past Winners (Baseball)
Gene Sims Award (Coach of Year)
2023: Jake Siddall
2022: Kish Khemani
2021: Ceannich Ryan
2020: Lucas Tryggestad
2019: Shawna Ryan
2018: Matt Ports
2017: Steven Holowka
BASH Award (Player of Year)
2023: Will Ports
2022: Nicolas Linsares
2021: Charlie Pribyl
2020: Maggie Zieger
Andy Lowenthal Award (Umpire of Year)
2023: Tommy Stecz
2022: Aiden Moran
2021: Ilyas Adnane
2020: Will Czech
Past Winners (Softball)
Ray Owens Award (Coach of Year)
2023: Rich O'Brien
2022: Matt Hamister
2021: Renee Girardin
2020: Gerry Winters
2019: Joe Hallinan
2018: Paul Haynes
2017:
2016:
2015: Kristin & Bill Reynolds
2014: David Keenan
BASH Award (Player of Year)
2023: Allie Reynolds
2022: Maeve Oliver
2021: Caroline Hartmann
2020: Lauren Walton
Paul Thompson Award (Umpire of Year)
2023: Doug Mulderink
2022: Chris Hartman
2021: Chris Hartman
2020: Evie Calderon
Past Winners (Volunteer of the Year)
2023: Jeff Judge
2022: Steve Reaven