The Athlete of the Year Award is given annually to a male and female senior. These athletes display dominance in their sport and often in multiple sports. They set a high standard for commitment and work ethic. They are great competitors who are striving to get better and pushing their teammates to get better with them. Brian Hershberger was a dominant presence in two sports. He has won numerous individual awards but always put the needs of the team first. He played baseball this year for the first time in a long time and put up outstanding numbers. Coach Bocock said, "His leadership by example was a very valuable part of the success of this year's Baseball Team. His leadership was even put on display by leading the charge on a sleeveless Saturday practice. Brian was a great example for future athletes to follow by playing multiple sports" 
 
Coach Bruinsma had this to say about Brian and his impact on the basketball program:
"Brian Hershberger is special.  He has been the heart and soul of the Sarasota Christian Boys Basketball Program the last three years.  Brian and his classmates have laid the foundation for every young player that will ever play at Sarasota Christian to strive for.  Brian's contributions to our program were endless on the floor, but his biggest contributions to the program was his leadership based on how hard he played and how badly he wanted to be successful both individually and as a team.  His leadership and work rate made others want to play harder, to compete, to put themselves out there to do their best.  That created expectations, created standards, created more buy-in, created harder workers, created better basketball players, created better people, created better Christians, and ultimately created a really good Basketball team.
 
We pride ourselves on this team by being self-aware.  Understanding our strengths and weaknesses along with understanding our opponents.  God has blessed us all with certain talents & abilities along with different physical gifts.  Brian knew and accepted that being a 6'1 center he was always going to be smaller than the guy he had to guard and was guarding him.  Thru a self-aware, level headed approach, utilizing the gifts God did bless him with he worked at what he did well, improved in the areas he could, and ended up as one of the best players in the area regardless of classification.  That is what God calls us to do.  Maximize what he blessed us with, compete as hard as we can, and do it to glorify him.  Brian will be successful in whatever he decides to do in life because of those qualities.  We were all fortunate to watch him play during his High School career at Sarasota Christian."

Congratulations to Brian on a great senior year and being named the Sarasota Christian Male Athlete of the Year.