Dawson Fair

“Being a good sport in Little League has nothing to do with victories, or playing statistics,” Stephen D. Keener, president and chief executive officer of Little League Baseball and Softball, said. “Being a supportive teammate, and leading by example are traits that can be learned in Little League, and often translate into attributes of success later in life. Dawson’s willingness to respect his coaches and put the team needs in front of his own makes him a worthy recipient of this award.”

Dawson, 10, is the son of Van and Sandy Fair and is a four-grader at Westside Elementary School. A Little League participant since he was a league-age five-year-old, Dawson played the majority of this season’s games at catcher. In his first year as a Major Division player, he was selected to the 9-10-year-old all-star team.

“Dawson said there are other kids who deserve (this award) more than me … he’s been very humble,” Mr. Fair, a police officer in neighboring Kingsport, said. “He is really excited about coming to the Little League World Series. He asked, ‘Do I really get to go there?’ All I could tell him was, ‘That’s what the letter says.’”

Mr. Fair complimented his son’s good nature, but also gave credit to his Little League coaches and the Elizabethton National Little League for creating a positive environment that focuses on having a good time, while stressing the importance of sportsmanship.

The Little League Good Sport Award Program was established in 1989 to amplify the importance of Little League Baseball as a leadership training program, utilizing baseball and softball as a vehicle for instilling in children valuable principles, while never figuring in the youngster’s playing ability or personal statistics.

Little League Baseball and Softball is the world’s largest organized youth sports program, with nearly 2.7 million players and 1 million adult volunteers in every U.S. state and scores of other countries.