Physical fitness is the number one benefit. Lots of running and jumping is the name of the game, which means that basketball helps kids build speed, strength and cardiovascular health, not to mention burn calories. And we know how important physical fitness is these days to a child’s daily routine, so what better way to get children into the game than with a game of basketball.

Working as a team and striving for the same goal is an important life skill, too. Plus, when a kid makes a basket, it’s the greatest thing in the world to them. It’s such a confidence builder. Young children don’t care about the score, but when they make a basket, they’ll be sure to run home and tell their parents about it the moment they walk in the door.

And lastly, the social aspect is key, too. Playing in a group is a great way to get children to interact with each other and start socializing. Many friendships are formed over a little game of basketball.

And of course the rewards, programs today reward students with a variety of awards. Check out these great basketball trophies, Basketball Medals and Awards.

McKeehan helped lead his team to a 21-7 record and a share of its second straight Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) regular season title.  He played in all 28 games for the Saints, including 26 starts and led the team in scoring with a 15.6 points per game average.  McKeehan also had a team-leading .632 field goal percentage while averaging 4.9 rebounds per game.  A solid all-around player, he also was the team leader with 64 assists and 63 steals.

In the classroom, McKeehan carries a perfect 4.00 grade point average with a double major in Economics and Business Finance.  Last week he was named the College Division ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men’s Basketball Player of the Year by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Remember the days when all you got for winning that intense tournament were dinky basketball medals?

Well, boring now you can say goodbye to boring basketball awards!

Basketball trophies have come a long way! I’m talking about trophies that have bobbleheads, spinning sports balls and movable arms and legs!

Can’t decide which image or design to use for your basketball team? Let them choose! Use a different image insert for each medal! Use a different saying or logo on each trophy! Not one has to be alike!
Want to go with a more formal approach? Get basketball plaques! You can engrave anything you want on them or even insert a photo of your basketball team. Either way, a basketball plaque mounted on a wall is sure to create memories that will last for generations.

Going along with a classy theme, you can get acrylic basketball awards, glass basketball awards and crystal basketball awards. The crystal awards feature a basketball player lasered inside to create an interesting unique 3-D look.

Maybe you don’t want to make a big deal out of a win or even a loss! So you can opt for basketball pins, basketball pins, basketball ribbons, or basketball certificates. This way nobody is forgotten and everyone will have a little souvenir of from the good times or the bad times!

So remember, you shouldn’t have to feel obligated to get basketball trophies & awards for your team, but rather, you should want to! Designing and building a basketball trophy has never been more fun!

Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina’s 6-9 junior All-American from Poplar Bluff, Mo., has been chosen winner of the Oscar Robertson Trophy by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association as the nation’s top college basketball player for the 2007-08 season.

Hansbrough received the trophy at the USBWA’s annual college basketball awards breakfast this morning in San Antonio. Drake coach Keno Davis was presented with the Henry Iba Award as the USBWA’s Coach of the Year and LSU-Shreveport’s Josh Porter was presented with the USBWA’s Most Courageous Award at the breakfast as well.

Selected by the USBWA two years ago as its national freshman of the year, Hansbrough was a dominating force for North Carolina this season, leading the Tar Heels to the NCAA Final Four in San Antonio, a No. 1 ranking in the national polls and a school-record 36 wins.

He was the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year and led the league in scoring and rebounding with averages of 23.1 and 10.5, respectively.

Hansbrough is the fourth player from North Carolina to receive the USBWA player of the year award. The others are Phil Ford (1978), Michael Jordan (1984) and Antawn Jamison (1998).

This is the 50th anniversary of the USBWA player of the year award. First presented in 1959 to Oscar Robertson, it is the nation’s oldest and only one named after a player.

The USBWA named its player of the year award the Oscar Robertson Trophy in 1998 in honor of “The Big O,” named “College Player of the Century” in 2000 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

The U.S. Basketball Writers Association was formed in 1956 at the urging of then-NCAA Executive Director Walter Byers. Today, with nearly 800 members, it is one of the most influential organizations in college basketball. For more information on the USBWA and its awards and programs, contact executive director Joe Mitch at 314-795-6821 or 314-421-0339

Originally Written by Joe Mitch, www.sportswriters.net

Trophy News from ESPN

Kobe Bryant recently said he would rather win an Olympic gold medal than the NBA championship. Was he merely saying what was politically correct before the Olympics? Did he say it only because it sounds better than “I would rather win an Olympic gold medal than lose the NBA championship”? Or does an Olympic gold medal really mean more to him than a professional championship?

Only Kobe knows for sure but what about you? What sporting trophy means the most to you? Of all the things you could win in sports, which would you choose? A Super Bowl ring? The Masters green jacket? The Heisman Trophy? The Cy Young Award? A World Series? A Final Four? There are dozens upon dozens of championships and awards to win, but which would you most want to claim?

Here are a few quick caveats on my rankings:

The form of the award matters. Trophies top plaques, and the bigger the better. After all, you want the damn thing to look impressive in your trophy case.

Names count, too. Awards named in honor of a person (such as the Cy Young) just resonate more than those that, while prestigious, are named something boring and generic like the “MVP award.”

Durability counts. Generally, the longer the award has been around, the more it means.

Originally Written by Jim Caple for ESPN