Evan St. Amand, a member of the West Hartford Hall High School golf team, was selected as the recipient of the 2023 Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award.
By Ronnie Newton
The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) announced Friday that Evan St. Amand, a senior at West Hartford Hall High School and a member of the boys’ golf team, has been named a 2023 Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award recipient.
The prestigious award is presented annually, the CIAC said, and St Amand is the 14th recipient. Award winners from each state are automatically nominated for the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) section and the National Spirit of Sport Awards.
Evan St. Amand of West Hartford’s Hall High School (left) was named a recipient of the 2023 CIAC Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award. courtesy photo
“The Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award is designed to recognize individuals who exemplify the ideals of the positive spirit of sport that is the core mission of education-based athletics,” CIAC spokesman John Holt said in an announcement. “The award may be given in recognition of a specific act or activity of sustained duration.”
When St. Amand joined Hall’s golf team this fall, it was his first time on a high school athletic team. He has a mitochondrial disorder that prevents his mitochondria from efficiently converting sugar and oxygen into enough energy to keep his body functioning for everyday activities, let alone exercise, and hot weather is particularly challenging.
He is unable to eat solid food and is fed via an IV on which he is hooked up 17 hours a day, including overnight. After golf training, he is supplied with liquid via an infusion.
“What I think really sets sport apart from anything else is the amount of camaraderie and brotherhood that there is,” St. Amand said. “Sports at my high school are huge. So I felt like if I could just tap into that a little bit, I could be a part of that brotherhood and a part of that experience.”
Evan St. Amand of West Hartford’s Hall High School was named a recipient of the 2023 CIAC Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award. courtesy photo
“I’ve known he’s had some challenges since middle school, but he hasn’t really let that affect him or how other people see him,” said Kevin Brown, captain of the Hall golf team. He said St Amand is a positive presence on the team in many ways, including always cracking jokes.
Hall Boys golf team head coach Chuck Claffey said it’s great to have St Amand on the team and said he doesn’t get upset except maybe when he misses a ball. “For someone who knows his limits, he’s so outgoing. No inhibitions at all, he’s just having fun. … It was a pleasure to have him. He’s the type of kid golf he was made for.” He even took on the managerial role, Claffey said.
St Amand said he was very excited when he found out he could join the golf team. “It was fantastic – a very, very positive experience,” he said.
St. Amand will be officially honored at the annual CIAC Scholar-Athlete Banquet in May.
The CIAC produced a video profile of St Amand which can be viewed in full via YouTube below.
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