Ian Desmond speaker at Sarasota and Manatee High School Sports Awards
Former Major League shortstop and outfielder Ian Desmond is the guest speaker at the 2024 Sarasota and Manatee High School Sports Awards Friday, May 31, at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall.
The event is produced with support from Lakewood Ranch.
Desmond played 11 seasons in the big leagues with the Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, and most notably the Washington Nationals. Known for his aggressiveness as a hitter, Desmond earned two All-Star appearances and three Silver Slugger Awards over an 11-year career, finishing with 1,432 hits and a .263 batting average. The Sarasota native officially announced his retirement in April of 2022.
Along with being a supporter of the Children's Tumor Foundation, in 2020 Desmond co-founded the Newtown Connection, a non-profit organization based in his hometown, which aims to help underserved youth in the Sarasota area through academic enrichment, physical activity, and health education and to promote character development and an active lifestyle, instilling the values of leadership, accountability, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence.
Desmond and his wife, Chelsey, have five children.
During the live show, athletes of the year in 25 state-sanctioned sports will be honored. In addition, top teams, coaches and overall athletes will be honored as will a Courage Award winner. Nominated athletes who RSVP will receive a complimentary ticket to the event thanks to sponsors.
Nominated athletes can register here: Nominee Registration for the 2024 Sarasota Manatee High School Sports Awards (smartsheet.com)
Tickets for the public are on sale here: 2024 Sarasota and Manatee High School Sports Awards Tickets (enmotive.com)
For more information about the show including links to other sports nominees and to opt into email updates, visit its website and you can follow it on Facebook.
The Sarasota-Manatee High School Sports Awards show is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards, the largest high school sports recognition program in the country.
This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: Ian Desmond speaker Sarasota and Manatee High School Sports Awards
