Roll over photos of the finalists to see their statistics 

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story by Katherine Green, photos by Hannah Bredar, photo editing by Anna Leach

“People may not remember what you said, they may not remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel,” volleyball coach Linda Jones said as she described how Missouri sports official and friend Evelyn Gates left an impact on her.

Coming into school on Nov. 13, word spread of a “secret assembly.” Most students did not know what it was. Some thought it was a pep assembly while others thought it was a school wide test, according to sophomore Sophie Burke. However, when everyone joined in the gym after fourth period, the school announced that this secret assembly was the Evelyn Gates Awards. STA’s own senior, Anna Kropf, was a finalist, and later announced winner of the award.

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The Evelyn Gates Award is a prestigious award given to a female high school volleyball player. The awards began in 2004, making this the eleventh year high school coaches have given the award. Coaches choose finalists and winners “to honor the top female high school varsity volleyball student athlete in the Kansas City area,” according the Evelyn Gates Award. The winner’s school’s athletic department receives $500 and the annual traveling trophy that recognizes the award.

Evelyn Gates, once a histology technician at KU Medical Center, officiated high school and college levels of volleyball and softball for over 45 years. Gates umpired for Jones’s 10-year-old softball league. However, according to Jones, Gates was “more than just an official, she was a teacher.”

After dying of cancer in May of 2003, Gates’s friends and players created the Evelyn Gates Award to carry on her legacy of sportsmanship. This award, honoring the Missouri official, is the only one of its kind.

“Evelyn Gates was a true pioneer in women’s sports in the Kansas City area – recognized as a player and an official, mentoring and paving the way for later generations,” the Evelyn Gates Award states.

At the awards ceremony, President and CEO of KC Sports Commission, Kathy Nelson also spoke about her experiences with Evelyn Gates as her volleyball official. Nelson said Gates was also a teacher to her, helping her understand the game better by stopping to explain a side out or a foul on the court.

“Being an athlete is not always a measure of fitness,” Nelson said. “It starts with a mindset, a confidence, and a willingness to try new things. The Evelyn Gates Award represents the importance of what opportunities can do for female athletes and the empowerment that comes just from trying.”

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On being nominated for the Evelyn Gates Award:

Anna Kropf:“The award was a blessing to me because I have worked extremely hard these last four years and to be recognized for leadership, which was not something I had in eighth grade is quite a big accomplishment,” Kropf said. “To be recognized just in the whole metro area for athletics and for volleyball is not something I could have done 4 years ago, so I owe that all to my team and my coaches. I’ve come a long way.”

Kali Eaken:“It was a huge honor to be recognized as a finalist for such a prestigious award,” Eaken said. “Evelyn Gates’s legacy is an inspiration to me as a female athlete. I’m so proud of Anna. We started playing together when we were 12. Her work ethic and dedication is amazing, so well deserved.”

Arianna Person:“It was an amazing opportunity!” Person said. “ I was extremely blessed to be recognized, and it was an experience I will likely never forget.”

Brittany Thomas: “Okay well I remember first hearing of this award as a freshman, and I knew that I just wanted to be there one day,” Thomas said. “So when I heard I was a finalist it was just such an infinite moment. I hope that anyone younger would strive to be there just as I did. I’m so extremely blessed to be a part of something so big. They couldn’t have picked a more deserving winner.”

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