In the 40th season of Colorado high school softball, the sport is getting a curtain call.
The Denver Post is proud to announce the creation of the Colorado Gold Softball Award, which will be presented annually to the state’s top high school senior softball player, scholar and citizen. The inaugural honor will be awarded this fall, following the conclusion of the CHSAA softball season in late October.
Like the newspaper’s , and , the Colorado Gold Softball Award will factor in achievements and impact outside the diamond. In addition to skills and performance, candidates for the award will also be evaluated by their grades and community service.
“Stepping onto the field back in 1987, we were just excited to finally have a game of our own — we could only dream of how far Colorado high school softball would come over the last four decades,” said Eaglecrest softball coach and Colorado native Yvette Hendrian, who played for Rangeview in the state’s first sanctioned season of the sport.
“Seeing the speed, power, and passion on the dirt today is incredible, and this award is a tribute to that legacy. By honoring a senior who not only dominates the diamond but leads in the classroom and lifts up her community, we aren’t just celebrating athletic excellence — we are recognizing the ultimate standard for the next generation of Colorado student-athletes.”
The finalists and winner for the award, which is backed by the nonprofit Colorado High School Softball Player Award Corporation, will be voted on by a selection committee that includes local coaches, media members and former stars in the state.
The winner of the award will be profiled in The Denver Post, receive a $1,000 scholarship and a trophy, and have a celebratory banquet in her honor. Plus, the Rockies will recognize the player during a game at Coors Field next spring.
Like The Denver Post’s other honors funded by a nonprofit, the Colorado Gold Softball Award is made possible by donations, including a sizable pledge by Adam Stevinson. The Arvada resident, quickly becoming a champion of local girls high school sports, is also the donor whose money helped make the inception of the April Heinrichs Award possible.
The Colorado High School Softball Player Award Corporation is chaired by Denver Post sportswriter Kyle Newman. Its board also features members who are involved with the Colorado High School Baseball Player Award Corporation that backs the Roy Halladay Award: original Rockies employee , longtime MLB scout Ed Henderson and attorney .
The board is rounded out by five additional directors in Stevinson plus notable Colorado high school softball coaches in Hendrian, Cherokee Trail’s Caley Mitchell, former Legend boss Kristen Shirk (now the athletic director at Ponderosa), and Valor Christian’s Dave Atencio.
A 23-person selection committee consists of the following individuals, who will evaluate candidates to determine the finalists and the winner:
- Kyle Newman, Denver Post sportswriter
- Adam Stevinson, legacy donor
- Alan Bossart, original Rockies employee
- Ed Henderson, longtime MLB scout
- Justin North, attorney and board member
- Dawn Gaffin, former Legacy coach
- Dave Atencio, Valor Christian coach
- Yvette Hendrian, Eaglecrest coach
- Kristen Shirk, former Legend coach
- Caley Mitchell, Cherokee Trail coach
- Chris Hutton, University coach
- Tanya Ramsay, Discovery Canyon coach
- Kami McBroom (née Keiter), former Arvada West star
- Rainey James (née Gaffin), former Legacy star
- Ali Kilponen, former Valor Christian star
- Shelby Babcock, former Legacy star
- Nate Peterson, Denver Post sports editor
- Matt Schubert, The Athletic sports editor
- Lori Punko, Denver Post sports editor
- Patrick Saunders, retired Denver Post sportswriter
- Joe Nguyen, Denver Post sports strategist
- Heather Halladay, Halladay Award advisor
- Jimmie Searfoss, 9News preps anchor
Nominations for the award are now open and will be accepted through Oct. 31, following the CHSAA state championships Ideally, players with a strong case for the award would be nominated by their head coach or athletic director. The winner will be announced in mid-November.
“After launching our inaugural award for the state’s top girls soccer player last spring, the juice was there to launch a similar award for softball in the fall,” Denver Post sports editor Nate Peterson said. “This award will elevate the great prep softball players across the state and celebrate their accomplishments on the field, in the classroom and out in their communities. Itap a new tradition that we’re excited to start.”
The Post encourages any individuals or businesses who want to get involved in sponsoring the award with tax-deductible donations to reach out to board chairman Newman at knewman@denverpost.com.
