Josh Davis Spirit Award

Josh Davis, an avid baseball player and participant in many Koa programs, tragically passed away at the age of 15 due to an accident while riding his bike. During his time with Koa, Josh embodied many of the traits we look to cultivate, develop, and instill in Koa athletes throughout all of our programs.

These traits include:

• Hard work
• Sportsmanship
• Self-discipline
• Coping with adversity, and
• Having FUN through sports

Like many kids who participate in Koa activities, Josh was a good athlete, but not necessarily great or naturally gifted. All of us who coached or played with him recognized and learned from him that there is much more to be gained from sports than just watching a gifted person play — Josh taught us that every athlete can, and should, be important and contribute to his or her team’s growth and success. Josh was always upbeat, encouraged his teammates to perform well, challenged himself to excel, and like all good athletes experienced moments of success on the field that had all of us spontaneously cheering for him, grateful that he was part of our team. He was fun to be around, and his role as a teammate and as a performer has left a lasting impression on us all.

We hope that Josh’s actions, character, and spirit will continue to inspire Koa athletes for many years to come. Josh reminds us that, even at a young age, kids can show us what it takes to be a good person and good teammate, and those qualities can last a lifetime.

The Josh Davis Spirit Award will be presented annually to one male and one female Koa athlete. Josh’s sportsmanship, teamwork, and athletic spirit was embodied each time he stepped on the playing field and we are proud for his name to continue on with this award.