About the Award
As we travel life's sometimes bumpy road, we occasionally come into contact with someone who appears to wring more joy out of each day than seems possible. These special individuals have a knack for allowing us to step back for a moment and see the lighter side, changing the grimace that we all frequently bring to our tasks into a smile.
John Clarke was one of these special people. The enthusiasm and joy with which he approached everything he did, rubbed off on each of those that he came into contact with. Win or lose, the young people he coached came away from each season having had more fun in baseball than they had ever had before. Whether it was drawing out the shy one, motivating the sullen one or calming the one filled with anger, John's touch was light and filled with laughter. Each of the young men and women came away with an understanding that life need not always be a struggle against the current.
Late in 1990, all of us lost John. He passed away from a heart attack. Someone said it might have been because his heart was so full of the love of life that it failed him. We are all poorer for having lost him. Yet he enriched those of us he touched in a way that will be remembered throughout the rest of our lives. This richness can never be erased so long as we keep in mind how he approached each day.
To keep this memory alive and among us as we work and play each season, the JOHN W. CLARKE MEMORIAL AWARD has been instituted. One player, who best exemplifies the qualities and attitude with which John lived each day, will be chosen from every team. Each of these young men and women will be presented with a medal which we hope will remind them that each day needs to be greeted with a smile. Joy is something that we can best receive by working actively to give it to others. We thank John for the joy he gave to us, and we promise to keep his attitude alive.
From the Friends and Family of John