The NCSA would like to congratulate Ellen Edwards from Ohio University on being awarded the 2026 Savannah Ahrens Sportsmanship Award. The Savannah Ahrens Sportsmanship Award, given yearly, is an honor bestowed to a student-athlete who has distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
The Ohio University Club Softball Team nominated Ellen and this is what they had to say:
“Ellen truly has a dedication and love for this team like no other. She cares so deeply for all of our players and the girls we play against. Her love of the sport and the environment radiates off of her anytime we play, practice, or whenever I have one on one meetings with her to gameplan. She singlehandedly has turned this team into unknown and unranked to being the first team in school history to make it to nationals. This success didn’t necessarily come from more practices or better strategizing, I believe it came from the energy that she created on this team.
My own personal experience can attest to this. My freshman year on the team was a disaster. We were under a different president and to say I disliked playing would be an understatement. It got to the point where I was on the verge of quitting halfway through the year. I powered through it though in hopes that it would get better as I loved the sport so deeply. It wasn’t until Ellen became president that I really grew to love this team and sport again. She grew my confidence back up and made me realize that I didn’t have to compete with my teammates to have a role on this team. I know from talking to multiple other girls in my year that they experienced the same thing. Ellen inspires a self-assurance in our players and creates a fun, exciting environment that grows comradery and a team that feels a lot like family. She builds our players up instead of tearing them down for mistakes.
Another thing I believe worth mentioning is the way that she handles adversities and problems within the team. Like any competitive team, we had a couple of girls not happy with their playing time. I’ve seen first-hand the maturity Ellen brings to conversations brought up by these girls. She is extremely upfront with them while still listening to their feelings. Though she stands by her beliefs regarding how she runs the team, she always offers solutions to the problem at hand. This is one of the biggest things I would like to learn from her and take with me as I’m leading the team this upcoming year.
If you had told freshman year me I had been vice president, let alone going to be president, her jaw would’ve hit the ground. Though I hold these accomplishments to myself, I can say with full confidence if it had not been for Ellen I would’ve never gotten to the position I hold today. I would be happy if I was half the leader she was during her time on the team which is why I believe she deserves this award.“