Youth athletes, coaches and parents were honored on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at the annual Stephen A. McLaughlin Champions of Character Awards at the Fairfax County Government Center.
The annual awards, founded in 2001, honor county youth, coaches and parents in each magisterial district for extraordinary service in pursuing victory with honor on and off the field of competition. Instituted by the Fairfax County Athletic Council, this program aims to support the tradition of amateur athletics in cultivating teamwork, leadership, good sportsmanship and community service.
Fairfax County is also committed to upholding the Children’s Bill of Rights in Sports, an initiative of the Aspen Institute’s ProjectPlay. The framework identifies eight fundamental rights that organizations can use to examine programs, policies and practices and consider how they are creating positive experiences for every young athlete. Learn more on the ProjectPlay website.
This year's Champion of Character Award was given to former deputy County Executive Chris Leonard, for his 17 years of service with NCS. Leonard retired from the county earlier this year.
This award is given to an individual for their longstanding service to athletics in Fairfax County and commitment to the values of the Champions of Character.
2026 Awardees
Braddock District
- Male Athlete – Sammy Araya, Soccer, Braddock Road Youth Club
- Female Athlete – Sophia A. Daniel, Soccer, Braddock Road Youth Club
- Coach – Ethan Golden, Flag Football, Braddock Road Youth Club
- Parent – Trish Moxie, Braddock Road Youth Club
Dranesville District
- Male Athlete – Devron Smith, Flag Football, Flag Star Football
- Female Athlete – Sena Elston, Volleyball, South Lakes High School
- Coach – Trevor Lamb, Soccer, McLean Youth Soccer
- Parent – Todd Shea, Multiple Sports, Reston Hoops and Reston Volleyball
Franconia District
- Male Athlete – Roman Parada, Soccer/Basketball, Lee Mount Vernon Sports Club
- Female Athlete – Karoline Folk, Soccer, Lee Mount Vernon Sports Club
- Coach – Jamie Frogale, Softball, Northern Virginia Girls Softball Association/John Lewis HS
- Parent – Shannon McLaughlin, Soccer, Lee Mount Vernon Sports Club
Hunter Mill District
- Male Athlete – Mason Neforos, Soccer, Vienna Soccer
- Female Athlete – Norah Jaques, Softball, VA Glory
- Coach – Josh Dalton, Soccer, Great Falls-Reston Soccer
- Parent – Laurie Lutz, Volleyball, Vienna Youth Inc.
Mason District
- Male Athlete – Will Cordon, Soccer, Villareal Soccer
- Female Athlete – Juliet Quint, Soccer, Villareal Soccer
- Coach – JJ Foster, Softball, VA Glory
- Parent – Carrie McCall, Soccer, Villareal Soccer
Mount Vernon District
- Male Athlete – Jack Tickner, Basketball/Lacrosse, Lee Mount Vernon Sports Club
- Female Athlete – Janine Sosa Cruz, Soccer, Lee Mount Vernon Sports Club
- Coach – Mike Hendrickson, Football, South County Athletic Association
- Parent – Trey Reed, Soccer, Gunston Soccer Club
Providence District
- Male Athlete – Jeremiah Yeh, Football, Flag Star Football and McLean Youth Athletics
- Female Athlete – MJ Melvin, Softball, O’Connell HS and VA Glory
- Coach – Truong Dang, Volleyball, VolleyViet
- Parent – Ashlee Webb, Basketball, Legends Basketball
Springfield District
- Male Athlete – Kylas Jai Kumar, Swimming, Poplar Heights Swim Team
- Female Athlete – Grier Campbell, Soccer, Virginia Valor and Chantilly Youth Association
- Coach – Leah and Brian Smith, Softball, Chantilly Youth Association
- Parent – Alicia Kuehn, Field Hockey, Chantilly Youth Association
Sully District
- Male Athlete – Kanan Bae, Multiple Sports, Southwestern Youth Association
- Female Athlete – Natalie Jones, Softball, Southwestern Youth Association
- Coach – John Markey, Rugby, Southwestern Youth Association
- Parent – Piper Deskins, Rugby, Southwestern Youth Association
Visit the 2026 Awards Flickr Album to view and download more photos.
Visit the Stephen A. McLaughlin Champions of Character Awards page for more information on the annual awards.