CAPITAL DISTRICT SPORTS WOMEN OF THE YEAR INITIATIVE TO HONOR HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENT-ATHLETES

SCHENECTADY, NY -- The Capital District Sports Women of the Year initiative was officially announced at a press conference at Proctors on August 26, 2019.

The Capital District Sports Women of the Year (CDSWOY) initiative will honor the best and brightest female student athletes from high schools and colleges in the Capital District of New York State. The student-athletes will be recognized for their achievements in academics, athletics and community service. Donations will be made to the charity of choice for each recipient. The CDSWOY Awards Gala will take place at Proctors on Tuesday, May 12, 2020.
The CDSWOY initiative was created by Eric McDowell, President of The Eric Idea Agency, a Capital District business that provides services in public and media relations, event management and M.C. work and crisis management.
Jean Leonard, Chief of Staff at Proctors, provided opening remarks. Speakers along with Mr. McDowell were Deborah Dittner, Ownerof The-Balanced-Body as well as a former scholastic and collegiate multi-sport student-athlete, and Erica Li, an athletic administrator and Head Softball Coach at The Sage Colleges who was an All-American at Williams College. Ed Dopp, the Executive Director of Section II of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, provided written comments for the event.

A total of 96 high schools (members of Section II in the New York State Public High School Athletic Association) and 15 colleges feature athletics in the Capital District. The Athletic Director from each institution will be provided the opportunity to nominate one female student-athlete for CDSWOY recognition. No other nominations are accepted from any other individual. A committee that features media members selects the honorees in each category. The CDSWOY Awards Gala at Proctors will feature five collegiate and 10 scholastic honorees, with two Grand Sports Woman of the Year honorees selected by the committee from the recipients in each category. A special CDSWOY Legacy Award, one each from scholastic and collegiate categories, will be presented to an administrator, staff member, coach or volunteer who has provided truly outstanding service and dedication in a role serving and supporting women's athletics in the Capital District.

Spring sports nominees can include their accomplishments from the previous spring. Announcements are made on a scheduled basis beginning in March and through the end of April. The honorees will be officially announced on the website, cdswoy.com.

In the spring of 2018, Mr. McDowell began creating and working on the initiative, approaching various members of the community. He continues to seek sponsorships and the CDSWOY program received 501(c)(3) charity status in April of 2019. Donations for CDSWOY can be provided securely online at cdswoy.com. The site also features sponsorship, advertising and secure donation opportunities for local businesses and individuals to support the Capital District Sports Women of the Year initiative.