RVA Sports awards honor Varina HS football legend, current coach

Two prominent figures in Varina High School football history were among the honorees at the inaugural RVA Sports Awards, held Feb. 5 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond.

Varina graduate and former NFL fullback Michael Robinson received the Power of Sport Award Presented by VCU Center for Sport Leadership, and his former Varina teammate (and current Varina football head coach) Marcus Lewis was named the Coach of the Year after leading the Blue Devils to their first-ever football state championship last year.

The event was broadcast live on WTVR-TV and attracted a sold-out crowd of more than 400 guests. It served as a fundraiser for the Richmond Region Tourism Foundation’s Sports Tourism Grant initiative, a program that distributes grants to local sports organizations to develop new events and expand existing events to attract new visitors to the region.

Six other awards honored male and female athletes of the year (Chris Marston of Sportable and runner Keira D’Amato, respectively); team of the year (the Patrick Henry High School boys’ volleyball team); moment of the year (when two girls, Abrielle Shaw and Aubrey Easley, faced off in the 2021 PONY World Series, becoming only the second and third girls ever to play at that level); Community Champion (Bobby Ukrop); and Courage Story (804 Coaches for a Change).

“The Richmond Region’s sport community is full of champions,” Richmond Region Tourism Vice President of Community Relations J.C. Poma said. “We were thrilled to honor this year’s winners for their unwavering commitment to excellence and for helping to make our community a better place through their determination and dedication. We’re thankful for the partners, sponsors and athletes who helped make our inaugural event a success.”

The RVA Sports Awards also helped fund a scholarship program to support two annual scholarships for students at Virginia State University’s Sports and Hospitality Management Program and in the Center for Sport Leadership at Virginia Commonwealth University.

For details, visit http://www.RVASportsAwards.com.