The Kehrer family knows there’s more to baseball than wins and losses. Far more important, said Stacy and Albert Kehrer, are the leadership and sportsmanship qualities which the game develops. For a full decade now, the Kehrers have presented the Bonn Kehrer Sportsmanship Award to a 12-year-old Bridgeport Little League participant. The award pays tribute to the Kehrers’ son Bonn, who died at age 7 with complications from a birth defect.

 

The 10^th annual award was presented Sunday evening to Ben McDougal. Attending the presentation at Bridgeport Recreation Complex were award recipients from past years. Included was Anthony Belcastro, the very first Bonn Kehrer Sportsmanship Award winner.

 

“I can remember when I was 12 winning this award and what it meant to me. It was something that stuck with me throughout my baseball career,” said Belcastro. “Ten years later, it was truly an honor being represented with 10 other great guys. I hope the tradition continues.”

 

Belcastro was awarded the honor in 2008. After his Little League career, he played Babe Ruth baseball and went on to play at Notre Dame High School. The Irish advanced to the state tournament his junior and senior years; the latter year earning the West Virginia Class A runner-up title. He just finished his junior year at Fairmont State University where he is studying business information systems and technologies.

 

Other past award winners are Tristan Knapp (2009), Todd Antill (2010), Aaron Waldon (2011), Christian Lehosit (2012), Logan Crayton and Vincenzo Cava (2013), Trent Tucker (2014), Quintin Reep (2015) and Christopher Harbert (2016).

 

Harbert said the Bonn Kehrer Sportsmanship award is his most important athletic achievement. He said not enough people practice being a good teammate, friend and person.

 

“As his parents, we are so proud of this,” said his mom, Denise Harbert. “No matter what kind of player he turns out to be, we will always be proud of the young man he has become.”

 

Only one year have there been two recipients. That was in 2013 when Crayton and Cava – both who had been Bonn’s teammates – were honored.

 

“Logan and Bonn met on the baseball field in the spring/summer before they started kindergarten,” said Andrea Crayton, Logan’s mom. “Winning the award was such an honor to Logan at the time because they had been friends and teammates. It meant a lot to me because it was not an award based on ability, but rather character.”

 

Bonn and Logan shared a love for baseball, but they also shared a love for people and helping others, Crayton said.

 

“To this day, the trophy still sits in his room while all the other trophies have been packed away,” she said.

 

Although he was only 7 years old, Bonn was mature and carried himself with leadership and sportsmanship, his parents said. They plan to continue to recognize those values by presenting the annual award.

 

Stacy Kehrer said they were honored that all but one past winner was able to attend Sunday’s awards presentation.

 

“They have all become such wonderful young men,” she said.

 

Pictured left to right are Anthony Belcastro, Tristan Knapp, Todd Antill, Bonn’s twin sister Joplin Kehrer and little brother Brody Kehrer, Stacy Kehrer, Ben McDougal, Albert Kehrer, Quintin Reep, Christopher Harbert, Trent Tucker, Logan Crayton, Vincenzo Cava and Aaron Walden.