Good sportsmanship builds more than strong athletes. It shapes character. It teaches integrity, respect and emotional control in moments of pressure. It builds confidence that carries into classrooms, workplaces, and families. For Gretchen Wolf Swartz, that belief was not theory. It was how she lived.

From 1981 to 1995, Gretchen served as a girls’ high school basketball referee. Night after night, she stepped onto the court as a steady presence, modeling fairness, composure, and respect for the game. She believed how you play matters more than whether you win.

After Gretchen’s untimely death from leukemia in 1997, her fellow officials knew her legacy could not end with a final whistle and created a memorial fund to promote the sportsmanship she championed. In 1999, the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Fund, Inc. received 501(c)(3) status, and the first scholarships were awarded in the 2000-2001 season.

Each year, the York Chapter of PIAA Basketball Officials selects one girls’ and one boys’ basketball team from a YAIAA member school. This is not an open application process. The officials decide. Watching athletes in grades 7 through 12 in action, they look beyond the scoreboard. They observe how coaches respond to adversity, how players treat opponents and referees, how administrators lead, and how cheerleaders represent their schools.

And they watch the onlookers in the stands.

Because fans matter.

The tone of a crowd can elevate a program or weaken it. In many ways, fans can make or break a school’s opportunity to be recognized, proving sportsmanship is a community effort.

The two winning schools each receive a traveling plaque, engraved with the Award-winning school name. Senior players from those programs qualify to apply for a post-secondary scholarship.

Since 2001, more than $1,350,000 has been awarded to over 120 students. For many recipients, the scholarship has made college or trade school possible.

“When you put on that uniform, you’re not just representing yourself, you’re representing your team, your coaches, your school, and your entire community,” Patrick Lannon, GWSSF scholarship recipient turned board member shared, reflecting on how sportsmanship shaped both his playing days and his professional life. He recalled the moment he received his scholarship and felt his hard work recognized, and said it’s deeply meaningful now, as a board member, to give back and expand opportunities for young people.

Seeing the organization’s growth and impact, he added, “It’s special to be part of where it started, where it is now, and where it’s going.”

Through every scholarship awarded, Gretchen’s spirit lives on inside every gym where the game is played with heart.

The Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Fund has awarded another $160,000 in scholarship dollars, bringing the Fund’s total dollars awarded to more than $1.5 million.

The Kennard-Dale girls and New Oxford boys were recognized as the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Team Award winners at the conclusion of this year’s YAIAA basketball season. As a result, senior players from each program became eligible to apply for scholarships. The Fund’s  Board divided the available scholarship dollars evenly between the two winning teams.

Kennard-Dale scholarship winners are Ella Dunbar, Lilly Jacka, Makenna Musick, Kylie Pietrowski, and Mae Schreiber. New Oxford scholarship winners include Brayden Billman, Braeden Bowman, Luke Frey, Brody Holmes, Tanner Hough, Parker James, Chase Neiderer, and Ethan Wildasin.

Members of the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Fund Board reviewed scholarship applications and interviewed applicants before determining scholarship winners and award amounts. 

The awards are presented in memory of Gretchen Wolf Swartz, who was a York County basketball official from 1981 to 1995. Following her untimely death from leukemia in 1997, her fellow York County officials created the memorial team awards and scholarship fund to promote and honor the sportsmanship she displayed throughout her playing and officiating careers. 

At the conclusion of each season, York area basketball officials vote to honor a YAIAA boys’ and girls’ program for sportsmanship after observing the season-long conduct of players, fans, faculty, students, managers, coaches, superintendents, ADs and cheerleaders from junior high to varsity. Each winning school receives a traveling trophy in recognition of its accomplishments.

New Oxford’s players learned about their awards Wednesday, May 20. Kennard-Dale’s winners were announced Wednesday, May 27. The Fund has now awarded $1.51 million dollars in scholarships since awarding its first scholarships in 2001.

Kennard-Dale’s girls (5-7 in Div. II, 13-9 overall) won by a landslide, while New Oxford (8-4 in Div. II, 16-6 overall) prevailed in a closer vote over Dover, last year’s winning boys program, and Susquehannock, said Mike Heisler, president of the York Chapter, PIAA Basketball Officials.

According to Heisler, the winning programs are determined by a poll of Chapter members. At the conclusion of each regular season, the officials vote to recognize a boys and girls program after observing the season-long conduct of YAIAA players, fans, faculty, students, managers, coaches and cheerleaders from junior high to varsity. Both winning programs receive a traveling trophy in recognition of their accomplishments.

In May, members of the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Fund Board will recognize some college-bound senior players from each team with scholarships. The Board has awarded $1.35 million in scholarships over 25 years. Those winners will be announced at a later date.

               Gretchen Wolf Swartz was a York County basketball official from 1981 to 1995. Following her untimely death from leukemia in 1997, her fellow officials created the memorial team awards and a scholarship fund to promote and honor the sportsmanship she so effectively displayed.

It’s not easy to keep players engaged when the team is losing more than it’s winning. 

It’s even more difficult when the team hasn’t won at all. 

Dan Overmiller knows all about it. His Dover boys basketball team went 0-22 last season. But no one let the lack of success get to them. 

And at the end of the season, while some teams were picking up medals or adding division titles to their banners, the Eagles were winning scholarship money. Money that, in at least one case, meant no student loans for post-secondary education. 

Three Dover players split $75,000 in scholarship money last year after they were named the boys’ Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Team Award winners. A pair of York Catholic players split the same amount for winning the award on the girls’ side. 

Overmiller said that award means more to him than winning games. 

“If we do things correctly, good things will come,” he said at winter media day. “It was a rough year. We had to keep the kids engaged. But getting the Swartz award shows that we are doing things the right way. 

“We showed how to conduct yourselves when you don’t win.” 

For some players, the scholarship is a supplement. But for others, like Dover’s Nathan Cooper, it will completely cover the cost of his education at trade school.

Tianna Gray told the committee through email that the scholarship allowed her to follow her dream. The former Hanover girls basketball player used the funds to get an undergraduate degree from the University of Delaware. 

“Without this scholarship, it would have been very difficult to attend UD,” she wrote. “Please extend my sincere gratitude to the Gretchen Wolf Scholarship Foundation members for helping me pursue my career goals.” 

The fund has awarded more than $1.3 million in scholarships since 2001. York-area basketball officials vote for the winning teams at the end of each season after observing the conduct of players, fans, faculty, students, managers, coaches, superintendents, athletic directors and cheerleaders from junior high to varsity. 

It was created to honor the memory of Gretchen Wolf Swartz, who was a York County basketball official from 1981-95. Officials created the fund after her death in 1997 to promote and honor the sportsmanship she displayed throughout her playing and officiating careers. 

So, keep the scholarship in mind the next time you want to disagree with an official’s call. That complaint might sound good in the heat of the moment, but not saying it could help someone realize their career goals. 

Shelly Stallsmith covers York-Adams high school sports for GameTimePA and the USAToday Network. Connect with her by email mstallsmith@ydr.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter @ShelStallsmith. 

The York Catholic girls’ and Dover boys’ programs were recognized as the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Team Award winners at the conclusion of this year’s YAIAA basketball season. As a result, senior players from each program became eligible to apply for scholarships. 

York Catholic scholarship winners are Katie Bullen and Mariah Shue, while Dover’s scholarship winners are Nathan Cooper, Evan Semple and Brayden Speelman.

Members of the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Fund Board reviewed scholarship applications and interviewed the individuals before determining scholarship winners and award amounts. 

The awards are presented in memory of Gretchen Wolf Swartz, who was a York County basketball official from 1981 to 1995. Following her untimely death from leukemia in 1997, her fellow York County officials created the memorial team awards and scholarship fund to promote and honor the sportsmanship she displayed throughout her playing and officiating careers. 

At the conclusion of each season, York area basketball officials vote to honor a YAIAA boys’ and girls’ program for sportsmanship after observing the season-long conduct of players, fans, faculty, students, managers, coaches, superintendents, athletic directors and cheerleaders from junior high to varsity. Each winning school receives a traveling trophy in recognition of its accomplishments. This year’s winning schools will also receive a banner to hang in their gymnasium.

York Catholic’s winners learned about their awards Tuesday morning. Dover’s’ winners were announced Wednesday evening. The Fund has now awarded $1.35 million dollars in scholarships since awarding its first scholarships in 2001.

The Dover boys’ basketball team, which recently concluded an 0-22 season, is this year’s Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Team Award winner on the boys’ side. This marks the first time a Dover program has received the coveted sportsmanship honor, which has been awarded annually since 2001. Dover’s boys won by a landslide, leading all programs in both first- and second-place votes.

On the girls’ side, the York Catholic program (10-2 in the YAIAA, 16-7 overall) was recognized for a second time, having first won the team award in 2012.

The winning programs are determined by a poll of members of the York Chapter of PIAA Basketball Officials. At the conclusion of each regular season, the officials vote to recognize a boys’ and girls’ program after observing the season-long conduct of YAIAA players, fans, faculty, students, managers, coaches and cheerleaders from junior high to varsity. Both winning programs receive a traveling trophy in recognition of their accomplishments.

In May, members of the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Board will recognize some college-bound senior players from each team with scholarships. The Board has awarded $1.2 million in scholarships over 24 years. The winners will be announced at a later date.

Gretchen Wolf Swartz was a York County basketball official from 1981 to 1995. Following her untimely death from leukemia in 1997, her fellow officials created the memorial team awards and a scholarship fund to promote and honor the sportsmanship she so effectively displayed.

The Susquehannock girls and Bermudian Springs boys were recognized as the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Team Award winners at the conclusion of this year’s YAIAA basketball season. As a result, senior players from each program became eligible to apply for scholarships. The Fund Board divided the available scholarship dollars evenly among the two winning teams.

Susquehannock’s scholarship winners are Briley Jones and Georgiana Snyder, while the Bermudian Springs scholarship winners were Tyson Carpenter, Michael Diaz, Gabriel Kline, Austin Reinert, and Ethan Young.

The Susquehannock girls and Bermudian Springs boys were recognized as the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Team Award winners at the conclusion of this year’s YAIAA basketball season. As a result, the senior players from each program became eligible to apply for scholarships. 

Members of the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Fund board reviewed scholarship applications and interviewed applicants before determining scholarship winners and award amounts. 

The awards are presented in memory of Gretchen Wolf Swartz, who was a York County basketball official from 1981 to 1995. Following her untimely death from leukemia in 1997, her fellow York County officials created the memorial team awards and scholarship fund to promote and honor the sportsmanship she displayed throughout her playing and officiating careers. 

At the conclusion of each season, York area basketball officials vote to honor a YAIAA boys’ and girls’ program for sportsmanship after observing the season-long conduct of players, fans, faculty, students, managers, coaches, superintendents, ADs and cheerleaders from junior high to varsity. Each winning school receives a traveling trophy in recognition of its accomplishments.

https://www.ydr.com/story/sports/high-school/2024/02/13/bermudian-springs-susquehannock-hoops-win-gretchen-wolf-swartz-sportsmanship-awards/72582483007/

https://www.yorkdispatch.com/story/sports/high-school/basketball/2024/02/19/susquehannock-girls-bermudian-boys-gretchen-wolf-swartz-sportsmanship-awards/72663122007/

Susquehannock’s girls and Bermudian Springs’ boys, the two YAIAA basketball programs most frequently honored for sportsmanship, are winners of the 2023-24 Gretchen Wolf Swartz Sportsmanship Team Awards.

In a vote of the members of the York Chapter of PIAA Basketball Officials, Susquehannock’s girls won for the ninth time in the scholarship award program’s 24-year history. The Bermudian boys’ program has now captured the award six times.

In May, members of the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Foundation Board will award scholarships to some senior basketball players from each team.

Last year, the Gretchen Wolf Swartz Scholarship Foundation Board crossed the $1 million mark in awarded scholarships. Senior members of the Littlestown High School girls’ and Northeastern High School boys’ programs received a total of $135,000 in scholarship awards.

Gretchen Wolf Swartz was a York County basketball official from 1981 to 1995. Following her untimely death from leukemia in 1997, her fellow officials created the memorial team awards and scholarship fund to promote and honor the sportsmanship she so effectively displayed. 

At the conclusion of each regular season, the officials vote to recognize a boys’ and girls’ program after observing the season-long conduct of YAIAA players, fans, faculty, students, managers, coaches and cheerleaders from junior high to varsity. Both winning programs receive a traveling trophy in recognition of their accomplishments.

Bermudian’s boys, 14-8 overall (9-5 in YAIAA Division III), are coached by Jared Nace. Susquehannock’s girls, coached by Alex Fancher, are 10-12 (4-8 in YAIAA Division II).