This year’s Taylor Haugen Trophy winner is Garrison LeMire, a senior at Niceville High School. Garrison’s primary sport is lacrosse, “the fastest sport on two feet.” Garrison’s motto is “Every day is training day.” Garrison says, “It does not matter how good or bad you are, every day is a new day. I walk on the field with the mindset of training to become better than I was yesterday.
Lacrosse demands that athletes adapt quickly, which is a great metaphor for life. To be successful in lacrosse you must be resilient and never give up. Lacrosse has given me an unbreakable mindset and work ethic which allows me to conquer any obstacle.”
Garrison is active in his school, church, and community. At Niceville High School, he not only plays on the lacrosse team, but also serves as Captain of Niceville’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and represents the school as high school Chair of Emerald Coast FCA. He served as the leader for a 6th and 7th grade boys’ group in church. He coached youth league lacrosse for players from kindergarten through 8th grade. He has also participated in the Literacy for Little Ones program, not only reading to children but dressing up as a character in the book. Garrison co-leads a high school boys ministry group for Junto Tribe, so he hosts up to a dozen young men at his house each week. Garrison has real-world work experience, cleaning carpets and tiles in condos, working as a dock boy at Bluewater Bay Marina, and renting out beach chairs for Friends of Emerald Coast State Park.
Garrison is diligent in the classroom, with a 4.56 weighted GPA. One of Garrison’s teachers said, “You could not ask for a better student. Garrison arrived on time every morning, awake and attentive for Economics at 7am.”
Garrison is a world traveler — he has visited nearly 50 countries and lived in Germany and Japan. After high school, he plans to study psychology and exercise physiology in college. All Sports proudly recognizes Garrison LeMire as this year’s Taylor Haugen Trophy winner.
