The United States Olympic Committee has selected Glen Bennett, program coordinator for the Michigan State University Demmer Shooting Sports, Education and Training Center, as the individual recipient of the Rings of Gold award.
Bennett was one of six award winners celebrated at the 2016 U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Assembly held on Sept. 23 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, featuring NBC sports reporter Lewis Johnson as the host.
The Rings of Gold awards annually recognize an individual and a program dedicated to helping children develop their Olympic or Paralympic dreams, and reach their highest athletic and personal potential. As a volunteer coach for the MSU archery team for more than six years, Bennett has developed archers into national champions and All-American athletes. In addition to teaching a Junior Olympic Archery Development Program, he also works with visually impaired and quadriplegic athletes to help them learn archery and crossbow shooting.
A full list of the 2016 award recipients includes:
- Jim Easton, Olympic Torch Award recipient
- Jim Eckford, Jack Kelly Fair Play Award recipient
- BlazeSports America, Rings of Gold – Program recipient
- USA Synchro, Advancing D&I recipient
- USRowing, D&I Choice Award recipient
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Assembly was initiated in 2005 to give a voice to the various member organizations of the USOC, to keep dialogue open between members, staff and volunteer leadership, and to help further the Olympic and Paralympic movements in the United States. The two-day event – themed “Future of Sport” – welcomes more than 250 participants representing Olympic, Paralympic and Pan American National governing bodies; U.S. Olympians and Paralympians; multi-sport organizations; the Athletes' Advisory Council; the Paralympic Advisory Committee; and USOC board members and staff.