Champions of Character honored

Champions of Character Award winners from Mason District with county leaders. [Fairfax County]

Athletes, parents, and a coach involved with the Annandale Boys and Girls Club are being honored with Fairfax County Champions of Character Awards for their good sportsmanship, service, teamwork, and leadership.

These annual awards are presented by Fairfax County, the Fairfax County Athletic Council, and TD Bank to a male and female athlete, a coach, and parent in each supervisory district.

The Champions of Character – including athletes Bryan Zambrana and Virginia Miller, coach Khaled Fayyed, and parents Daniele and Diane Albergottie from Mason District  – will be honored at an awards ceremony Oct. 16, 7 p.m., at the Fairfax County Government Center.

“While coaches, athletes and parents in all sports aim to achieve excellence on the field, the collective Fairfax County Athletic Council is also committed to success off the field as well,” said Chris Pulley of the county’s Neighborhood and Community Services Department.

Here are the Champions of Character from Mason District:

Bryan Zambrana, has been a member of the Annandale Boys and Girls Club (ABGC) since he was a young boy. He was initially shy and reserved but has grown into a determined leader and captain, the award announcement issued by Fairfax County states. He often stays after practices to work on technique and conditioning and attends other team practices to work on his skills.

“His work ethic is second to none, and his actions speak volumes about his character,” the awards announcement states. “Bryan is a central midfielder who holds the ball up well and is the start of a solid attack for his team. He is extremely coachable, and he has become a coach on the field, as well as a mentor to younger kids in the club.”

Virginia Miller, captain of the ABGC’s Annandale United FC Pride U14 girls soccer team, is a leader on the field and also in the community. Even with the stress of leading a top-10 ranked team, she finds time to support those in need and empowers others to join in her efforts.

Miller is an integral part of the AUFC Pride’s annual food drive events, “Kicks for Cans” and “Strive for Five” and started the “Kelly Strong” childhood cancer awareness initiative in support of her best friend’s ongoing battle with the disease.

Khaled Fayyed, known affectionately as “Coach K” by the girls on his ABGC soccer team, focuses more on sportsmanship than winning. He always reminds the girls that if they play to the best of their abilities, winning will take care of itself. Fayyed and his United team have been awarded the Old Dominion Soccer League Travel Soccer Randy Rawls Sportsmanship Award each of the last two years.

“The real mark of a great coach isn’t just who he is on the field, but off the field, too,” the award announcement states. Fayyed “has spent hours and hours listening to the problems of parents and players, always with a sympathetic ear.”

Daniele and Diane Albergottie, long-time Annandale residents, “have influenced the community through their moral standards, devotion to their family, and devotion to their neighbors,” the announcement says. They have been coaching or assisting with soccer teams for the past 17 years, have been active with all four of their sons’ soccer teams, served as age-group coordinators, and helped train new commissioners.

The county is accepting nominations for the 2018 awards. For more information, visit the Champions of Character Awards website.