Spirit of Max Award

The Spirit of Max Award is dedicated in memory of Max Beeners. Max was a courageous student and tennis player at Sioux Falls Roosevelt High School who passed away in June 1999 after a lengthy battle with cancer. In addition to tennis, Max was a leader in school, the community, and in his church. With a sense of humor and a million-dollar smile, Max kept his faith and met his goal of graduating from high school shortly before passing away. In honor of Max, the South Dakota Tennis Hall of Fame presents this award annually to a deserving senior boy and girl tennis player following their respective State High School Tennis Tournaments.

The award is based upon the following criteria:

1. The nominee must be a senior.
2. Academic achievement as determined by class rank and a minimum of a 2.5 grade average on a 4.0 scale;
3. Tennis achievement during their tennis career, including high school and non-high school participation;
4. Sportsmanship – shows respect for all athletes, coaches, and officials on and off the court;
5. Non-tennis extracurriculars; and
6. Character – able to interact in a positive fashion with students and adults, displaying self-discipline, high ethics, and respectful behavior and is a positive role model for young people.
   
   

To be eligible for the award, each player must be nominated by his or her high school coach using the form below. Only one (1) player may be nominated from each school. The nomination forms must be emailed to Jason Olson at yankeejko@hotmail.com no later than OCTOBER 1, 2025 (Girls) and MAY 13, 2026 (Boys) .

A selection committee made up of coaches shall review the top five nominees and select the award recipient. None of the coaches shall be a family member or coach of a nominee. The award shall be announced during the awards presentation of the State Tournament.