LocalSportsJournal.com
Muskegon’s Frauenthal Theater and Local Sports Journal are hosting the first-ever Varsity Blues Athletic Awards Show on Feb. 17.
The unique event is part of the evening that celebrates the excellence of student athletes from around the area. (Tickets for the event can be purchsed by clicking here.)
Ken Erny talks during Fruitport soccer’s dedication ceremony in October of 2020 when the school honored Erny by naming the field in his honor.
LSJ staff has pored over news articles, talking to coaches, athletic directors and sports enthusiasts from around the area to come up with nominations for the best athletes in each sport for the current school year.
Did we hit the mark on every nomination? We did our best to find the very best the area has to offer. We narrowed it down, but certainly, there are others who probably deserve to be mentioned.
Here are the male and female nominees for the Ken Erny Soccer Award.
Males
Charlie Buursma, Western Michigan Christian
Arturo Romero-Serrano III, Oakridge
Liam Smith, Reeths-Puffer
Females
Clara Saunders, Spring Lake
Shay Norden, Mona Shores
Jessica Stewart, Spring Lake
Nominees for the Ken Erny Soccer Award were chosen based on their excellence on the soccer field and team leadership.
Erny was a Burlington, NJ native and began his impact within the Fruitport community with his incredible leadership presence right away.
The Sport Clips Triple Crown Award is given to honor the area’s 3-sport Athletes. The Varsity Blues Athletic Awards Show program features 120 3-sport athletes.
He started with coaching soccer and teaching at Fruitport Faith Christian. He was also an educator with Fruitport Calvary Schools and then was hired by Fruitport Community Schools in Community Education.
He was selected to serve as the inaugural boys’ varsity soccer coach for Fruitport High School and held that position from 1990-2008. He also served as the school’s athletic director from 1996 until he was diagnosed with ALS in 2020.
Ken, known by many simply as “Coach,” poured his heart and soul into countless student-athletes. He understood that athletics must be educational and made it a priority to teach long-lasting life lessons while seeking competitive success.
Erny passed away June 4, 2023 at his home in Fruitport.
