UNITED STATES QUAD RUGBY ASSOCIATION

 August 2004

Dennis Snook Awarded Spirit of Achievement

The 2004 USQRA Spirit of Achievement Award was presented to Dennis Snook at the 2004 Quad Rugby National Championship Tournament in April in Louisville, Kentucky. Snook has ably served the sport of quad rugby for the past decade in a number of capacities.

His introduction to the sport came through his son, Mike, a .5 on the then Magee Rebels from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Snook was trained to referee at a clinic in New Jersey on a hot August weekend in 1994. Bob Lopez, who ran the clinic, frequently claimed with pride he taught Dennis everything about refereeing he knew. Dennis would reply, "good thing it was a short clinic." Snook quickly transitioned from gangly legged rookie ref to one of the most respected quad rugby referees nationally and internationally. When the United States Quad Rugby Referees Association needed a strong guiding hand, Snook was elected its president and served from 2002 to 2004.

Along with refereeing, Snook also took on head coaching duties with the Magee Rebels in the 1998 and 1999 seasons. Unable to to field an eight point lineup in that era, Snook stressed conditioning and ball control that allowed the Rebels to achieve a fair amount of success including winning the 1999 Carolina Cup tournament.

After the 2004 season, Snook, a retired police officer, retired from the sport of quad rugby in order to devote himself to his faith. Given the considerable efforts Snook put into quad rugby, he will be a great force in helping his church. The award was presented by USQRA Commissioner Tom Hamill and fellow referee Tres Smith. Several of the Philadelphia athletes coached by Snook were also in attendance. The Spirit of Achievement Award is presented annually by the USQRA to a person who makes significant contributions to the sport of quad rugby in capacities other than as an athlete. Information on making a nomination is available at www.quadrugby.com/resources/ballet.htm

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