Kyra Schmidt Earns Positive Athlete Western PA Award
North Allegheny senior Kyra Schmidt was one of 29 student-athletes to receive a Positive Athlete Western Pennsylvania Award. Schmidt was announced on Wednesday as the Positive Athlete winner for girls’ volleyball. It is the tenth consecutive year the Positive Athlete organization has recognized student-athletes in Western Pennsylvania as being the “Most Positive” in their categories.
An Indiana University of Pennsylvania commit was a prominent figure in North Allegheny’s run to a WPIAL and PIAA championship, as well as a 20-1 overall record during the 2023 fall season. The state championship was the program’s seventh in a row.
Schmidt was a PVCA all-state selection and one of the top all-around players for NA. Schmidt was third on the team in kills (170), ranked second in aces (40) and posted 149 digs.
In addition to volleyball, Schmidt was also the starting quarterback for the North Allegheny girls’ flag football team and led the Tigers to a second straight title game appearance. She was also awarded the Don Vandergrift Memorial Scholarship by the North Allegheny Unified Boosters Organization last month.
Hundreds of nominations from coaches, principals, athletic directors, teachers, and parents were submitted to the Positive Athlete organization representing over 100 public and private schools in Western PA. Former Super Bowl MVP and Pittsburgh Steelers star, Hines Ward, and businessman Scott Pederson created Positive Athlete as a movement for more positivity in youth sports 10 years ago. In addition to excellence on the field, each nominated Positive Athlete was required to show characteristics such as an optimistic attitude, teammate encouragement, servant leadership, heart for others, ability to admit imperfections, giving 100 percent all the time, and realizing the team as more important than the individual.
“Each year we put out a search for kids with positive attitudes whose efforts don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheets,” said Pederson. “These kids are also positive role models in their schools who get involved in charitable causes, have already learned the meaning of giving back at an early age, and many have overcome difficult circumstances and remained positive”
For a list of all of the Positive Athlete Award Winners, see below.
