Athens Intermediate student wins statewide honor

Published 3:00 pm Saturday, August 26, 2017

Emma Tarokh had a lot of fun playing soccer with her teammates in the 2017 Alabama State Games. But she never expected the phone call her mother received a few weeks after the games ended, letting her know she was selected as the State Games Female Athlete of the Year.

“I had kind of forgotten about it before she got a phone call after school one day,” Tarokh said. “I was like ‘What?’ I was really shocked. I was really excited when I found out but more shocked than anything. Of all the sports that were there, I was surprised they chose me for soccer.”

Tarokh, a 10-year-old fifth-grader at Athens Intermediate School, was selected by the Alabama Sports Festival Foundation, the parent organization of the ASG. The award is given based on evidence of sportsmanship, effort, attitude, overall athletic achievements, motivation and special attributes.

Tarokh will walk in the Parade of Athletes and anchor the torch relay during the 2018 ASG opening ceremony in Huntsville. She will also receive a medal recognizing her for the award as well as meeting Gov. Kay Ivey at a special proclamation signing ceremony at the Capitol in Montgomery and is a candidate for National Athlete of the Year.

While the award may have surprised Emma, it didn’t surprise David Ezell, her teacher at AIS.

“Emma is a fantastic student to have in the classroom. It is no surprise to me that she has accomplished this because she is a student that always strives to do her best,” Ezell said. “Emma is always looking for different ways to contribute to not only the classroom community but also the school community as a whole. Emma builds great relationships with everyone around her and definitely has a great future ahead of her.”

Torokh has played soccer since she was 4 years old and has played at Huntsville Futbol Club for the past three years. Last season, she helped her team win the state championship in their age group at the State Games and also won the tournament in the National Games in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“(The State and National Games) were a lot of fun,” Tarokh said. “I had a blast with my team. I made some assists and scored a few goals, too.”

Torokh was also pleased the award was given for attitude and sportsmanship rather than purely athletic ability. Those are traits she said she tries to show on the soccer field.

“I really try to be a team player,” she said. “I personally like assisting people rather than scoring myself. After the game I try to keep a positive attitude, especially if we lose. But when you win, you can’t be too cocky, either.”

Emma’s mother, Laura Tarokh, said she never expected Emma to win the award when she filled out a nomination form at the State Games.

“There are 22 sports in the State Games of Alabama, so for her to be chosen as Athlete of the Year was a lot of fun and surprising for all of us,” Laura Tarokh said. “She’s a great child on and off the field. She has worked very hard, and we are really proud of her. We go 40 minutes three nights a week to and from practice, so she does a lot of studying and homework in the car.”

Emma may have won a great individual award, but she said her favorite part of playing soccer is the team aspect of the sport.

“I really like being a team player,” she said. “My teammates are my best friends. They’re awesome.”

Laura Tarokh echoed her daughter’s sentiments.

“Emma is very excited (about the award), but she’s very proud to be on the team with her teammates,” Laura said. “She’s a kind girl with a team spirit.”

— Ginger Hickman, communications and strategic planning director for Athens City Schools, contributed to this report.