Spirit Award Named After Doering ’53

The Lutheran Basketball Association of America has honored longtime member Mel Doering ’53 with the creation of an award in his name.

Mel Doering ’53, university archivist

The Mel Doering Spirit Award was initiated at this year’s National Lutheran Basketball Tournament of Champions, which is sponsored by the LBAA. The award honors a team, school, cheerleaders, and fans from a particular school or church for their sportsmanship, enthusiasm and support during the tournament.

Doering retired this year as a member of the LBAA board of directors. Over the years, he has worked tirelessly with advertising, promotions and publicizing the results of the tournament to the media.

“Mel Doering has been instrumental in promoting the LBAA tournament for almost all of the 60 years it has been in existence,” says Rod Moore, a member of LBAA board of directors and head athletics trainer at Valparaiso University.
The tournament has been played on the campus of Valpo for the past 35 years. 

This year, it drew approximately 3,000 players, coaches, parents and cheerleaders from as far as California, Texas and Pennsylvania.

More than 60 teams from 16 states competed for national titles in two age divisions for boys and girls during the three-day tournament at Valpo’s Athletics-Recreation Center.
The Mel Doering Spirit awardee will be selected by the members of the LBAA board of directors at the conclusion of the tournament. This year’s recipient was First Lutheran Church in Ponca City, Okla.