A Kiel High School student athlete has been selected as the 2023 Wisconsin recipient of the Spirit of Sport Award presented by the WIAA, the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin (DFW) and the National Federation of State High School Associations.
Kenzie Koppenhaver will receive the award that recognizes individuals who exemplify the ideals of the spirit of sport that represent the core mission of education-based athletics. On Christmas Eve, of 2021, Koppenhaver was driving to work with her older sister, Jenna, when about one mile from home, their vehicle was struck by an oncoming vehicle in heavy fog. The collision resulted in a traumatic brain injury for Kenzie, which left her unconscious and in a coma for two weeks. Jenna also sustained injuries, including a broken pelvis and lacerated spleen.
Once out of the coma, medical personnel began asking questions to gauge her cognitive ability. They noticed when they spoke about sports and soccer, her positive expressions indicated how important her participation in the sport would be in the healing process.
With her participation in the 2022 soccer season in doubt, Koppenhaver focused her energies on getting healthy and playing with her teammates in the spring as a motivating factor, determined to return to school and play for the Raiders.
Following weeks of therapy in the hospital, she gradually began going back to school until she was able to attend on a full-time basis with her sights set on preparation for the first day of soccer practice in March. She was cleared to participate in non-contact drills at practice and as the season progressed, she continued to recover and get stronger. On April 7th, she returned to competition in the Raiders’ fourth game of the season to play her first game since the accident.
The Raiders, with Kenzie’s story the catalyst and inspiration, experienced its best season in school history with a 22-1-2 record and its first-ever berth in the State Girls Soccer Tournament in 2022. Koppenhaver played in 15 games after receiving All-Eastern Wisconsin/Packerland Conference first team honors as a defender in 2021.
As the Wisconsin recipient of the Spirit of Sports Award, Kenzie will receive her award sponsored by the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin at the 2023 WIAA Annual Meeting on April 26th.
