DE PERE – De Pere High School senior Murphy Eggers was recently chosen as the winner of the 2018-19 Joe Decker Young Person of the Year Award.
This honor has been awarded to a senior hockey player in Brown County for the past 36 years.
The award was created in 1984 to recognize the contributions that Decker made in the advancement of Brown County youth hockey.
He was instrumental in the planning and development of the original youth ice center and served as president of Brown County Youth Hockey from 1971 until he passed away in 1984.
Decker was inducted into the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame in 1985.
“I was honored when I learned that I won the award,” said Eggers. “It means so much to me because it shows what student-athletes can accomplish outside of hockey.”
To participate in the Joe Decker Young Person of the Year Award, senior hockey players are nominated by their coaches.
Players then fill out a written application detailing their school and community involvement.
Finally, the selection committee interviews candidates and chooses the winner.
The player that best exemplifies outstanding academic achievement and community service wins the award.
“Hockey has been a big part of my life,” Eggers added. “During my playing career, I have learned how to become the best person I can be. One of my core beliefs is that you can be an athlete for a long time, but you can be a good person longer. This is what the Joe Decker Award is recognizing. I attribute all this learning to my family, coaches, teammates and friends. The Decker family was important to hockey in the Green Bay area, and it’s nice to see they are still involved.”
This year’s selection committee included some of Decker’s family members: Tom Decker (son), Gary Ehrbar (son-in-law) and Tony Ehrbar (grandson).
The award comes with a $500 scholarship.
Other nominees were Aaron Ribar from Bay Port High School, Abby Comar from Notre Dame Academy and Daniel Crack from Green Bay Southwest High School.