There's no 'I' in... well, you know the phrase

Let's raise a frosty mug of cream soda to toast, for many of us, the end of summer. Personally, team sports-wise, these past couple months exceeded expectations.

It was another gratifying season in Masters (which politely translates to Ancient) 12-inch softball, wherein our Geezers reached the semifinals before losing to the eventual league champion.

Then, in a 14-inch over-30 coed league, our fifth-seeded Lumber Kings overcame odds to beat Nos. 6, 1 and 3 and claim the title.

No matter if one is 10, 17, 30 or, uh, 48 with a hip going on 60, there is nothing as satisfying as a team title or, at least, maximizing capabilities.

Merging varied personalities and skill sets into a smooth machine is a beautiful thing.

Acing chemistry while seeking the tallest hardware is the goal of every team that started fall practices Wednesday, even programs such as golf and tennis that also offer individual champions.

Observing winning clubs throughout the years, one common trait regardless of sport is that sooner or later, everyone makes a valuable contribution, even if it's just for a moment.

The Blackhawks' Patrick Kane will be remembered for his game-winning goal to win a Stanley Cup. Fans also will remember big goals also by the likes of Dave Bolland and Kris Versteeg, a huge hit - one is all it takes - by Ben Eager.

Geneva's Class 3A state champion cross country team featured second- and third-place finishes by Kelly Whitley and Sarah Heuer, respectively. No one in the Vikings' running community, however, will forget Kelly Shogren and Megan Brady helped them reach Detweiller Park - or, in fact, forget those who pushed the point scorers in practice 40 miles every week.

That's why many schools or sports have not only most valuable athlete honors but also, for example, Batavia's Bulldog Award.

Batavia athletic director Mike Gaspari said of the three honors within each sports program at the school, male and female alike, the Bulldog Award is "the most important award, probably."

"It epitomizes what we as a staff feel are the most important ingredients... leadership, integrity, being a great student and just a great teammate," said Gaspari, who noted each program also provides MVP and Most Improved awards.

Other area schools have their own version of the Bulldog Award.

At Kaneland, along with Knight awards for athletes garnering three varsity letters their senior year, there is the Eddington Scholarship, a $500 bounty named after late Kaneland teacher and coach Larry Eddington and granted to a senior boy or girl cross country runner who, according to athletic director Leigh Jaffke, "exemplifies leadership, character and commitment..."

Kaneland goes beyond cross country in honoring the intangibles with the George Birkett Dedication Award, which is named after another former Kaneland coach and teacher.

Like Gaspari, Aurora Central Catholic football coach Brian Casey states the importance of the Charger Award granted the most inspirational player within a sport. Along with a Most Improved and MVP, the Charger award is handed out one per team.

ACC also has Athlete of the Year awards encompassing all sports (Rob Taptich and Ashley Bohr won those for 2009-10), but Casey noted that the Charger Award is "not necessarily a feel-good award."

"It could be the kid who just shows up for everything and busts his butt," Casey said. "He may not be the best player on the team - or he may be the best - but he's a kid who'll give everything he's got, 110 percent."

West Aurora recently added this type of honor to its roster. Along with the Top Varsity Athlete award voted on by all coaches, and the Janis Lapsa Scholastic Athletic Scholarship awarded by the Blackhawks booster club on a points system of varsity letters and grade-point average, the Dick Dorsey Sportsmanship Award was initiated two years ago.

"This award is for sportsmanship on and off the field, not just the 'best athlete,'" reported West Aurora athletic director Andy Lutzenkirchen.

Just one meeting with former Aurora Christian athletic director and boys basketball coach Don Davidson is sufficient to understand the man's convictions.

A born-again Christian who retired in June after 43 years as an educator, 33 at Aurora Christian, Davidson cherished one award over all others presented to his basketball players. That was the Christian Character Award, based on the verse in I Timothy: "Let no one despise our youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in purity."

First awarded during the 1977-78 campaign and voted upon by the players, Davidson stressed the importance of the Character Award not only to students but to coaches of the Eagles' other sports.

"For a coach in a Christian school, character is of the utmost importance and that is why I especially liked the award - not related to scoring, conference or all-area honors, grades or even popularity. Most of the time it wasn't given to our MVP," Davidson said.

As we've seen at Batavia, Kaneland and West Aurora, character and dedication are valued regardless of affiliation.

Dedication in particular is recognized at Marmion. Along with each sport's Achievement Award winner, or most valuable player, at the final assembly of each school year the athletic department salutes seniors who have earned six or more varsity letters with the Monogram Award - "to reward and celebrate the multisport athlete," said athletic director Joe Chivari.

This practice has gone on for decades, Chivari said, and visitors can see the honorees' pictures and histories in Marmion's gym foyer. In this decade seven athletes have earned eight varsity letters, including Dave Grange, Josh Stein, Manny Juarez and Brad Hunter, who earned them in four sports.

Marmion's most famous recent graduate - San Diego Chargers linebacker Larry English - could have received 10 letters, Chivari said, had English gone out for track instead of strictly lifting weights in the spring.

"I think he made a wise choice," Chivari said. "However, I was the head track coach at that time and it killed me to not see him stay with track."

At St. Charles North, one male and one female athlete are honored as Senior Athlete of the Year. The North Stars share a special night with St. Charles East, a January basketball game when the teams tangle and four people are given East's most prestigious athletic award - the Jodie Harrison Lifetime Achievement Award named after the late athletic director. This Hall of Fame includes Olympic Bronze Medalist Rick Wohlhuter and former Green Bay Packer Randy Wright.

The biggie at Geneva for boys is the Jeff Smith Award. Head coaches nominate and vote on athletes who played at least two sports all four years of school, and who had those important intangibles along with athleticism. Notable winners include Michael Ratay, Alex Pokorny and Geneva's current principal, Tom Rogers.

The female version of the Smith Award has no name, said athletic director Jim Kafer. It does have a reigning honoree.

Up at Northern Illinois University, freshman Lauren Wicinski was in her first official week of volleyball workouts for the Huskies. She'd starred in volleyball and basketball at Geneva, and at senior awards night she was there for an academic honor but - so she thought - nothing else.

"I didn't even know I was in the program," Wicinski said.

It turned out she became the female face of it. Reflecting on that night, she mentioned what the sharpest of this year's prep athletes will learn if they haven't already.

"It was really cool I won that award," Wicinski said. "But I wouldn't have been able to do it without my team."