Andrew Bichard - 878 Vikings: Andrew started a game and was in an advantageous position early in the game. His opponent realized he had not put on a number of starting pieces at the beginning of the game. Andrew agreed to restart the game and ended up losing the game and being knocked out of the tournament. Nominated by the GM.

Memoir ’44: Most Sportsmanship nominations are based on a player pointing out an opponent’s error or missed rule and sacrificing their own self-interest. This one is about a different aspect of Sportsmanship: Heartfelt enthusiasm for the game. Andrew Bichard is still in his teens. Thursday evening at our Mulligan, he was full of questions, especially about the multi-player “Overlord” version, and especially the four remaining scheduled Overlord battles. After he won his match in the Mulligan, he also offered to come back in the morning and play as an eliminator in Round 1 if needed – and indeed, he showed up before 9 am, we had an odd number, and I used him as an eliminator.

Andrew’s curiosity continued during spare time Friday and Saturday. He participated in our Friday late-night Overlord (as a commander-in-chief, which I didn’t expect him to volunteer for), plus our Saturday morning, afternoon, and evening ones. He had been especially curious about the scenario we had scheduled for Saturday afternoon, which is a “kitchen sink” battle with lots of special units and rules, looking for a way to be able to be part of it. (I did find a role for him, but as it turned out, we had enough players for two games, and he wound up in the other scenario, where he commanded one side.)

At the end of the weekend, one of my AGMs told me, “Yeah, Andrew asked me a lot of questions, too. And the amazing thing is, he never repeated a question.” I’ve been GMing at WBC 12 years, and I’ve never seen anybody show even 1/10 as much curiosity and desire to learn. I view this as a part of Sportsmanship, and I would feel remiss if I didn’t recognize it with this nomination. Nominated by the GM.

George Bott - Squad Leader: In the Semifinal of the Squad Leader tournament, one of the qualifiers also qualified in another tournament, and made a last-minute decision to play in it rather than Squad Leader. David Brooks stepped in to be the fourth player. David is an inexperienced player, and it had been four years since he had even played the game. David was paired with George Bott in the Semifinal.

In the scenario, the Germans are defending, which requires much less knowledge of the game. The two players rolled to see who got to choose the sides which George won. George then graciously offered the choice to David, who chose the Germans. If George had taken the German side, it would have meant certain victory for him and advancement to the Final. By allowing David to take the Germans, it at least turned it into a game.

Throughout the game, George patiently explained rules and answered questions as they progressed through the steps of each player’s turn. He also prompted David on actions that an experienced player would know must be taken during a particular step. For example, he would say “So what should you do now?” to remind him to establish/maintain radio contact. It was just short of teaching the game.

David got some lucky rolls, especially at critical points in the game, and ended up (surprisingly) winning the Final. George shook his hand at the finish. Nominated by the GM

Kevin Burns - Atlantic Storm: Kevin helped all the players at his table during the heat despite coming in last place at the table. Nominated by entire heat table.

Jeromey Martin - John Company: He ran one of the most organized and clear demos I have ever seen (there were 30+ people at the demo). He was incredibly patient at every game acting as a coach to new players, helping them play in their best interest which often hurt his position. Nominated by the GM.

Jay Matthews - Barrage: Jay taught players in every Heat/Game to increase players understanding and joy in the game. His willingness to help players increased the fun during the game. Nominated by the GM.

David Rynkowski - Diplomacy: Every year he provides donuts and coffee during the morning Round 2. He also volunteers to be the “odd man out”, sitting out rounds to make the multiple of 7 for full games. He does this every year, sacrificing a chance to win so new and inexperienced players get an opportunity to play a full game of Diplomacy. Nominated by the GM.

John Stevens - Brittania: A strange set of circumstances left John’s side in the Final with no chance of victory and often few pieces. John remained affable throughout the game and declared that the game was fun regardless. Nominated by the GM.

Honorable Mention: David Chalfoun, Elihu Feustel, Harald Henning, Megan Manley, Paul McCarthy, Ron Robinson, Steve Rogers, Larry Sisson, Patti Swift, and Chris Trimmer.