Football
7/15/2025 9:31:00 AM

2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® Nominees

A key contributor to the Hillsdale College football team’s offensive success on the field is under consideration for recognition for his work off the gridiron.

Senior wide receiver Connor Pratt was among a record-setting 197 nominees for the 2025 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team®, announced by the American Football Coaches Association on Tuesday morning. Now in its 34th year of being awarded, the Good Works Team recognizes college football student-athletes and head coaches from all levels of the sport for their commitment to community service and leadership beyond the gridiron.

“When nearly 200 young athletes choose to serve, it creates a ripple effect far beyond the game,” said Danny Wuerffel, former NFL quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner, College Football Hall of Famer and supporter of the Good Works Team. “Their leadership in the community is just as worthy of recognition as their performance on the field.”

A starting wide receiver for the Hillsdale College football team and an excellent student in the classroom with multiple Academic All-Conference honors, Pratt has still found time to make a significant impact off the field through volunteering, community service and mentorship. A certified nursing assistant who’s worked nearly 200 clinical hours at Vancrest Health Care Center in his hometown of Van Wert, Ohio in the summers, Pratt also has lended his expertise to Hillsdale Hospital as an Emergency and Surgery Department Volunteer during the school year. 

Pratt is a member of Hillsdale College’s Student Athlete Advisory committee, assisting with the SAAC’s annual Trunk-or-Treat fundraiser for Make-A-Wish. He’s also active in all of the Hillsdale College football team’s community service endeavors, including serving as program lead for the Chargers’ annual Be The Match bone marrow registry drive, serving as a host for Hillsdale’s annual Victory Day event for community members with special needs, volunteering with the Chargers’ Guys With Ties mentorship program helping teach self-confidence and respect to local fourth graders, and the program’s annual pick-up of wreaths on the gravestones of veterans in local cemeteries.

During his sophomore season, Pratt also grew out his hair for several months in order to help make a wig for a child experiencing hair loss because of cancer treatments, and documented the process on social media to help raise awareness in the fight against pediatric cancer.

On the field, Pratt has become an important part of Hillsdale’s passing offense, finishing second on the team in touchdown receptions and third in total receptions and yardage in 2024 as a junior, and helping the Chargers to a winning season. He returns for his final campaign with Hillsdale in 2025 looking to have his best season yet and help the Chargers contend for a Great Midwest Athletic Conference title.

From the 197 nominees, a team of 23 will be selected and announced in September, including 11 players from NCAA FBS schools, 11 players from FCS, DII, DIII and NAIA schools, and an honorary head coach. A voting panel of former Good Works Team members, head coaches and journalists select the team roster based on outstanding leadership on and off the field.

An accomplished leader with extensive NCAA Division I coaching and operations experience, Jaskot joins the program following a successful tenure as an assistant coach at Saint Louis University. She brings a proven track record of building competitive programs, fostering player development, and managing elite-level volleyball operations across multiple institutions.

“We are thrilled to welcome Britni Jaskot as the new head coach of our women’s volleyball program, said Athletic Director Robert Cole.” “Britni’s experience as a standout player in the conference, her long-standing connections to local club volleyball, and her extensive coaching background at the Division I level speak volumes. She is a proven winner who cares deeply about the student-athlete experience and is committed to fostering a culture of accountability and growth. With Britni at the helm, we’re confident our program is poised for short and long-term success.”

Prior to her time at Saint Louis, Jaskot served on the staff at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), where she helped guide the Knights to their first-ever NCAA Division I Tournament appearance and a Northeast Conference (NEC) Championship title in 2022. Her contributions were recognized as part of the NEC Coaching Staff of the Year in both 2022 and 2023.

“I’m incredibly honored to be named the next head coach of NJCU Women’s Volleyball, said Jaskot.” “Thank you to Director of Athletics Bobby Cole for believing in my vision and giving me the opportunity to lead this program into its next chapter. Throughout my journey, I’ve been fortunate to learn from some of the best minds in the game, and I’m ready to bring that knowledge—and my passion for building a championship culture—to the Gothic Knights. From the moment I stepped on campus and connected with the search committee, I felt something powerful: a sense of pride, tradition, and community that’s alive and growing. Wearing the Gothic Knights logo is more than just a job—it’s a privilege. I’m excited to get to know our student-athletes, dive into the heart of this community, and start building something special together. The future is bright, and I’m grateful to be a part of it. Let’s get to work. Go Gothic Knights!” 

Jaskot also held the role of Director of Volleyball Operations at Rutgers University, managing all aspects of team logistics including travel coordination, recruiting arrangements, budgeting, and game-day operations. Her administrative acumen complements her coaching strengths, which include individualized skill development, team culture building, and high-level recruiting.

A New Jersey native, Jaskot began her coaching career at her alma mater, Kean University, where she played four years of collegiate volleyball, captaining the Cougars to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances and winning two NJAC Conference Championships. She later returned to Kean as a student assistant coach with the men’s volleyball program.

“Britni is an extremely talented coach with tremendous work ethic, said NJCU Hall of Famer and current Head Coach at the University of New Hampshire, Chris Feliciano.” “She has a great ability to identify talent and cultivate an environment in which that talent can flourish. NJCU got this hire right and I am excited to see the program flourish.”

In addition to her collegiate coaching experience, Jaskot has been a longtime head coach with D.I.G.S Volleyball Club in Bergen County, working with youth athletes on both their personal and athletic development.

Jaskot holds a Master’s degree in Sport Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Kean University, with minors in Health Education and Athletic Coaching.

For the latest news, updates, and information on New Jersey City University sports, visit njcugothicknights.com. Fans can also stay up-to-date on the latest Gothic Knights news by following NJCU Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

SINGAPORE – The fluid passing and instinctive shooting in the pool may have come after hours of training but, for some of the world-class water polo players at the July 11-Aug 3 World Aquatics Championships (WCH), such telepathy comes naturally because they are siblings.

Greece’s Vasiliki Plevritou told The Straits Times the special understanding she has with her 28-year-old sister Eleftheria definitely came into play when they helped their country win the Women’s Water Polo World Cup in April 2025. They also had an “amazing” experience playing at the Paris Olympics with 30-year-old sister Margarita, who has since retired.

Vasiliki, 27, said: “With one look, you just know what your sibling will do without them telling you, and the moves are automatic.”

Chase Dodd, part of the United States’ Olympics bronze-winning men’s team with his 19-year-old brother Ryde, felt that their partnership makes things better. The 22-year-old said: “We work really well together. We are like peanut butter and jelly: One without the other is good, but it’s still not the same as when we are both put together.”

Interestingly, there are more than 10 sets of siblings competing across the men’s and women’s competitions at the OCBC Aquatic Centre.

These include sisters Ariadna and Elena Ruiz representing women’s Olympic champions Spain and Singapore’s SEA Games silver medallist sisters Koh Xiao Li and Koh Ting Ting.

There are also brother-and-sister acts with Americans Dylan and Ella Woodhead, as well as Yusuke and Akari Inaba, the Japanese captains.

In the Serbian men’s Olympics-winning team alone, there are two sets of brothers – Strahinja and Viktor Rasovic, and Petar and Nikola Jaksic.

Having someone from the same family on the same journey can help lift the team to greater heights.

Strahinja, 33, told World Aquatics: “Paris has a special place in my heart. We won after very bad start in the group when nobody believed we can win a gold medal. But we did, and I did it with my brother, which for me means a lot.”

Likewise, Bente Rogge of the Netherlands recalled how they beat Spain in a nail-biting shoot-out in the 2023 WCH final, with her younger sister Lieke among the penalty takers.

The 27-year-old said: “Lieke always takes the penalties at our club, ZV De Zaan. If she takes one, I always swim back because it’s a sure thing the ball will go in. But in the final, it was different… with all that pressure on her shoulders.

“I was on the bench with the other girls. After that, we quickly sought each other out, and I said in tears, ‘I’m very proud of you’.”

Still, having family by your side may not ensure everything will be smooth-sailing in the pool. Eleftheria admitted: “My teammates say that I have this poker face because I never show my emotion during the game. But when it comes to playing with my sisters, the opposite happens. I shout and get angry more easily.”

There was also the “awkward” situation when Eleftheria’s Hungarian club Ferencvarosi lost to Margarita and Vasiliki’s Greek side Olympiacos in the Champions League third-place play-off in May. Eleftheria said: “It was very hard psychologically because I was playing against my sisters for the first time in 20 years.

“I play on the right, Vasiliki plays on the left, so we were together for the whole game. We didn’t hit each other, but it was still physical. It was difficult, well maybe not for her because she scored seven goals.”

With a sheepish smile, Vasiliki added that they try not to talk about water polo all day as it is already consuming a lot of their daily lives.

But sometimes, it does help to have someone at home who knows exactly what you are going through. In 2019, the weight of expectations led Lieke to quit the national team. Then, Bente was dropped from the Tokyo 2020 squad. But having a family support system in the sport helped them overcome the setbacks and disappointment to become world champions together.

Lieke, 24, said: “There’s no one who knows me, what I’m going through and what I need, better than my sister. Sometimes, all I need is just a hug from her.”

Bente added: “In good times, it’s easy to be with everyone, but in hard times, it’s really nice to be with family and have a person there who knows what to say at what time.”

After the group stage was completed on July 15, Australia, the United States, Hungary and Spain were the first teams to qualify for the quarter-finals with three straight wins in their respective groups.

Those who finished second and third in their groups advanced to the July 17 play-offs, with the four remaining quarter-final spots to be decided by the Greece-France, Japan-Britain, Italy-China and New Zealand-Netherlands ties.

Meanwhile, those who finished bottom of their groups enter the classification matches, where hosts Singapore, who lost 32-5 to Italy in their final Group A game, will play Argentina, while Croatia take on South Africa in the other 13th-16th semi-final on July 17.

With a national network of over 300 branches, Turkey’s leading pizza chain Pasaport Pizza has been recognized as the “Most Reputable Pizza Brand in Turkey” in the 2025 Customer Satisfaction Index conducted by the Turkey Reputation Academy. The large-scale study surveyed 15,000 individuals across 72 provinces, identifying Pasaport Pizza as the sector leader in consumer trust and brand satisfaction.

İZMIR, TR / ACCESS Newswire / July 15, 2025 / The brand achieved top scores in key areas such as taste, service consistency, trust perception, and customer loyalty, reaffirming its position as a dominant force in Turkey’s quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry.

“What We Offer Is More Than Just a Product”

CEO Mükremin Özdemir emphasized that this achievement reflects not just product quality, but a long-standing, disciplined approach to brand and operations management:

“This award is the result of a comprehensive customer experience. It stems from years of structured strategy, operational excellence, and customer-focused thinking. We’ve invested in building trust, delivering consistency, and using technology to enhance every stage of the customer journey.”

Setting the Standard with Global Operational Excellence

Pasaport Pizza continues to align all business functions-including product development, customer care, operational controls, and digital systems-with international standards of quality. Özdemir elaborates:

“Our systems are designed for scalability and global compliance. From franchise audits to quality control and digital infrastructure, every layer of our operations is ready to meet the expectations of international markets.”

Rising Global Interest

Following the announcement of the award, interest from international investors has surged, particularly from Europe and the Gulf region. Pasaport Pizza is currently evaluating new franchise opportunities as part of its global growth strategy.

“This recognition strengthens our credibility not only among Turkish consumers but also with global investors,” Özdemir stated. “It’s a clear signal that Pasaport Pizza is a stable and trusted brand, positioned for international success.”

International Readiness and Strategic Expansion

The company has upgraded its digital platforms, supply chain logistics, and brand governance systems to support global market entry. Initial focus markets include Europe and the Middle East, where discussions are underway with prospective partners.

“We are not merely a domestic brand with short-term ambitions,” Özdemir concludes. “Pasaport Pizza is built on sustainable values of trust, transparency, and consistent quality-making us fully prepared to introduce our brand to the world.”

SOURCE: Smartmetrics

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

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