Participating in sport has been good for their children, say Walter and Iuna Benzinger.

“To keep kids out of trouble, you have to keep them busy,” Walter Benzinger says.

The proud parents—both UWindsor alumni—were on hand Friday as their daughter Sophia Benzinger represented Académie Ste. Cécile International School at a reception honouring recipients of the Human Kinetics Book Award.

An honour student, she captained the school’s basketball and volleyball teams, and volunteered for the Downtown Mission and Habitat for Humanity. Those accomplishments numbered her among the 26 local high school students whose academic performance, athletic activities and community contributions earned them the award.

Her father credits Sophia’s time management skills: “She does have fun, but she doesn’t waste time. It’s all about efficiency.”

She is the second straight member of her family selected to represent the academy; her brother Michael received the award last year.

Julian Macioce of Massey Secondary says he was honoured to learn he was to receive the award.

“Just accepting it and being here today made me think about what I’ve been doing,” he says.

Macioce will be seeing more of the UWindsor campus—he plans to begin studies in nursing this fall.

Here is the full list of 2016 HK Book Award winners:

• Sophia Benzinger, Académie Ste. Cécile International School
• Sadie Chantler, Assumption College School
• Chloe Gray, Belle River District High School
• Liam LeClair, F.J. Brennan High School
• Chelsea Salter, Cardinal Carter Catholic Secondary School
• Alex Nicoletti, Catholic Central High School
• Braydon Houle, École Secondaire E.J. Lajeunesse
• Nicole Preston, École Secondaire Catholique L'Essor
• Samar El-Houssami, École Secondaire Michel-Gratton
• Adam Amicarelli, Essex District High School
• Macaul Reiner, General Amherst High School
• Nik Motruk, Harrow District High School
• Kate Boycott, W.F. Herman Secondary School
• Isabella Baggio, Holy Names High School
• Brianna Brown, Kennedy Collegiate Institute
• John Prout, Kingsville District High School
• Agatha Driedger, Leamington District Secondary School
• Caleb Neposian, Maranatha Christian Academy
• Alexis Provost, Riverside Secondary School
• Olivia Sanders, Sandwich Secondary School
• Amy Maitre and Ashley Maitre, St. Anne’s Catholic High School
• Alexis Cheswick, St. Thomas of Villanova Secondary School
• Eisha Aujla, Tecumseh Vista Academy
• Julian Macioce, Vincent Massey Secondary School
• Leslee Ward, Walkerville Collegiate Institute

Each honoree received a sports- or health-related book to keep, and their school libraries will receive in their names a copy of two books by UWindsor grad Richard Peddie (BComm 1970, LLD 2001): his memoir Dream Job and the mentorship primer 21 Leadership Lessons.