To Jeff Parke, winning the Red Bulls Ironman Award means two things: that's he's been consistent and healthy -- the same two things he wasn't a year ago.
Looking to put a disappointing 2005 behind him, Parke hired a personal trainer and dedicated his offseason to bettering himself, both mind and body. And while other defenders Chris Leitch, Tim Ward and Tim Regan were sent packing, Parke remained in the fold.
When he reported to the Giants Stadium practice bubble Feb. 1, the 6-foot-1 Parke was a solid 160 pounds and had reduced his body fat percentage.
"There's definitely times there, a stretch of a couple of games that I was down but it's a long season, a lot of games," Parke said. "Anytime you can be out there it is important. I worked pretty hard in the offseason, the strength and to build up my endurance so I can have a positive season instead of a negative one like last season."
In addition to picking up the Ironman Award, Parke shared the Unsung Player of the Year honor with the versatile Seth Stammler, who played six different positions during the season and had three goals and five assists.
Parke started in all 31 games he was featured in, playing 20 more minutes than fellow defender Carlos Mendes, who was named the Red Bulls Defender of the Year for anchoring a backline that had 10 shutouts.
At age 29 and in his fifth year in the league, goalkeeper Jon Conway captured Newcomer of the Year honors. He was acquired from Houston during the offseason in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. Conway led all MLS goalkeepers with a 1.00 goals against average this season and filed a 7-2-3 record with five shutouts.
"He's a good leader. He's vocal, puts himself in good spots, he's a big boy in the net, covers a lot of space and he's athletic," Parke said of the 6-foot-6 Conway. "He can get to those balls and keep you in games. There's been plenty of games we would have lost where he came up with some big saves in key moments."
Marvell Wynne, the first overall pick in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, was named Young Player of the Year. The 20-year-old former UCLA standout made 28 appearances, starting 23 games, and registering three assists as a right back and right-sided midfielder.
Fellow rookie Jozy Altidore won Red Bulls Play of the Year. With seven minutes left in a critical game against Columbus Sept. 16, the 16-year-old hit a rising shot from 30 yards out that eluded Crew goalkeeper Bill Gaudette to lift New York to a 1-0 win. He was also awarded the Sierra Mist Goal of the Week for the blast.
Veteran Chris Henderson was named the Red Bulls' U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year, which is presented to the player who has made the most significant off-the-field impact on the local community.
Henderson established the Chris Henderson Foundation in 2004, a not-for-profit organization that helps kids to learn sportsmanship, teamwork, determination and self-esteem through sports and mentoring programs implemented by the foundation. He works closely with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in all of its programs, and this season, he invited children stricken with leukemia to attend several Red Bulls home games at Giants Stadium.
He has been visiting children with leukemia since his days on the U.S. national team.
"Back in the early '90s the national team was in residency in California and I met a boy who had leukemia, we became friends and he'd come out to all the World Cup practices and he got to know the guys and we went to the hospital," Henderson said.
That boy is Kyle Rowe, who went into remission and the last Henderson heard was a healthy 17-year-old in high school.
"We're in position as professional athletes and when we're out there [on the field] kids look up to us," Henderson said. "Whenever we get the chance to go out in the community to do some good things in the name of soccer, it's great for the club, for us and it's rewarding as individuals."
Dylan Butler is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
