Each year YHH watches hundreds of games, hosts tournaments all over the state, and collects some great information on thousands of players. There are so many great stories of so many great kids. 

In 2013, we began handing out the Wiz Wyatt Player of the Year Award as a way to recognize players for athletic, academic and leadership achievement. Our criteria for the award is pretty simple. 

• The player must be an outstanding player (top 1%)
• The player must be a great student and leader.
• The player must be a multi-sport athlete.

The award is NOT given to the best player in the state. When you read the accomplishments of Wiz Wyatt, you will see that he was a rare and talented athlete who was respected both on the field, in the locker room and in the classroom. I was fortunate to have been coached by Wiz, and he was a tremendous balance of teacher, mentor and friend. 

Wiz Wyatt was a highly-decorated three-sport star at Minneapolis West in the early 1970's. After graduating from West, he went on to Harvard and played hockey for the Crimson for his collegiate career. Post-graduation, Wiz coached youth hockey in Minneapolis and Edina both as a non-parent and parent volunteer. He currently lives in Edina with his wife Jane and is the father of four adult children Susan, Mary, Michael, and Jessie.

Player: Alex Boldt
Hometown: White Bear Lake
Birthyear: 2011
School: Gentry Academy
GPA: 3.83 (4.0 Scale)
Team:  White Bear Lake 
Position: Forward
Sports: Hockey and Lacrosse
Parents: Ali and Jeff

Whether he's holding a hockey stick or a lacrosse pole, Boldt always seems to show up in his team's biggest moments. 

He led the Bears in scoring with four points in four games during this fall's Pumpkin, which should have been a sign of things to come for this talented Bears team. True to form, Boldt also led the Bears in scoring during their magical run to a runner-up finish in the East Region, punching a ticket to the state tournament the hard way.

During Region play, Boldt totaled three goals and seven points, but it was when he marked the scoresheet that made all the difference. Boldt had three assists in the Bears' 3-2 overtime win over Prior Lake in the quarterfinals, and iced the backdoor game with the Bears' third goal in a 3-1 victory over Osseo-Maple Grove.

Boldt's lacrosse play could also be described as "clutch" as he climbs the ranks of the tradition-rich White Bear Lake lacrosse program.  

Player: Landon Niesen
Hometown: Wayzata
Birthyear: 2010
School: Providence Academy
GPA: 3.92 (4.0 Scale)
Team:  Wayzata
Position: Defense
Sports: Hockey and Soccer
Parents: Chris and Jee

A multi-sport athlete in the truest sense of the word, the Wayzata defenseman also plays high-level soccer in one of the state's premier soccer programs. 

Niesen's ability to read the ice and the pitch is evident in his hockey play, which involves analyzing the play and then inserting himself into the right areas.

Niesen's play may not always show up in big numbers on the scoresheet, but he is a stabilizing force on the Trojan blueline. Niesen embodies how Trojans play hockey from Squirts to high school: hard-nosed, shot-blocking, and tough to play against. 

Player: Jaxson Perron
Hometown: Prior Lake
Birthyear: 2010
School: Twin Oaks Middle School
GPA: 3.50 (4.0 Scale)
Team:  Prior Lake
Position: Defense
Sports: Hockey, Football, Lacrosse
Parents: Scott and Abbie

Perron is one of the most responsible defensemen in the state for his age, which means that he leaves the scoring to the forwards while he takes care of the backend and plays distribution specialist.  

Cerebral would be another way to describe Perron's ability on the blueline, primarily because of the way he can read an offense entering his zone. Perron is also a master of communication, typically being the player to relay the coach's instructions to the team before those all-important defensive zone face-offs. 

Perron led the Lakers in total points during last October's Pumpkin, notching a goal and handing out five assists.

After a pair of heartbreaking losses during Region play, Perron can now turn his attention to lacrosse, in which he also stands out for his athletic ability and leadership skills. After lacrosse, it's time to prepare for the football season in Prior Lake's high-powered youth system.   

Player: Tristan Will
Hometown: Woodbury
Birthyear: 2010
School: Lake Middle School
GPA: 4.0 (4.0 Scale)
Team:  Woodbury
Position: Forward
Sports: Hockey, Football, Baseball
Parents: Adam and Sara

Will is one of those athletes you can't help but notice during warmups - or even during a team's off-ice routine.

He's big and powerful and wields his strength like Paul Bunyan, launching shots like cannon blasts. Will also boasts impressive stickhandling skills, which allow him to find space on the ice in any situation. 

Will tied for fourth in overall scoring during The Pumpkin in October, netting seven goals and 10 points in just four games. During the Predators' run through the South Region, Will tallied four goals and six points in three games. 

Away from the ice, Will's size and speed are critical components of his successful football career, and his hand-eye coordination is on full display when he's swinging a bat on the baseball diamond.