Goren Receives "Service Through Sports" Award

UPDATED FROM MARCH 11, 2020 WINSTON-SALEM DASH RELEASE

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Dave Goren, the Executive Director of the National Sports Media Association (NSMA) and former sports anchor at WXII, was honored as the Winston-Salem Dash 2020 Service Through Sports Award winner. Goren received his award – delayed a year by the cancellation of the 2020 season -- at Truist Ballpark just after the Dash’s home game against the Hickory Crawdads was rained out on Friday, July 9 and before that evening’s fireworks, which were held as scheduled.

Each year, the Dash honors a member of the local sports community through the Service Through Sports Award. This award is given to a local resident who has had a positive impact on the Winston-Salem community through their work in sports as a player, coach, executive or member of the media.

Based in Winston-Salem, the National Sports Media Association is devoted to mentoring and connecting the next generation of sports media, while recognizing current and past sports media for excellence. Goren is responsible for all facets of the organization, including fundraising, marketing, increasing membership, and involving the community.

Each June, Goren organizes an Awards Weekend where the NSMA honors sportscasters and sportswriters of the year from each state, a national sportscaster and sportswriter of the year, and Hall of Fame inductees.

Along with his duties with the NSMA, Goren is a sideline reporter for Wake Forest Football on the Wake Forest Sports Network from Learfield IMG College. He is also a professor of practice at Wake Forest University, teaching sports broadcasting classes.

Prior to joining the NSMA in September of 2009, Goren worked more than 20 years as a sportscaster for WXII, joining the station in 1988. Serving as the sports director, Goren was voted the NSMA’s 2008 North Carolina Sportscaster of the Year. He was also inducted into the

Winston-Salem Forsyth County High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Originally from Taunton, Mass., Goren attended Syracuse University and graduated from the SI Newhouse School of Communications.

Along with his sports media work, Goren spends much of his time volunteering. Since 2012, he has served on the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Nido R. Qubein School of Communication at High Point University. The school honored him earlier this year with its Friend of NQSC Award, “which recognizes the community member who goes above and beyond to be engaged with the school and support its students.”

“Dave’s passion and professionalism have helped make the NSMA the strong organization that it is today. The NSMA Awards weekend annually brings a national sports spotlight on our community,” said Dash Team President C.J. Johnson. “Dave has had a positive impact on the development of countless individuals’ careers in sports media.”

Here’s the full list of previous Winston-Salem Dash Service Through Sports Award winners:

• 2010: Clarence “Big House” Gaines, the late Winston-Salem State University men’s basketball coach

• 2011: Tom Walter, Wake Forest University’s baseball head coach

• 2012: Bob and Lisa Gfeller, creators of the Matthew Gfeller Foundation

• 2013: Rich Brenner, the late sportscaster at Fox 8 (WGHP-TV)

• 2014: Howard West, longtime high school boys basketball coach

• 2015: Lenox Rawlings, three-time North Carolina Sportswriter of the Year

• 2016: Rusty LaRue, former Wake Forest multi-sport star and creator of the Rusty LaRue Golf Tournament

• 2017: Dave Odom, former Wake Forest basketball coach

• 2018: Mike Lambros, the late longtime high school teacher and softball coach at North Davidson High School

• 2019: Tom, Andy, Mike and Adam Muse, local high school teachers and basketball coaches

The Winston-Salem Dash are the Class A-Advanced Minor League affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. To purchase tickets and for more information, please call 336-714-2287 or visit www.wsdash.com.

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