Overwatch League kicked off its awards season honoring the recipient of the 2019 Dennis Hawelka Award during the weekend's play-ins. Los Angeles Valiant's Scott "Custa" Kennedy received the award for his incredible contributions - not only on the stage, but the lasting impact he made throughout the 2019 season off of it.

The Overwatch League's Dennis Hawelka award was one of the three original awards from the 2018 inaugural season of OWL. It's named in honor of the late Dennis "Internethulk" Hawelka who passed away in November of 2017 at the age of 30. Hawelka was a shining example of what it meant to be a professional and was an important figure in the Overwatch community. With so much focus being on how players perform on stage, Hawelka led by example of how they should conduct themselves away from it.

The Dennis Hawelka award is given to the player who embodies what it means to lead by the example Hawelka set. It's about celebrating a person who is a positive influence for their team, their community, and the Overwatch League as a whole. Pongphop "Mickie" Rattanasangchod of the Dallas Fuel received the award during the 2018 and was honored this year by helping present the award to Custa.

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Custa had a rough start to the 2019 Overwatch League season. The Valiant went 0-7 for stage one, and Custa found himself on the bench - something he wasn't used to in his OWL career. He didn't want to wallow in self pity. Instead, he had to figure out a way to surround himself more with the community, and be an example off the stage for his teammates.

One of Custa's most notable contributions to the community was raising money for St. Jude's Children Hospital. Custa used the money from his streaming subs, as well as jersey auction,  to raise more than $6,000 to help benefit childhood cancer research. It was a selfless act from a player who could have just focused on being benched and trying to play again. Instead, Custa used the opportunity to better himself and hopefully make an impact that extended much further than playing on stage.

Custa's selflessness and unwavering leadership throughout the entire 2019 season (despite moments when everything was going wrong for LA) is an example of professionalism that Overwatch League respects and needs to continue to thrive. It's easy to get caught up in the matches and performances of the players, but like Mickie and Custa, the impact a player can make - not only for his teammates but also the community - is something that can be felt long after the lights go out.

The Dennis Hawelka Award is one of the greatest honors a player can receive and no player was more deserving of it this year than Scott "Custa" Kennedy.

Source: overwatchleague.com

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