Whiz Kid: Chaminade Student Recognized For Sportsmanship

Each week, Creve Coeur Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week to highlight.

This Week's Whiz Kid: Billy Bandera

Age: 12

School: Chaminade College Preparatory School

Key To Awesomeness: Billy Bandera was recently featured in USA Hockey Magazine for an act of sportsmanship to an opposing player.

His hockey team, the Affton Americans, had a game against their rivals. Before the game, Billy noticed the goalie on the other team seemed upset. When he found out the boy had forgotten his skates, Billy, the backup goalie for his team, loaned the boy his own.

If the opposing goalie had not been able to play, the team would have forfeited, and the Affton Americans would have won. But the young Bandera told USA Hockey he did not see letting his opponents forfeit as an option.

“I am an Affton American, and we don’t win that way,” Billy was quoted as saying in the magazine.

“I felt like I was doing the right thing,” said Bandera. “I did not have any second thoughts about it. I believe in treating others the way you want to be treated.”

Billy’s parents Tony and Chrissie Bandera said they were proud that Billy did not think twice before lending his skates, but they were not surprised. They said Billy and his sister Sophie live their lives with honor every day. 

“The surprising part was that he was challenged by some of the adults, and he stood up to them,” said Tony Bandera. “Billy has never spoken back to an adult, and although he was not disrespectful, he listened and fielded more than one objection in a very mature way.”

Surprising or not, word of Bandera's actions spread.

"Billy Bandera's act of kindness and sportsmanship was certainly deserving of national attention in a respected publication like USA Hockey Magazine,” said St. Louis hockey writer George Csolak, who has covered the St. Louis Blues for more than 30 years.

For people who know Bandera, it was no surprise that he would take the high road. Doug Nahm, Billy’s baseball coach as well as his hockey coach last year has the highest respect for him.

“He’s like the perfect kid,” said Nahm. “If you had a daughter you’d like for her to bring him home. I just can’t say enough about him.”

The Affton Americans hockey team is a prestigious team with many levels. Bandera played this past year at the Pee Wee level. Nahm said that when the kids try out the coaches sit above and watch as the young hockey players go through their skating evaluate them.

“After the evaluation, Billy comes up to the coaches and thanks them for their time,” said Nahm. “Kids just don’t do that, but one of the coaches said, ‘He’s just like that.’”

Bandera does not think so much should be made of his actions.

“I don’t think it is necessary, because it is what people should do,” he said.

Csolak thinks differently, however.

“Such genuine human interest stories seem to get little or no attention these days,” said Csolak. “St. Louis has received notoriety for building a nationally respected, elite amateur hockey program, but stories like this certainly add a classy, human element to that recognition."       

Nahm agrees.

“I coach him in baseball, and one time an umpire came up to me and said ‘Your catcher is one of the most personable young men I’ve seen out here,’” Nahm said. “He’s always trying to help out. He’s a unique kid that ‘gets it.’ His parents ‘get it’ too. Sports is about winning, but it’s also about having fun. You want your kids to be introduced to how sports can relate to real life.”

Billy Bandera got that message.