A Long Island high school senior has been recognized with a new countywide honor for her work in local sports broadcasting.

Alyssa Tappin, 17, a senior at Sachem North High School in Lake Ronkonkoma, NY, is the inaugural recipient of the Suffolk County Football Coaches Association’s student media award, created to recognize outstanding coverage of high school football. Tappin serves as student station manager of Sachem Central School District-owned variety “The Arrow” WSHR (91.9), a school district-owned radio station.

“I’ve gained my confidence… I have more of a voice,” Tappin tells The New York Post.

“People now recognize me for doing this. They hear me on the radio, or they see what we post online… it is just amazing.”

Tappin has expanded the station’s football coverage by taking on a beat-reporter role that includes social media updates, features and postgame reporting. Station officials say she spends the equivalent of nearly an extra school day each week preparing for shows and covering live events.

WSHR General Manager Chris Vaccaro says Tappin’s work prompted him to contact the coaches association about creating the award. “I reached out to the Suffolk County Football Coaches Association and said nobody is doing what Alyssa is doing,” Vaccaro said. “There’s nobody telling stories like she’s doing on a consistent basis… they said that this award sounds like a great first-time thing we should be doing.”

In addition to refining on-air skills such as articulation and microphone technique, Tappin has distinguished herself through extensive on-site reporting. During the football season, she continued covering games while recovering from a stress fracture sustained during volleyball.

“During the season, I had a stress fracture on my foot from running suicides in volleyball,” says Tappin, who also plays lacrosse. “I was in a boot for two months and really had to keep off it. But that didn’t stop me.”

She says she continued attending games, moving throughout the stadium to gather interviews and feature stories on the team, the pep band and alumni, before returning to the field for postgame coverage.

“When it came to the football games, I didn’t care [about the boot],” said Tappin, who cites sportscaster Erin Andrews as a role model.

Tappin said her involvement has encouraged other female students to enroll in the station’s elective course. “Many girls have even texted me…because they want to do stuff like this,” she said.

“It’s sad that I’m going to be leaving next year, but I know that they’re in the perfect hands. I really hope that they find the passion like I did and want to pursue it in the future.”

Tappin is considering collegiate broadcast programs as she prepares for graduation.