Search is on for rising young superstars with launch of the 2018 Local Sport Stars awards
WE are looking to celebrate the next generation of sporting superstars in the community with the launch of the 2018 Local Sports Stars awards.
Local Sports Stars
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sports Stars. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THE hunt to find the next generation of sporting superstars is back on.
NewsLocal is looking to celebrate the talents of outstanding young athletes and sporting teams, as well as the parents, coaches and supporters who make it all possible.
If this sounds like you or someone you know, enter our Local Sports Stars awards for 2018.
Past winners of our program — previously known as Junior Sports Star — have included Olympians Jessica Fox, Jessica Thornton and Jarryd Hughes, who just recently became one of 13 Australians to win a medal at the Winter Olympics.
The 22-year-old snowboarder, who described the feeling of crossing the finish line to win silver in Snowboard Cross at the PyeongChang Games last month as “pure joy”, won a Junior Sports Star awardin 2013.
Hughes said he still had fond memories of being a part of the awards presentation.
“It was really rewarding to be a part of that competition and to be able to sit around some amazing sportsmen and sportswomen,” he said.
“It was also cool getting the gift voucher, which I used to buy a Bosu balance ball. I had just gone through my first knee reconstruction so that got put to good use.”
The 2018 awards launches today and will run for 26 weeks until August 31.
Prizes will be awarded to talented athletes aged 18 and under in four categories: Junior Sports Star Individual, Junior Sports Star Team, Young Sporting Spirit Individual and Young Sporting Spirit Team.
We also have an open-age Service To Sport category, which recognises people who are the heart and soul of their sports clubs and codes.
The stories and achievements of many of those nominated will be featured each week in NewsLocal’s community newspapers and websites across Sydney and the Central Coast and on our dedicated website, localsportsstars.com.au.
Finalists will be selected for each newspaper, with overall NSW winners announced in each of the categories at a gala Local Sports Stars awards presentation later this year.
The awards will then go national with winners from competitions run by our fellow News Corp publications in Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland.
Last year, Pendle Hill runner Bendere Oboya won NewsLocal’s overall Local Sports Star award.
The 17-year-old’s gold medal-winning 400m run of 52.69 sec at the Youth Commonwealth Games last July earned her a B qualification for this year’s Commonwealth Games in April.
NewsLocal would like to thank our partners Your Local Club – the NSW registered club industry, and Featherdale Wildlife Park for their ongoing support in 2018.
ClubsNSW chief executive Anthony Ball said: “Registered clubs are passionate supporters of junior sport.”
“The NSW club industry pours more than $67 million into grassroots sport every year, which funds everything from player registrations to team uniforms and the maintenance of sporting infrastructure, such as playing fields, swimming pools, gymnasiums and tennis courts.
“ClubsNSW and Your Local Club is proud to support this program, which shines a light on elite young athletes, as well as those who have overcome adversity and the volunteers who make junior sport possible.”
Submit your nominations and find more information at localsportsstars.com.au/newslocal