Victorian School Sports Awards
Introduction
The Victorian Department of Education recognises the outstanding sporting performances of students, teachers, schools, and community members from Government primary and secondary schools each year.
There are seven award categories:
1. Individual Sporting Achievement (Sporting Blue) Award
2. Outstanding Student Official Award
3. Lindsay Gaze Outstanding Sports Leadership Award
4. Outstanding Sporting Achievement
5. Outstanding Teacher Contribution Award
6. Outstanding Community Contribution Award
7. Outstanding School and Community Partnership Award
Who can nominate?
Nominations will only be considered if submitted by any of the following nominators:
- Principal
- School teacher or staff member
- School Sport Victoria coordinators or staff members
- Team Vic, team officials
- Local sports club representative
- State Sporting Organisation representative
A nomination will not be considered if submitted by anyone other than any of the above-prescribed nominators (e.g., parent or family member submissions will not be assessed). All nominations must include the student's school Principal's endorsement and those without this endorsement will not be considered.
Nomination Guidelines
- All nominees sporting conduct needs to meet the principles outlined in School Sport Victoria's Code of Conduct School Sport Australia's Code of Conduct, and the sporting organisation administering the competition for which the student, teacher, or school is being nominated.
- There is only to be one nominee and sport per nomination form.
- Nominees should include evidence of school and sporting leadership activities.
- Nominees need to be Government school student, teacher, or staff member, in the year they were nominated (relative to award).
- A student can win one award category in any given sport only once at primary school and once at secondary school level.
- Sporting achievements, in most instances, would need to be at a State, National or International level.
Assessment Panel
Nominations will be assessed by the Awards Assessment Panel. The Chief Executive Officer School Sport Victoria will appoint the Panel. The Awards Assessment Panel recommends the award winners to the School Sport Victoria Chief Executive Officer for review and ratification.
Individual Sporting Achievement Award (Sporting Blue)
Students can be nominated in sports delivered by School Sport Victoria in the interschool sport program or the Team Vic state representative program in the year of the nomination – see the 2024 School Sport Victoria School Sport Program. Note, students cannot be nominated for this award for School Sport Victoria State Sporting Organisation delivered interschool sports.
Multi-class students may also be eligible for an overall 'Outstanding Sporting Achievement' award which will be determined at the Awards assessment panel's discretion.
Outstanding Student Officials Award
Students can be nominated for the Outstanding Student Officials Award for their performance as an administrator, coach, or an umpire (or equivalent).
Lindsay Gaze Outstanding Sports Leadership Award
Lindsay Gaze is an icon of Australian sport, renowned for his lifelong involvement and achievements in basketball. He was a member of the Australian team as a player and a coach for 7 Olympic Games, 1960-1984 and a coach of the Australian team for the FIBA World Championships, 1974-1994. Lindsay has been instrumental in supporting and promoting sport at both the elite and grassroots level, including community and school sport.
VicHealth is proud to support the annual Lindsay Gaze Outstanding Sports Leadership Award in the promotion of community and school sport.
Criteria
The Lindsay Gaze Award will be presented to a student who demonstrates outstanding leadership in sport, in school, and the community. This may be as a player, coach, umpire, administrator, or a combination of these roles, in one or more sports.
Nominees to show evidence of any or all the following:
- Increasing participation opportunities in physical activity, school and community sport
- Increasing player / umpire / coach skill level in a sport(s)
- Displaying leadership through coaching, managing, or mentoring others
- Promoting or participating in inclusive opportunities with community sports organisations.
- Involvement in the organisation, preparation, and participation of school or community teams in local, region, or state competitions.
Further to the Nominator requirements, the sports organisation the student has assisted is required to endorse the nomination.
Outstanding Sporting Achievement
Students may be nominated for an Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award for outstanding achievement in any sport. This award is available to only one primary school and one secondary school student per year.
Sporting achievements, in most instances, would need to be at an International or National level. Evidence of achievements must be accurate and verified by the State or National Sporting Organisation.
Outstanding Teacher Contribution Award
Teachers may be nominated for an Outstanding Teacher Contribution Award for their outstanding contribution to any of the sports delivered in the School Sport Victoria interschool sport program or the Team Vic state representative program in the year of the nomination, see the 2024 School Sport Victoria School Sport Program.
Note, teachers cannot be nominated for this award for School Sport Victoria State Sporting Organisation delivered interschool sports.
Outstanding School and Community Partnership
This award is presented to a school that has developed successful and sustainable partnerships with their local sport community regarding sports participation opportunities for students and teachers as players, coaches, umpires / officials, or as administrators.
Outstanding Community Contribution Award
Volunteers (e.g., coach, administrator etc.) may be nominated for an Outstanding Community Contribution Award for their contribution to school sport such as developing strong links with community sport. This award is available to one volunteer at a primary school and one volunteer at a secondary school per year.
- Nominees to show evidence of any or all of the following:
- Increasing participation in physical activity, school and community sport
- Increasing students' skill level in particular sports
- Increasing students' knowledge and understanding of the rules of the sport
- Increasing student umpiring opportunities
- Facilitating inclusive opportunities in school and or community sport