Sport NSW today announced the finalists in each of the 12 categories for the 2024 Sports Foyer NSW Community Awards.
The category Award winners will be revealed at a ceremony at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta on June 19.
The Awards are a tribute to the exceptional dedication and unflagging contribution to sporting communities across NSW which is largely conducted by a volunteer workforce.
Volunteers are the unsung heroes who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure men and women, boys and girls, are able to enjoy the health, social and community benefits sport provides.
Sport NSW Chief Executive, Stuart Hodge, said his organisation received an unprecedented number of nominations across the 12 Award categories.
“It is fantastic to see such an extraordinary response from NSW community sports clubs and organisations, and we congratulate all finalists for their exceptional work over the judging period,” said Mr Hodge.
“The contribution to sport by so many clubs, teams, volunteer coaches, match officials and administrators and local Councils is quite overwhelming.
“It is appropriate that these Volunteer Award finalists are being announced during National Volunteers Week. It is because of their unflagging commitment that sport in NSW is the backbone of Australian sport from grassroots to the elite level.
“It is particularly pleasing to see such a broad range of sports represented among the finalists. This highlights the diversity of choice sports participants can choose to remain fit, healthy, and engaged,” he added.
The Awards night will also see 21 men and women honoured with Distinguished Long Service Awards for exceptional service to sport for more than 25 years.
The Sports Foyer NSW Community Awards finalists:
NSW Communities and Justice COMMUNITY CLUB OF THE YEAR
Bathurst Giants Australian Football Club – AFL
Callaghan District Netball – Netball
Maitland Touch – Touch Football
Northern Districts (Butchers) Cricket Club – Cricket
Swansea Football Club – Northern NSW Football
Toronto Croquet Club – Croquet
icare COMMUNITY COACH OF THE YEAR
Joe Burgess – Athletics
Tracey Hansford – Archery
Timothy Hill – Basketball
Danny Silvestri – Football
Jenny Towers – Volleyball
Cara Wilde – South West Sydney Academy of Sport
Sports Foyer COMMUNITY EVENT OF THE YEAR
Bowls NSW State Championships – Bowls
Gymnastics NSW State Championships – Gymnastics
Netball NSW Junior State Titles – Netball
NSW Beach Volleyball Tour – Volleyball
Swimming NSW – Country Regionals 2024 – Swimming
Valour COMMUNITY OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Pearl Butcher – Dragon Boat
Rohan Kennedy – Gymnastics
Gregory Smith – Rowing
Rachel Soars – Surf Life Saving
Mark Thompson – Motorcycling
sportscover COMMUNITY SPORTS ADMINISTRATOR OF THE YEAR
Kay Barney – Equestrian
Amanda Fraser – Cricket
Glenn Morrison – Bowls
Shelly Rush-Nichols – Touch Football
Sandra Slattery – Surf Life Saving
UNSW COMMUNITY TEAM OF THE YEAR
Balmain U11 Boys Little Athletics Relay Team – Little Athletics
Central Coast Men’s Opens Touch Football Team – Touch Football
Chinese Youth League Mixed Dragon Boat Team – Dragon Boat
Enfield Rovers U16/1 Boys Football Team – Football
Illawarra U14 Girls Basketball Team – Basketball
Newcastle Northstar Para Ice Hockey Team – Para Ice Hockey
Multicultural NSW INCLUSIVE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE YEAR
Basketball NSW – Basketball
Football NSW – 2023 NAIDOC Cup – Football
Gymnastics NSW & PCYC NSW – Gymnastics
NSW Rugby Union – Rugby Union
Schofields Cricket Club – Cricket
Vailo INNOVATION OF THE YEAR
Central Coast Ocean Beach SLSC, Taking it to the Beach – Blackspot – Surf Life Saving
Cerebral Palsy Sport and Recreation Association of NSW – CPSARA
Equestrian NSW Equibility Project – Equestrian
Manly District Cricket Club – Cricket
Netball NSW Cultural Competency and Reflective e-Learning (C.A.R.E Program) – Netball
NSW Office of Sport LOCAL COUNCIL OF THE YEAR
Blacktown City Council
Camden Council
Central Coast Council
City of Ryde
Dubbo Regional Council
AICD VOLUNTEER DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR
Madeleine Bowditch – Motorcycling
Dilys Kindleysides – Bowls
Glenn Schwarzel – Triathlon
Georgie Staley – Mountain Bike
Costa Zakis – Little Athletics
icare YOUNG COACH OF THE YEAR
Macy Clark – Water Polo
Declan Ellis – Paddle
Andrew Olsen – Volleyball
Vasilija Simunovic – South West Sydney Academy of Sport
Laine Wyllie – Little Athletics
Revolutionise Sport YOUNG OFFICIAL OF THE YEAR
Hamish Biddle – Rugby Union
Cooper Ellis – Basketball
Tory Emme – Little Athletics
Lachlan Micalos – Netball
Caleb Walz – Touch Football
DISTINGUISHED LONG SERVICE AWARDS
Barry Antella OAM – Surf Life Saving
Jenny Bailey – Northern NSW Football
Margi Bohm – Paddle
Colleen Brook – Equestrian
Francis ‘Bernie’ Delaney – Rugby League
Beverly Dew OAM – Netball
Armando Gardiman AM – Football
Neil Holmes – Rowing
Warren Jarrett – Cricket
Maree Kirby – Motorcycling
George Louie – Dragon Boat
Clinton Mallett – Hockey
John Martin – Basketball
Heather Mitchell – Athletics
John Oliver – Orienteering
Barbara Pearson – Gymnastics
Stan Pedersen – Tennis
Glenn Pincott – Motorsport
Ronald Pollett – Little Athletics
Warren Rosser OAM – Judo
John Turnbull – Touch Football
