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Victorian School Sports Awards Selection Criteria

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​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 6 award categories: 

                1.       Individual Sporting Achievement (Sporting Blue) Award 

                2.       Lindsay Gaze Outstanding Sports Leadership Award 

                3.       Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award

                4.       Outstanding Student Official Award

                5.       Outstanding Teacher Contribution Award 

                6.       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 school staff member 
  • School Sport Victoria coordinators or staff members  
  • State Representative Teams (Team Vic) team officials 
  • Local sports club representative  
  • State Sporting Organisation representative 

Please note that nominations received from a parent or family member will not be considered and all nominations must include the student's school Principal's endorsement.



Nomination Guidelines

  • All nominees are required to meet the requirements listed 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 / school is being nominated.  
  • A separate nomination form is required for each nominee. 
  • Nominees can include evidence of school and sporting leadership activities. 
  • Nominees need to be a Government school student, teacher, or staff member, in the year they were nominated.
  • Sporting achievements, in most instances, would need to be at a State, National or International level. 


Assessment Panel

Nominations will be assessed by the SSV Awards Assessment Panel appointed by the SSV Chief Executive Officer. 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)

Government school students can be nominated in sports delivered by School Sport Victoria in the interschool sport program or the state representative team (Team Vic) program in the year of the nomination – please refer to the School Sport Victoria School Sport Program and Activities 2025. Note, students cannot be nominated for this award for School Sport Victoria State Sporting Organisation delivered interschool sports.  

Multiclass students are determined at the Awards assessment panel's discretion.  

Please note, a student can win one Individual Sporting Achievement Award in any given sport only once at the primary school and once at the secondary school level.






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 is to be presented to a government school student who demonstrates outstanding leadership in sport, in school, and in the community. This may be as a player, coach, umpire, administrator, or a combination of these roles, in one or more sports.  

Nominees are required show evidence any / 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

Government school students may be nominated for an Outstanding Sporting Achievement Award for outstanding achievement in any sport. Sporting achievements, in most instances, would need to be at an International or National level. Provided evidence of achievements must be accurate and verified by the State or National Sporting Organisation.  

This award is available to only one government primary school and one secondary school student per year. 







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).



 


Outstanding Teacher Contribution Award

Government school 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 state representative team (Team Vic) program in the year of the nomination, please refer to the School Sport Victoria School Sport Program and Activities 2025.

Note, teachers cannot be nominated for this award for School Sport Victoria State Sporting Organisation delivered interschool sports.  

This award is available to only one government primary school and one secondary teacher per year. 



 



Outstanding School and Community Partnership

This award is presented to a government school that is optimising student participation in school sport. Engaging student participation at the intra and inter-school level ultimately leads to improved school outcomes. Additionally, the school may have 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. Other initiatives that may positively influence student participation could include staff engagement programs, student coaching and leadership initiatives are examples of what may be included in an application.  

 Schools are expected to self-nominate for this award; however, one school may also nominate another. This award is available to only one government primary school and one secondary school teacher per year. 




 




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