Student of the Year nominations flooding in

Wednesday, 8 July

Entries are rolling in for the Sky Sports Living for Sport Student of the Year Award 2010.

The Award celebrates the successful way secondary schools across the country are using sport to inspire young people, thanks to their involvement in Sky Sports Living for Sport.

Olympic gold medal winning sprinter and Sky Sports Living for Sport Ambassador, Darren Campbell, will lead the judging panel to help decide the twelve regional finalists who will be invited to the national Awards ceremony to be held at Lord’s Cricket Ground on 8th October 2010. Here the national Sky Sports Living for Sport Student of the Year Award 2010 will be presented.

Darren explained:

“I owe so much to sport, both professionally and personally. Without sport, and the encouragement of teachers who saw how it was helping me to develop focus and self-belief, I could have very easily chosen a very different path in life.  Going into schools, I’ve seen for myself how much of an impact Sky Sports Living for Sport is having.  It’s incredible to watch how their attitude can shift through a single session and how belief in themselves and their abilities can be transformed.”

Sky Sports Living for Sport (www.skysports.com/livingforsport), delivered in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust, is helping teachers across the country encourage pupils to get more involved in activities and benefit from trying new sports. 

Working towards measurable self development goals, across areas such as health, behaviour and achievement, schools have been creating flexible activity programmes, including a diverse range of sports from football to fencing, basketball to boccia.  As a result, pupils have been testing and developing a wide range of life-skills such as teamwork, communication, discipline and focus. 

Adam Whitehead, Commonwealth and European champion swimmer, an Athlete Mentor who has been visiting schools as part of Sky Sports Living for Sport says:

“Every school visit I have made has reaffirmed my belief that sport can help you develop skills that can be transferred to other areas of life with great success.  I have met with some incredible pupils who have flourished as a result of being involved and have heard from teachers about the positive impact involvement is having across school life. 

“The awards are a fantastic opportunity for schools to shout about the successes they are having and reflect back on the journey pupils have made. I urge all schools who have registered and delivered a project this year to get nominating!”

Regional winners will each receive a £50 Adidas voucher and the chance to be interviewed by a Sky Sports film crew.  The school  will also secure an extra visit from an Athlete Mentor and £500 towards their school’s next Sky Sports Living for Sport project.

The student and the teacher will be invited to the UK ceremony on 8 October, with part of the day including a tour of Lord’s Cricket Ground, long seen as the ‘Home of Cricket’.

The UK Winner, who will be announced at Lord’s,will receive a £100 Adidas voucher. The school  will also secure an extra visit from an Athlete Mentor and 2000 towards their school’s next Sky Sports Living for Sport project

To nominate students, all registered schools need to do is log on to their account via www.skysports.com/livingforsport and fill in the simple online application form.  It's not too late to register for Sky Sports Living for Sport - visit the site now.