The Sport Volunteer of the Year award will recognise volunteers who have made an outstanding contribution to sporting organisations, clubs, teams or programs over the past year.

The inaugural winner will be announced at the AIS Sport Performance Awards (ASPAs) in Sydney in December which returns after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic.

The award is the latest ASC initiative to champion the role of volunteers following the announcement of the Sport Volunteer Coalition and the launch of the Action Plan earlier this year.

ASC CEO Kieren Perkins OAM said he’s delighted to have volunteers recognised on such a big night on the Australian sporting calendar.

“Volunteers are the heart of sport in Australia and we must continue to celebrate our volunteers, reimagine ways to support more people volunteering and harness the social and economic value volunteering brings,” Mr Perkins said.

“We all know someone who deserves recognition for the tireless role they play, and this is the perfect opportunity to shine a light on these volunteers and celebrate them.

“I encourage as many sports as possible to nominate a candidate before 31 October.”

Other awards on the night will recognise the high performance achievements across sport in 2022 and include:

• Female athlete of the year
• Male athlete of the year
• Female para-athlete of the year
• Male para-athlete of the year
• Emerging athlete of the year
• Coach of the year
• Team of the year
• High performance program of the year
• Community engagement ward
• Win well award

The Sport Volunteer of the Year award winner will be selected based on:

• the impact of the volunteer’s work within their organisation/club/team
• the impact of the volunteer’s work on the broader community
• demonstrated commitment to the values of fairness, integrity, inclusion and respect.

National sporting organisations are encouraged to ensure their volunteers are nominated.

For more information, email volunteering@ausport.gov.au