(L-R award winners Keira Higham, MIllie Sutcliffe and Poihaere Birtles)
Up and coming 18-year-old baseball superstar Adam Bates from South West Sydney Academy of Sport, has this week been recognised as the 2024 Regional Academies of Sport (RAS) NSW Athlete of the Year, where all eleven RAS from across NSW came together at the Wenty Leagues Club in Parramatta to celebrate and recognise the achievements of our athletes and coaches across five categories.
Bates however, was not the only young athlete celebrated at the annual event, with four fellow RAS athletes and coaches recognised for their significant achievements throughout the year.
Each award winner was selected from nominations received from across all RAS in NSW. The categories were:
- Athlete of the Year – Adam Bates (Future Stars / Baseball), South West Sydney Academy of Sport
- AWD (Athlete with Disability) of the Year – Dylan Littlehales (Para Kayak), Central Coast Academy of Sport
- UAA Indigenous Athlete of the Year – Millie Sutcliffe (Basketball), Western Region Academy of Sport
- Steadfast Athlete Leadership – Keira Higham (Netball), North Coast Academy of Sport
- Steadfast Coach Leadership – Poihaere Birtles (Rugby League), Far West Academy of Sport
The annual Award dinner, proudly supported by Steadfast, Underwriting Agencies of Australia (UAA) and ClubsNSW was heralded as yet another crowning moment for the RAS.
The RAS were grateful to host a significant number of dignitaries from a wide-array of NSW State Sporting Organisations, along with key representatives of NSW Office of Sport, the NSW Institute of Sport, Australian Olympic Committee and Paralympics Australia.
Guests included Dr Hugh McDermott MP, Member for Prosect, AOC Chief Executive of Community Engagement James Edwards, NSW Office of Sport CEO Karen Jones and representatives from the RAS networks major stakeholders. Also in the room were athletes, parents and staff from the Regional Academies, along with the South West Sydney Academy of Sport and Western Sydney Academy of Sport who co-hosted this year’s event.
Brett O’Farrell, Chairperson for the RAS said of the night, “This event stands as a pinnacle moment for our regional sporting excellence. It underscores the collective achievements of our athletes, coaches, and stakeholders from across NSW’s diverse landscapes. With over 2,000 athletes and 300 coaching staff benefiting from RAS support services across 100+ Local Government Areas, the RAS network’s growth and impact are undeniable. As we journey towards Australia’s 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, the RAS’s recognition and influence continue to flourish across government entities, sporting institutions, and communities alike.”
The RAS continue to represent an extensive geographic areas across NSW, with over 100 Local Government Areas and support services provided for over 2,000 athletes, and 300 coaching and program staff.
The Regional Academies of Sport network continues to grow in recognition and significance, across a wide range of organisations, such as the NSW Government, the NSW Institute of Sport, Paralympics Australia, and State Sporting Organisations, as we head towards Australia’s 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games.
2024 Nominees
| Steadfast Athlete Leadership Award | |
| Oliver Power – Basketball | Central Coast Academy of Sport |
| Ozzie Cameron – Hockey | Hunter Academy of Sport |
| Leon Davis-Cook – Snowboarding | Illawarra Academy of Sport |
| Keira Higham – Netball | North Coast Academy of Sport |
| Rebecca Sams – Mountain Bike | Northern Inland Academy of Sport |
| Nelson Sargent – Golf | South East Sports Academy |
| Stella Moeliker – Hockey | Southern Sports Academy |
| Max Brown-Tjakuapi – Basketball | South West Sydney Academy of Sport |
| Isabelle Russell – Cycling | Western Region Academy of Sport |
| Anya Barker – Volleyball | Western Sydney Academy of Sport |
| Steadfast Coach Leadership Award | |
| Mark McDermott – Hockey | Central Coast Academy of Sport |
| Poihaere Birtles – Rugby League | Far West Academy of Sport |
| Mark Ingrey – Golf | Hunter Academy of Sport |
| Ben Bell – Triathlon | Illawarra Academy of Sport |
| Craig Little – Volleyball | North Coast Academy of Sport |
| Luke Taylor – Rugby League | Northern Inland Academy of Sport |
| Blake Johnston – Surfing | South East Sports Academy |
| Carolyn Burgess – Netball | Southern Sports Academy |
| Ben Robinson – AFL Womens | South West Sydney Academy of Sport |
| Marian Renshaw – Cycling | Western Region Academy of Sport |
| Daniel Waddell – Rowing | Western Sydney Academy of Sport |
| UAA Indigenous Athlete of The Year | |
| Owen Lees – Tennis | Central Coast Academy of Sport |
| Miles Carl – Basketball | Hunter Academy of Sport |
| Blake Mete – Cycling (BMX) | Illawarra Academy of Sport |
| Shikinah Roberts – Basketball | North Coast Academy of Sport |
| Delika Boney – Netball | Northern Inland Academy of Sport |
| Bellah Longford – Basketball | Southern Sports Academy |
| Max Brown-Tjakuapi – Basketball | South West Sydney Academy of Sport |
| Millie Sutcliffe – Basketball | Western Region Academy of Sport |
| Blake Hodge – Golf | Western Sydney Academy of Sport |
| Athlete with a Disability Athlete of The Year | |
| Dylan Littlehales – Kayak | Central Coast Academy of Sport |
| Jack Gibson – Para Sports & Triathlon | Illawarra Academy of Sport |
| Harry Keane – Para Swimming | Southern Sports Academy |
| Daniel Lill – Para Swimming | South West Sydney Academy of Sport |
| Skye Morrissey – Para Sports | Western Region Academy of Sport |
| Matthew Engesser – Para Sports & Triathlon | Western Sydney Academy of Sport |
| Athlete of the Year | |
| Alana Miller – Hockey | Central Coast Academy of Sport |
| Noah Mason – Cycling | Hunter Academy of Sport |
| Grace Tracey – Netball | Illawarra Academy of Sport |
| Felix Clarke – Volleyball | North Coast Academy of Sport |
| Benjamin Shaw – Mountain Bike | Northern Inland Academy of Sport |
| Lincoln Dell – Surfing | South East Sports Academy |
| Lexie Phillips – Cycling | Southern Sports Academy |
| Adam Bates – Baseball | South West Sydney Academy of Sport |
| Poppy Channing – Soccer | Western Region Academy of Sport |
| Tanika Terkildsen – Softball | Western Sydney Academy of Sport |