For the first time, the hard work and commitment of sports administrators will be recognised with a dedicated award at the SportWest Awards.
The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries Sports Administrator of the Year Award will recognise the winner’s contribution to an individual sport or the industry as a whole, and their standards of excellence will distinguish them from their peers.
The finalists for the inaugural award, as determined by the Community Sport Selection Panel, are: Christina Matthews (Cricket), James Curtis (Football) and Ashleigh Apps (Triathlon).
Matthews is a well-respected voice within the Australian cricket and West Australian sporting community. Throughout the 2020-21 season, Matthews, WA Cricket staff and WA Cricket Foundation partners delivered nine diversity and inclusion programs across the State, helping to create equal opportunity for every West Australian to benefit from involvement in cricket.
While his tenure at Football West is coming to an end, Curtis has delivered the future of Western Australian football in the past 12 months. He secured $32.5 million funding for the State’s first State Football Centre and helped contribute more than $200,000 worth of community football initiatives through the Building Stronger Clubs program.
In the past year as the organisation has sought to manage a push from the national body to transition to a One Management model, Apps has continued to drive new initiatives, programs and governance to improve the sport in WA. Over the past 12 months, she has created and delivered new initiatives including: Club President Catch Ups and the Interclub Series, a points-based series which encouraged performance and participation.
The winner of the DLGSC Sports Administrator of the Year Award will be announced at the SportWest Awards on 24 February at Optus Stadium.
Tickets for the Awards are $95 per person and include substantial finger food and drinks.
