/ Put Your Thinking Caps On – It’s Almost Northwestern Alberta Sport Excellence Awards Nomination Time.

January is closing in quickly and that means it’s almost time for the Northwest Alberta Sport Excellence Awards nominations to open.  Nominations are open January 1-31.  With that we wanted to take a moment to tell you about the awards and how to make a quality nomination.

Now, whether or not they win on awards night, we celebrate the stuffing out of all nominees.  We strive to show them loads of support, accolades and appreciation for their time and effort at the sport they love.  Whether they are athletes, coaches, teams, officials or volunteers, we are here to celebrate them because we know that the sport scene wouldn’t have the amazing landscape it does in Northwestern Alberta without them.

Prior to all the hoopla and celebrations, we require assistance from the public to find these celebration worthy individuals and teams.  We need you to nominate the deserving, which can take a bit of time and dedication on your part.  It isn’t quite as simple as that time you nominated Bobby for the role of class president by raising your hand.

Winners are chosen by the selection committee based on what is included in their nomination package.  That means you, as the nominator, need to put some thought into what you write.  You need to be a little bit detailed and verbose while also being precise and compact.

Now don’t get overwhelmed, toss your hands in the air and think ‘That’s it.  I can’t nominate Bobby.  I am not good at writing.  I don’t know the details of his season.  I just know he is a good official/athlete/coach/volunteer.’  Very little writing is required and bullet points are encouraged!

What is needed for a quality nomination?

Firstly, we will require some basic information about the nominee such as their name, contact info, what category they are being nominated in and what sport they are being nominated for.

Secondly, we require a short biography of the nominee.  Let us know who they are in your own words.  Where are they from?  How did they get where they are today?  What are they passionate about?  How did they get involved in their sport of choice?  Note that all nominees have a short bio added to the website and this will be used to craft it.

Thirdly, for high-performance categories, you need to list all of the nominee’s accomplishments for the 2022 calendar year as they relate to their chosen sport.  Only activities completed in the 2022 calendar year qualify for the high-performance awards.

The only exceptions to the ‘must have happened in 2022 calendar year are the Unsung Hero (Volunteer). Sport Builder and Official award categories for which the selection committee will look at a body of work beyond the 2022 season.

We look forward to seeing you and your nominees at the Red Carpet Awards Nigh on March 3.