Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Tuesday 20 November, Hunter Sports High School held their 14th annual sports award presentation. Hunter Sports High School has 900 students, and 424 of those students are enrolled in the targeted sports program. It draws from areas, including Newcastle, Central Coast, Port Stephens, Hunter Valley and of course Lake Macquarie. Fifteen sports are offered in the targeted sports program and there are 31 external coaches. As well as the coaching provided by the excellent teachers at that school, they draw on the expertise of external coaches and 21 internal teachers and coordinators, all with those specialised sporting skills.

There were 181 Hunter sports representatives in 2012: 35 New South Wales representatives in 2012 and 19 Australian representatives in 2012. There were 396 government schools competing in state knock-out competitions, and Hunter sports high had three state championship teams in 2012. A further 10 teams finished second, third and fourth, making a total of 13 of the teams at Hunter sports high finishing in the top four of the state competitions. That is an absolutely outstanding record, and it also shows the dedication of all those teachers and other people involved at the school.

A number of Hunter Sports High School sports stars of the future were identified on the night. Kyle Schneider was a 2011-12 Golden Gloves champion in his age division. Last school term he was invited to attend the world ringside boxing championships in the US.

A female recipient of the sports stars of the future award was Hannah Southwell. She represented the school in state finalist teams in touch, basketball, cricket, football and baseball. She was selected in the Hunter region open CHS softball team as a year 7 and 8 student as well as the Hunter regional athletics team where she competed in the shot put, discus and javelin at the state carnival. What an outstanding record because, as well as that, she was selected in the New South Wales country cricket and basketball teams for her age group and the Australian under-14 soccer team. She is currently training with the Newcastle Jets women's league team. The sportsperson of the year was sponsored by the Newcastle Herald and the male recipient was Tyler Jones. Tyler achieved on the national scene. He also competed in the New South Wales short walks championship and is national champion in his sport. The female recipient was Tulia Palozzi, who was selected in the Hunter open football team and received a New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship for football this year. She was selected in the under-15 Australian all-stars. With the 2HD senior sportspeople of the year, the male recipient was Sione Mata'Utia-Leifi, who was selected in the Hunter and Greater Northern New South Wales representative teams. He plays his club football for the Newcastle Knights and his performance for the Knights throughout the year has seen him named as captain of the New South Wales under-16 team which beat the Queensland under-16 team in the curtain raiser to the first State of Origin match. Fantastic. The female recipient was Mariah Williams, who was selected in the Australian all schools under-16 hockey team, the New South Wales open women's hockey team and the Australian youth team that played in the World Cup. She will attend the Australian Institute of Sport hockey program in Perth from 2013.

The Bing Lee sportsperson of the year was Ben Fitzgerald, schools state champion in shot-put and discus in the open age group. Outside the school sports system he has been selected in the NSWIS and Australian Institute of Sport under-19 talent squad. He has broken records of current Olympian Benn Harradine, who also comes from Shortland electorate, including by up to three metres at the recent New South Wales school titles in the discus event. He threw a personal best of 65.94 metres, which set a new record by a massive 8.8 metres. The throw also saw the young man gain the number one world ranking for the discus in his age group. (Time expired)