General News
5 December, 2025
Junior athlete award doubled
Some of the Wimmera's most promising young athletes will be the beneficiaries of a new partnership.
Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly (WRSA) and FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport (WVAS) have teamed up to provide significant support for the next wave of sports stars.
WRSA executive officer Tony Caccaviello said the two organisations had joined forces to elevate the 2025 Youth Sports Star Awards by expanding the traditional single junior athlete of the year category into separate male and female youth sports star awards, doubling the recognition and creating unprecedented scholarship opportunities for the region's most promising young athletes.
"The partnership brings together combined funding and includes the provision of two full nine-month individual athlete scholarships through the WVAS program – one for a male athlete and one for a female athlete aged 14-18 years," Caccaviello said.
"This partnership represents our commitment to nurturing the next generation of sporting talent in the Wimmera region and demonstrates the commitment of both organisations to supporting grassroots sport and developing pathways for talented young athletes to reach their full potential.
"By working together with FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport we're able to offer young athletes not just recognition but real, tangible support to advance their sporting careers."
Caccaviello said the WVAS individual athlete scholarship would provide comprehensive support including access to high-performance training programs, sports science services and athlete development initiatives.
Recipients will benefit from professional coaching, strength and conditioning programs, sports psychology support and nutrition guidance.
"We're thrilled to partner with WRSA to celebrate and support young sporting excellence across the Wimmera," FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport CEO Scott Allison said.
"These scholarships will provide winners with access to world-class facilities and expertise that can make a real difference in their athletic development."
The Youth Sports Star Awards recognise outstanding achievement by young athletes across all sports in the Wimmera region.
Nominations are currently being accepted from the public and can be made by visiting the WRSA website.
The winners will be announced at the Wimmera Sports Star of the Year Awards function on February 13 next year.