BALLARAT’s young sporting stars are being urged to apply for grants to help them compete in major tournaments and competitions.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Parents are well aware of the costs of having an up and coming sports star, however, these federal government grants may go some of the way to easing some of that financial pressure.
Ballarat MP Catherine King said she was hopeful more young sportsmen and women from the region would apply for the regular grants.
“The Local Sporting Champions grants are for young people aged 12 to 18,” she said.
“They are used to assist them in participating in competitions that they may not have been able to because of the cost.
“It is not for local competitions, they are competitions that may require you travel to Melbourne, or interstate or in some cases we have had people travelling to the US for competitions as well .
Ms King said the process to apply was easy and could be done so online.
“It is about (improving) the possibility of them participating in sport and having the capacity to increase their skills,” she said.
“But at the same time easing some of the pressure off their families because there are substantial costs involved with these competitions.
“When you have competitions which are 10 days in Adelaide or things like that, it is expensive for families to do those kinds of things, so this provides some opportunity for young people.
“The young people may or may not go on to be elite athletes but it is about their participation and engagement in sport as well.”
Ms King said the region rarely had enough people apply to receive the full allocation in grants, so it was important more young people went through the process and applied.
“We really want to be encouraging young people who are eligible to apply,” Ms King said.
“We never have enough applicants each year.”
“It varies, every year but we always have money left over.”
Mark Ritchie was one of a number of young sport stars across the region to previously receive the grant.
Mark, 13, plays soccer for North Geelong and lives in Ballan.
He said he had to travel to Coffs Harbour to play and the funding had taken some of the pressure off his parents to play in different competitions.
"We have sponsors for other things but this helps as well,” he said.
More information on the grants, eligibility and frequently asked quested is available available at http://www.ausport.gov.au/participating/local_sporting_champions.
