With Sports Blues Awards coming up it is a good opportunity to share these guidelines.

AIM:

Otago Girls’ High School awards Sporting Blues to recognise outstanding achievement and participation in school sport.

Criteria for an award of a Sports Blue are determined by individual sporting codes with School Board approval.

All awards are at the discretion of the Blues Committee.

GUIDELINES:

Blues are not generally awarded to junior students unless they have shown exceptional ability and achievement; nominations of junior students will therefore be scrutinised closely. Juniors may receive an outstanding achievement award. The awarding of a Blue at Otago Girls’ High School is a premier award and a large number of factors are taken into account when deciding who will receive a Blue.

The Blues committee reserves the right to decline the award to any student it feels has not displayed the necessary level of sportsmanship and/or who does not reflect the core values of the school: Integrity (Kia Pono), Respect (Kia Whakaute) and Positivity (Kia Hihiri).

For minority sports, the following are considered:

• How big is the sport Dunedin/ Otago /nationwide?

• How many competitors were there?

• Could the athlete have gone to the next tier of competition?

For major sports clearer guidelines are itemised below. Regional B teams are not generally included as sufficient criteria.

Where an individual does not have a pathway to reach a higher level for that sport then a Blue may be either awarded at the discretion of the committee or other guidelines may be put in place.

Blues are generally not awarded to teams. In the instance where a small team (eg. Equestrian) was to reach an exceptionally high level it may be appropriate for the Blues Committee to award a Blue to all members of the team. This is at the committee’s discretion and recognises that each member of the team would need to be performing at a very high level for the team to achieve this.

The committee may make allowances in circumstances where sickness, injury or examinations prevented participation.

The student should be in a Senior A or top team to receive a Blue.

GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC SPORTS

Aerobics: Placed in top three in individual events at Regional competition and showed excellence within a team that placed in top three in the top senior grades (senior open, senior secondary teams)

Athletics: Placed in the top four at South Islands or top eight at National Secondary Schools' New Zealand Champs. Consideration is given to students placing at club nationals.

Badminton: Otago U16, U15 or U18 team or showed excellence as part of school team.

Basketball: Otago U17 or U19 team, New Zealand age group team (not Koru’s also, not NZ teams that are not associated with BBNZ) or showed excellence as part of school team.

Canoe Polo:Tournament team at South Island Secondary Schools' Championships or Schools' Nationals, or New Zealand squad.

Climbing:Top three individual placing in regional competition or showed excellence as part of school team that gained top three placing.

Cricket: Otago U18 team, or showed excellence as part of school team.

Cross Country: Top three individual or team in Otago/Southland champs senior section, or top five at School Nationals.

Curling:Top three at National Secondary Schools' Championships, or showed excellence as part of school team.

Equestrian: Placing at a Regional level (eg Springston event).

Football: Otago/Football South representative team or National Women’s league team, or part of club team that reaches final at South Island Tournament, or part of school team that reaches final at South Island School Tournament, and/or displays excellence as part of that team.

Fencing: Displays excellence as part of school team and achieves highly at National Tournament.

Futsal: Making the final of the Otago Secondary Schools' tournament and/or showed excellence as part of school team. When representative teams are available, this is given priority consideration.

Handball: Otago/ New Zealand Senior representatives team or showed excellence as part of a school team.

Hockey: Southern U18A or B (this team is chosen from all of Otago and Southland region)team or showed excellence as part of school team.

Ice Hockey:Making the national team or showed excellence as part of school team.

Multisports: Either top three placings in provincial level U16 or U18 multisport events run by recognised bodies or top three placings at provincial level in more than one recognised multisport event (eg. Road cycling and running, swimming and running, mountain skiing and kayaking.)

Netball: Otago (Dunedin Netball Centre Senior age group A teams), National Development Squad or showed excellence as part of school team.

Orienteering:Not yet confirmed

Rowing:Top four placing in A final at South Island Secondary Schools championship or making an A final at Secondary Schools' Nationals, or displayed excellence as part of school team.

Rugby: Otago Secondary School team/South Island/New Zealand team or show excellence as part of school team.

Rugby Sevens: Otago sevens rep Excellence as part of the school team.

Softball: Otago senior representative age group team, or if Otago age group teams are unavailable Southland senior representative teams, New Zealand age group representative teams (no to New Zealand teams not associated with Softball New Zealand)

Sailing: Top three placing in Gold division of Otago Sunburst Regatta. Participation in all races at the 2018 New Zealand Secondary Schools' Teams Racing Regatta. Or showed excellence as part of school team.

Swimming: Top three placing at Otago Secondary Schools' championships and/or qualify for finals at South Island or National Secondary Schools' Championships. And/or being selected in Otago Squad for Division 1 age group (Nationals).

Tennis: Senior Otago age group representative to travel to tournament or showed excellence as part of school team.

Touch: Otago/ New Zealand  senior age group representative team or showed excellence as part of school team.

Volleyball: Selection in New Zealand age group team or named in tournament team at National Secondary school Championships. Selection in South Island training/development squad or Otago Representative teams to be taken into consideration or showed excellence as part of school team.

Waterpolo: Tournament team at South Island champs or Schools' Nationals, or New Zealand squad or showed excellence as part of school team.