The RTE Sports Awards take place on Sunday night, recognising the contribution made by sports stars on the national and international stage.  It doesn’t only have to be at that level though that recognition can be given and achievement applauded.
The fourth annual Amateur Sports Awards, in partnership with The Echo newspaper took place in the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in South Dublin on Thursday, Dec 13th. 
These awards brought together a wide range of sporting individuals and teams representing sports as diverse as iceskating and swimming, gaelic football and motor sport.  Those present are passionate about their own sport but were also excited to share in the achievement of other clubs, some of whom might have been living side by side but with little other contact through the year.
We live in a time of collaboration and the shared experience and new friendships that a night like this can foster is a great investment of the time and energy put into it by the South Dublin County Sports partnership and it’s manager Thos McDermott.
Guest speaker on the night was Paul Kimmage, former professional cyclist and one of the journalists most closely involved in what was arguably the biggest global sports story of 2012 – the fall from grace of Lance Armstrong.
Kimmage gave the audience of athletes, coaches, club administrators and family members a picture of the highs and lows of his sports career from national titles and Olympic and Tour de France participation to drug taking and his battles with fellow athletes and sports administrators. He spoke with great passion on the need for honesty in sport and for people to be true to themselves and their respective sports.
On the night there were awards made to the monthly team and individual winners with one of each picked at the end of the night for the overall team and sports star of the year. The Team of the Year award went to Peamount Utd. FC Ladies team, winners of the FAI Women’s National League and Cup. The Sports Star award went to Brendan Hyland of Tallaght Swim Team. Holder of a number Irish junior records, Brendan recently broke the Irish Senior Record for the 200m Fly.
Awards were also made to Coach of the Year Robert Taafe of South Dublin Taekwondo Club; Sports Development of the Year to Round Towers GAA in Clondalkin; and Sports Club of the Year to Dundrum South Dublin Athletics Club.
The sports awards offer a great opportunity for the Sports Partnership to acknowledge the efforts of the local sports community and also to inform them about the aims and actions of the Sports Partnership.
The hosting in a local hotel and sponsorship of a significant local business make it an evening that weaves together the different strands of community that sport is such an important part of.
 
Key take away for Sport: Stepping outside the regular circle of your own sport can help to introduce fresh thinking and improvement in the way your own sport can be run.
Key Take away for Business: Grassroots sport offers real engagement at local level and real loyalty from people who are engaged in sporting activities that affect many tens of thousands of potential customers.