TAMWORTH'S Jake Sheppeard received a surprise birthday present last Friday night when named Sport NSW'S Young Official of the Year at the annual NSW Community Sports Volunteer Awards.
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Held at NSW Parliament House and emceed by ABC Grandstand's Shannon Byrne, the awards celebrate the amazing contribution that volunteers make to community sport, and also saw Tamworth's Graeme McKenzie recongised as a finalist in the Community Sports Administrator category, and Armidale's Ben Hanlan the Young Coach category.
Nominated by Hockey NSW, Sheppeard, who was celebrating his 22nd birthday on Friday, said he was ”very surprised and very stoked” to win the award.
He had no idea he'd even been nominated until he received an email a month ago saying that he was a finalists.
“It's a big honour,” he said.
“It was very special to be down there. But I don't do it for the awards.”
Although he has been racking those up.
Earlier in the year he was named Hockey NSW'S Junior Umpire of the Year for 2015.
After first picking up the whistle when he was 11, Sheppeard's umpiring resume over the past year includes being a panel member at the Hockey NSW U18 Men’s and Open Men’s State Championships.
He also umpired the bronze medal game at the 18s Nationals, after overseeing the gold medal match last year.
He also helps mentor and train young umpires as well as umpiring himself, and also coaches the Tudor Wests womens first grade side, and the Tudors U11 and U13s junior boys side.
