Ballarat Sports Roundup: Recent Youth Results and Selections

Lauren Ford, the 16-year-old high jumper from Ballarat, was named the inaugural female Sports Star of the Year at the UB WestVic Academy of Sport Telstra Country Wide awards, sharing the overall honour with cyclists Mark O'Brien and Will Ford.

Youth Selections and Championships

Three athletes from the Futsal Ballarat Academy, Sadie Smith, Madeline Hawker and Josh Burgess, earned places in the Victorian team for the 2025 Football Australia National Futsal Championships in Melbourne. Ballarat hosted the U14 Junior Country Basketball Championships from April 11 to 13, drawing 100 representative teams with Geelong United defeating Ballarat 65-42 in the Boys Division 1 grand final.

Local Clubs and Participation

Forty-two sports clubs responded to a City of Ballarat consultation on the Fair Access Policy. The Ballarat Cricket Association runs eight senior men’s grades, two women’s leagues and junior divisions, while netball, AFL matches at Mars Stadium and the Ballarat Roller Derby League, established in 2008, maintain year-round competitions. Ballarat Harriers, founded in 1891, continues its athletics program alongside clubs such as the Rush, Celtic Tigers, Wildcats and Phoenix in basketball.

Infrastructure and Future Events

A $750,000 upgrade of change facilities at Russell Square has been completed, providing AFL-compliant rooms for female players, netball and umpires. Internal changeroom work at City Oval finished in mid-2026 following a $1.7 million City of Ballarat contribution and a $100,000 AFL grant. Ballarat will host the School Sport Australia Games 03 from October 25 to November 1, 2026, with more than 1,500 student athletes competing across seven sports at over 15 venues. New facilities at Wendouree West Recreation Reserve include a street soccer zone, skate and BMX areas and the ReCranked Youth Shed, supporting more than 1,200 soccer participants. The 2026 Ballarat Youth Awards, with nominations open from May 15 to June 21 and the ceremony set for August 14 at the Wendouree Centre, include a Positive Leader Award for sports.

Ballarat Little Athletics runs Saturday sessions for children aged 5 to 15. Six organisations, including the Roller Derby League and Sebastopol Cycling Club, take part in the City of Ballarat BASIC Clubs program. Touch football competitions operate across multiple seasons. The City of Ballarat has endorsed the Draft Recreation Infrastructure Plan 2024-2039 to address future demand.