David Goodwin won the Press Service International 2015 Basil Sellers Young Writer Sport Award on Saturday 1 August in Sydney.
As the winner, David Goodwin received a medallion, a certificate and a small 25 x 30 cm art work by Tronson du Coudray.
There are five sport writers – one for each week of the five week cycles in which the Press Service International program functions.
The five sport young writers are
David Goodwin
Josh Hinds
Tim Newman
Jeremy Dover
Wesley Tronson
Josh Hinds writes mostly on international sport, Tim Newman New Zealand sport, Jeremy Dover non-major sports, Wesley Tronson the English Premier League and David Goodwin cricket and some AFL.
David Goodwin has many credentials apart from his passion for cricket for which he writes with much knowledge. He runs a cricket club and a cricket association, while he says he attempts to hit sixes and bowl legspin as often as possible.
He recently published the following:
As some of you may have noticed, there are some changes afoot in the Salvation Army Editorial Department, with RED Magazine being shut down and On Fire going to a monthly schedule, rather than fortnightly. Now that it has been officially announced, I can share that a further change is occurring - at the end of my secondment on August 11th I will be returning to my old role in the ITS Department.
I can't say I am not disappointed (or surprised), however I want to focus on the many positives I can take away from my year in Editorial. I was given an incredible opportunity to run a magazine, and I want to thank Mal Davies for taking a chance on someone with no qualifications or experience, and Craig Tucker (head of IT) for being so flexible and accommodating (I wouldn't have a job to return to if he hadn't approved, then extended, my secondment).
I am very proud of what my team and I have achieved over the past year, and what we have produced. I think we have furthered the mission of The Salvation Army and, I hope, served the Kingdom. When I started I had to hit the ground running, and it was a very steep learning curve at times, but 25 issues later (with one more to go) I have learnt a huge amount, gained invaluable experience, made a heap of new contacts, and am confident I will be able to build on this to continue on working in this field. Thank you to all of those who have supported and encouraged me, upheld me in prayer and contributed to the magazine.
Since 2008 Press Service International has had articles published in Christian Today in a young writer program which today boasts 85 such young people writing a monthly 'Comment' piece along with some 'Christian News' articles. The Sport young writers initiated the program.
Three years ago Well-Being Australia struck awards including a Sport young writer award.
Sport Awards
2015 - David Goodwin
2014 - Brad Mills, Wesley Tronson, Annemarie de Villiers (three drawn)
2013 - Annemarie de Villiers
Five Panellists marked every Sport young writer's articles from January 20 to July 10 and it was these tallies that determined the winner.
These five Panellists were
Peter Nelson - Canberra
Simon Farrer - Melbourne
Tim Wilson - Canada
David Burr - Melbourne
Andrew Bennett - Tweed Heads
Press Service International young writer program with Christian Today, which is the 3rd largest Christian News provider in the world - one of the most astonishing features is the publishing of our Press Service International young people.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html