Help us find the next teen prodigy

TODAY, the Irish Examiner sows the seed that will blossom into a treasured Irish sporting moment in years to come.

How do we know that?

Precedent.

For 23 years the Irish Examiner National Junior sports star awards have been recognising the victories and achievement of teenagers you’ve probably never heard of.

Until that moment.

Roy Keane? Sonia O’Sullivan? Damien Duff? Ruby Walsh? Never ‘eard of ‘em.

Well today, we launch the 24th edition of the National Junior sports stars — and that’s where, you, the reader, the fan comes in.

While our team of acclaimed sports writers and editors begin the process of identifying the high achievers for 2007, we want your input and nominations.

You may be part of a national organisation like the GAA or a member of a small-town athletics or cricket club. You may know a stand-out jockey or handballer who merits recognition from the country’s only award scheme for junior (15-18 years) sportspersons.

Not every one of our award recipients go onto the international fame — or fortune. Some are luckier than others. Twelve months ago, our soccer recipient Terry Dixon of Tottenham was on the road to recovery after a serious knee injury. But it’s been frustration after setback for the exciting striker. Hopefully 2008 will see his undoubted talent flourish in the Premier League.

Anthony Stokes, a recipient in 2004, is already there, under the stewardship of Roy Keane (1989), Robbie Keane (1998) and Damien Duff (1997).

In fact, if you glance at the adjacent composite picture, you get a sense of the depth of talent our awards have unearthed since 1984. A galaxy of GAA stars, reams of rugby heroes, Olympians, Lions, and in Rory McIlroy, surely a Ryder Cup star in waiting.

Before the precocious Co Down youngster completed a hat-trick of Irish Examiner junior awards last February, only one recipient had accomplished such a feat — Sonia O’Sullivan.

One word of warning though for those wishing to nominate for achievement in 2007 — it’s getting harder and harder to come up with hidden gems.

Youngsters are blooming faster and the corporate sport isn’t slow to anoint fame and fortune on even the rawest talent. McIlroy, Dixon and hurling prodigy Joe Canning are household names already — even though they were only honoured as National junior sports stars last year.

Watch out too for snooker ace David Morris, from Kilkenny. If you want a value long-odds punt on Ireland’s next world champion, you could do worse than have a punt.

As a fun exercise, how many of the previous Irish Examiner National Junior Sports stars pictured here can you name?

The line-up is revealed in our Digest section on Page 32.