History
The group started as the “Sports Celebrities” with a banquet held each year at the Saddleback Inn in Santa Ana. Race car driver Gurney was the first honoree. Later the group changed its name to the current moniker The Orange County Youth Sports Foundation.
Presented every year since 1971, the Orange County Sportsman of the Year Award was established to honor individuals who serve as an inspiration to youth and who are leaders in both their sport and their community. The inspiration for the award’s design came from the cast iron bells that line El Camino Real, the historic route linking California’s missions, pueblos and presidios.
The award is sponsored by The Orange County Youth Sports Foundation. Comprised of businessmen who are devoted to athletics and our county’s youth, the Foundation distributes scholarships and grants to young athletes in Orange County and provides assistance to tax-exempt, sports related organizations. The Foundation also assists individuals who have medical needs related to or associated with athletics.
Pictured above are the founders and significant players who helped launch the organization in the 1971.
Front row: Left to right: Jack Faulkner, Pat Potter, Bruce Gelker; Back row: Left to right: Neale Stoner, Paul Salata, Bob Hoyt, Roger Hobbs.