Nominate A Special Kid to Be The Sports Illustrated Kids 2013 SportsKid of the Year!

***Disclosure: I am participating in a sponsored blog ambassador program from Sports Illustrated Kids. As a part of this program, we have received paid compensation and a year subscription for placement of digital advertisements and specific postings related to SI Kids.***

Each year, SI Kids honors one special kid who demonstrates outstanding sportsmanship through his or her accomplishments on the field, in their classrooms and in their communities. Nominees should be in the 7-15 age range, and should truly shine and serve as an inspiration to others.

What does the chosen SKOTY receive? (Other than massive bragging rights, of course!) Well this is really, really cool....The winner will appear on the cover of the December 2013 issue of Sports Illustrated Kids. They will also receive a special SportsKid of the Year jacket and a trip to New York City to accept the award at the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year ceremony. How cool is that?!

Last year, the winners were Connor and Cayden Long. These brothers show what the meaning of courage, determination, kindness, and teamwork are. I love their Sports Illustrated Kids cover photo here. It looks like they had an absolute blast!

The Long brothers' story gained a ton of buzz online, with over a million views in just a matter of days. If you're not familiar with these amazing kids, be sure to watch their video below. Definitely grab some tissues if you're the sentimental type like me. You just may need a few!

Isn't their story beautiful and inspiring? Kids can teach us so much about the important things in life, and I just love seeing heartwarming stories like these. The Long brothers are so incredibly deserving of this honor, and are the true definition of sportsmanship.

Nominate A Great Kid to Be the 2013 SKOTY :

You can nominate a child in your life to become the SportsKid of the Year for 2013! Submissions will be accepted until October 7, 2013. You can find the nomination form HERE.

Also, be sure to subscribe to Sports Illustrated Kids so you can stay on top of all the latest and greatest sports news!

Do you know a kid who would be a good candidate for the 2013 SKOTY award? I'd love to hear all about them!