Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards

The Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards is an athletic recognition program honoring the area’s top-performing athletes, coaches and teams. The nine-month program, selecting and announcing nominees each season, culminates in an in-person awards show where winners are announced and special awards are given. Attendance to the June awards show is complimentary for nominated athletes, thanks to our sponsors. Family, friends and supporters can purchase tickets to attend. Tickets include a carpet walk and photos, awards presentation and inspirational talk with a special guest professional athlete.

This program is part of the USA TODAY High School Sports Awards. Follow the Faebook Event and sign up for email updates to keep up with local nominee selections, the awards show and special announcements. Follow our main Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and Threads pages for more.

LATEST UPDATE: Thanks for coming out, Palm Beach County! We had a great time celebrating this year’s nominees and announcing the winners! Winners and nominees, get your social cards now and view the event news coverage now. We’ll see you next year!

Show Special Guest

Appearing LIVE at this year’s Palm Beach County High School Sports Awards will be none other than Three-time NBA Champion, Miami HEAT, Udonis Haslem. At the event, he will provide an inspirational talk with a question and answer session.

About Udonis Haslem

Udonis Haslem, known simply as “UD,” is a 3 time NBA Champion, father & husband, businessman, and philanthropist. At 43 years old, UD now serves as VP of HEAT Basketball Development. The longest tenured undrafted player in NBA History, UD’s entire 20-year NBA career was with the HEAT, a distinction that he shares with NBA Legends Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki as the only other players to spend 20 years with one franchise. UD’s leadership, voice, work ethic, and passion – on and off the court – made him the embodiment of Miami HEAT culture and a beacon in the City of Miami.

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, UD takes great pride in the city where he lives, and great honor in the opportunity he has earned to represent that city. After graduating from Miami Senior High School, UD went to the University of Florida, where he played basketball for Coach Billy Donovan as the starting center for four NCAA tournament teams. Post-graduation, UD spent the 2002-2003 season with Chalon Sur-Saone in France, before signing with the Miami HEAT as a free agent in August of 2003.

Throughout his life, UD has embodied the importance of lifting others up and is known by his teammates as the true backbone of the Miami HEAT and the real Mr. 305. Through good and bad times, UD has proven to always be there for his teammates, and in turn, has worked tirelessly to play that same role with the Miami community at large. When discussing challenges both on and off the court, UD notes, “…when I’m challenged, and at the bottom, the last thing you’re going to hear me say is this is too hard. I’m never going to say it’s too hard. I’m never going to complain. I’m always going to find a way to overcome the odds.” And that, he has.
In 2020, UD’s humanitarian efforts took center stage when the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to writing a passionate, heartfelt essay titled The Real Miami, published on The Players’ Tribune, UD recognizes his responsibility as a prominent leader on and off the court throughout the community. In March 2020, UD partnered with Ken Russell, a Miami city commissioner, to launch his ‘Power Forward Through Hunger’ initiative in partnership with the Udonis Haslem Children’s Foundation. This initiative focused on feeding underprivileged and at-risk communities throughout Miami by personally delivering pre-packaged meals. UD also personally delivered meals to frontline workers (Hospitals, Police & Fire Stations). Speaking for those who didn’t have a voice, UD also made several appearances on both local and national news outlets and webinars, offering motivational words to the community, while working tirelessly to do his part during the pandemic.

The Udonis Haslem Children’s Foundation (UD Kids) became The Udonis Haslem Foundation in 2022 to widen the scope of impact. UD Kids continue to be one of the pillars of the Foundation as it now moves into the education space by leveling up our children. The UD Foundation also focuses on mental health initiatives, especially as they relate to criminal justice reform and a push for further community accessibility programs such as low-income housing, financial literacy, and minority-owned small businesses.

Off the court, UD has proven to be a successful businessman. In 2013, UD decided to venture outside of the basketball world and opened his first Subway franchise. As his business interests grew, UD partnered with JFC Management Holdings to become a Starbucks and Einstein Bagels licensee in 2016. UD also partners with CareerSource Florida and the Employ Miami-Dade Project to hire and train local job seekers and young adults from low-income families to work at his Starbucks and Einstein Bros. Bagels stores.

Today, UD is a franchisee of four Subway sandwich shops, and as a partner of JFC Miami, licenses two Starbucks locations and an Einstein Bros. Bagels. He is also a partner in The Flowery, a Florida-based medical cannabis company and serves as a brand ambassador for Baptist He”