Gatorade Player of the Year website A History of Honoring the Future In 1985, The Gatorade Company established an award honoring America’s elite high school student-athletes. Now in its third decade, the Gatorade Player of the Year award has become one of the most prestigious accolades in high school sports. The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one award-winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school boys football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys baseball, girls softball and boys and girls track & field. The selection process for Gatorade State and National Players of the Year is administered by ESPN RISE, the multimedia high school division of ESPN, in partnership with The Gatorade Company. All final selection decisions are the result of a collaborative effort between ESPN RISE and The Gatorade Company.

Amongst Gatorade Player of the Year award alumni, fans will discover names like Peyton Manning, Candace Parker, Alonzo Mourning and Lisa Leslie. These champions represent only a handful of exceptional talents who were first recognized by the Gatorade Player of the Year program before shining at the highest levels of competition. Over the past 24 years, more than 10,500 state and 200 national Players of the Year have been honored for their athletic excellence, academic achievement and exemplary character.

The Gatorade company is proud to recognize, celebrate and support the nation’s most outstanding high school talents throughout their journey to greatness both on and off the field.

In every state one athlete is selected in football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross county, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, boys baseball, girls softball and boys and girls track-and-field as the Gatorade Player of the Year for that sport. The Gatorade Player of the Year winners are evaluated and selected on the basis of outstanding athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary personal character demonstrated within and beyond competitive athletics. All state winners are then eligible for the Gatorade National Player of the Year award in their respective sports.