Can this Kelowna footballer become Youth Athlete of the Year?

Michael Erdmann, a 16 year old defensive back/wide receiver for Rutland Senior Secondary School, has been selected to compete for the 2026 Youth Athlete of the Year.

It's a tough task with thousands of athletes across North America in the initial running for the $25,000 prize along with a national brand campaign and Sports Illustrated coverage.

But Erdmann knows a thing of two about hanging tough, having come back from rupturing both of his patellar tendons. His tenacity is one of the reasons the competition selected him.

When it comes to his school work he keeps a 4.0 GPA and has been building relationships with programs including Harvard, Brown, Cornell, Dartmouth and Princeton. One day he hopes to attend Ivy league and a high-academic university and continue playing football.

The 2026 Youth Athlete of the Year competition relies on online voting.

You can vote for Michael daily for free and there's an option to add paid for votes with proceeds going to the Russell Wilson charity foundation.

Here's the link to Michael's page.

https://athleteoftheyear.org/2026/michael-a9b7