WHEN it comes to sports from across the Atlantic, basketball and American football receive the most television hype and coverage.

Baseball, although one of the biggest crowd-pulling sports in the US, is relatively unheard of over here in playing terms - but one man from Selby is attempting to change all that.

Ian Smyth works for the British Baseball Association and his promotion of the game has been acknowledged by his nomination for an award.

Smyth is on the short-list for the Service to Sport (Governing Body) prize in tomorrow's Yorkshire Electricity Sports Awards.

The 35-year-old, who works out of Hull, is developing the minority sport in this country. Said Smyth: "Most of my week is spent trying to get baseball into schools throughout the county.

"Much of the work is based in West Yorkshire but this year we'll be moving into the York, Selby and Goole areas.

"We have a programme developed called Pitch It and Run, which is sponsored by Major League Baseball in the US, which allows us to provide equipment to schools and give training to teachers so they can teach the youngsters."

Thanks to his efforts the game is catching on. There is already one Hull-based 21-year-old who has made the draft in America this year and could end up playing professionally for a Major League big-money team.

There is a national league with north and south divisions and plans are afoot to form a premier league next year.

Smyth fell into his current role after spending several years in the US coaching soccer during his summer months out of University.

"I just got more and more into the game. I've always worked in sports development or sports management and I've been doing this now for about three years now. Most schools like to have something different to do in the summer. Many struggle to coach cricket because of the facilities available to them. And this is different, the kids get the gloves and the helmets which is exciting for them."The awards will be presented at Elland Road, the home of Leeds United, tomorrow.

Other sporting talents to be nominated for an award include York-based air-pistol shooting brother and sister Simon and Helen Preston.

Simon, 20, is nominated in the top male achiever category for his achievements while Helen, 17, is in the junior girl (under-18) section.

National Junior Champion Helen, a member of the Senior Ladies National Air Squad and who was 16th in the European Championships, is nominated alongside Wetherby's Karen Nisbet, 16, who is a swimmer, and table tennis player Emma Smith, 17, of Selby.

York sailor Paul Hebblethwaite, 31, is also nominated as the top male achiever.

York-based Olympic swimmer Caroline Foot, 32, who recently took part in the World Championships in Australia, is one of the nominees in the top female achiever category.

In the junior boy (under-16) section, York orienteer Jonathan Kendall, 14, who won the under-15 National Event Holme Fell and Junior Home International events, and 15-year-old York swimmer Robin Francis, a double bronze medal winner at the European Youth Olympics and Britain's top swimmer in the 15/16 age group, have been nominated.

Harrogate-based diver Emma Teather, 13, could win the junior girl (under-14) category and Goole horse rider Megan Robinson, 13, has also been nominated for that award.

Orienteer Joanne Willis, 14, of Boroughbridge, is on the short-list in the junior girl (under-16) section.

North Yorkshire teams and clubs nominated for recognition in the Yorkshire Electricity initiative include York City Junior Rowing Club (regional/county team junior under-18 award), Harrogate Cricket Club (club team senior) and York City Rowing Club Under-15s (club team junior under-18).

In the service to sport (district sports council/local authority) category, York's Paul Reed is nominated for his service to golf clubs, Selby's Dave Milburn is in line for the prize for his work in York and Selby area schools, and Barry Beanland, of Scarborough, is on the short-list for his career in physical education in schools and his services to rugby union.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.