Hadley’s Owen Earle is in the running for one of the most prestigious awards a youth athlete can receive.
Earle, who spent time at Hopkins Academy before transferring to Wilbraham & Monson Academy, where he’s now a sophomore, has made it to the fifth round of voting for Colossal’s Youth Athlete of the Year. If he advances past this stage of voting, Earle will move on to the quarterfinals.
The winner of the award receives an advertisement in an issue of Sports Illustrated as well as a grand prize of $25,000 in cash.
Colossal’s Youth Athlete of the Year serves as a fundraising campaign for DTCare, a United States 501(c)(3) public charity organization, which will grant donation funds to the Jimmy V Foundation and Why Not You Foundation at the completion of the competition.
Each person can vote for Athlete of the Year one time per day for free, but can also donate money to vote up to 250 times a day — with each additional vote costing $1. All of the money goes to the aforementioned foundations.
Per Colossal’s website, they are “searching for an exceptional young athlete who represents everything we love about sports: a dedication to greatness, fierce competition, and a commitment to their teammates and competitors alike.”
As for Earle’s case, he fits each category to a T.
He was one of the best players on the Hopkins boys basketball team and a key contributor on the Amherst Regional football team (which had a co-op with Hopkins) as a freshman before making the switch to Wilbraham & Monson — where he is now excelling on the hardwood.
In the summer 2022, as he was about to enter the eighth grade, Earle was the victim of a horrific farming accident that hospitalized him for several days. He suffered nine broken ribs, a broken left tibia that started poking through his skin, six broken bones in his foot, a punctured lung and a bruised heart that was leaking blood into the stomach.
Over the next eight months, Earle was put in two different casts, a walking boot, was in a wheelchair for some time and had to walk on crutches.
He put in tireless work throughout the rehab process to get back to full strength as quickly as he could. That drive and determination led him to full strength by the next spring, and when it was time to suit up for football and basketball the next school year, Earle looked as if he hadn’t missed a step.
On Colossal’s website, they asked Earle what his proudest moment so far in his athletic journey is. The answer was easy.
“One of the proudest moments in Owen’s athletic journey was the first time he stepped back onto the basketball court after months in a wheelchair,” the statement reads. “That moment wasn’t just about playing again — it was a powerful symbol of his determination and bravery. Watching him push past fear and doubt to do what he loves reminded everyone how strong and unstoppable he truly is. It showed that no obstacle could keep Owen from chasing his dreams.”
To vote for Hadley native Owen Earle, click here. This round of voting ends on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. Once again, each person gets one free vote per day and can earn additional votes by donating to the Jimmy V Foundation and the Why Not You Foundation — which can be done through the above link.