Who will win this year’s Coach of the Year?

Categories and Finalists

After a record number of entries, a panel of judges – which included representatives of sports governing bodies, young people, sports coach UK, Disability Sport Wales and Sport Wales have managed to whittle it down to 28 finalists all over Wales and 9 categories: 

– Community Coach of the Year

– Coach Educator of the Year

– Coach to Disabled Sportspeople of the Year

– High Performance Coach of the Year

– Performance Development Coach of the Year

– Sporting Partner of the Year

– Volunteer of the Year

– Young Coach of the Year

– Young Volunteer of the Year

Meet some of the finalists:

Ainsley Richards, Young Volunteer of the Year category, Multi-sports, Swansea 

“I’m fortunate to have achieved international and regional level in a number of sports. This means I’m able to draw on these skills to coach and encourage other young people to change and develop their perceptions of sport. This has undoubtedly contributed to my sporting development.”

Ian Shore, Performance Development Coach of the Year category, Rowing, Cardiff

“I’m a rower through and through. I’m privileged that I’ve got myself into a position where I’m surrounded by the sport. All I’ve ever wanted to be seen as is a good coach. I always try to be the best that I’m capable of being, and that’s so much easier when your job is your passion.”

Kathryn Cope, Community Coach category, Gymnastics, Merthyr

“I have always had a love of gymnastics and started as a young assistant in my local club at the age of 13. Since then my love and desire to coach gymnastics has grown and has helped me become the coach I am today.”

Neil Roberts, Coach Educator of the Year category, Multi-sports, Caerphilly

“It’s never the same – you always adapt to the learners. When things are challenging I try to learn from it, and make it better next time. It frustrates me from a coaching point of view to see things staying the same – you have to keep it challenging and fresh so you keep people coming back and feeling enthused.”

 Warren Gartland, High Performance Coach of the Year category, Rugby, Cardiff

“I always had a passion for coaching and an opportunity came up with a couple of sides I was involved with at an early age in my 20s. As a coach I love winning and getting to the big stage. I just love to improve and keep working personally as a coach and trying to improve teams.”

For more information about the Sport Wales Coach of the Year Awards please visit: http://www.sportwales.org.uk/coachoftheyear or follow Sport Wales on Twitter: @sport_wales