17 Athletics Coaches, Officials & Volunteers Recognised in Sport NI Sport Makers Awards

Young Coach of the Year

 The first category announced was the Young Coach of The Year, where Athletics NI’s casual coach, Laura Greer made the list of nominees.

Laura Greer: “Laura is dedicated to her coaching and her development as a coach. She always gives her best to whoever she coaches and delivers sessions at a very high standard every time.”

Congratulations to Laura and thank you for your efforts in making the programmes great for everyone who attends.

Community Coach of the Year

The next category announced was the Community Coach of the Year, where 4 athletics coaches made the list of nominees. Each of these coaches works within their local community to engage people of all ages in the sport of athletics and are an asset to their communities.

Alistair Bratten: “Alistair is an extremely dedicated coach who has increased opportunities for those in the Causeway Coast and surrounding area to engage in the sport of athletics.”

Ivan Prue: “Ivan’s story of battling MS, is truly inspirational. He has had to come back from serious relapses, battling to train and complete marathons. His story is one of inspiration and determination and is worthy of being recognised.”

Declan Leung: “Declan goes above and beyond what is expected of an athletics coach and provides a different style of engagement to get the most out of every runner he coaches.”

Ryan Maxwell: “Committed, selfless, driven and 100% athlete focused.”

Congratulations to all of the above named Community Coaches, they are a credit to their community and we look forward to seeing their continued progress.

Performance Pathway Coach of the Year

Three coaches have been nominated for the Performance Pathway Coach of the Year category. Each of these coaches works with athletes at different stages of the pathway competing at regional or national level right through to Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic level.

Sean Laverty: “With Sean’s attitude, coaching philosophy and the knowledge he has developed, I have no doubt that his athletes will enjoy their athletics as well as being in a great position to achieve success as seniors.”

Jim Alexander: “Jim is an excellent example of a performance pathway coach who has effectively used the support around him to develop robust, skilful and independent athletes, who are able to thrive in any athletics system”.

Andy Hobdell: “Through thorough planning, a resolute pursuit of excellence, extensive sporting knowledge and love of the sport, Andy has brought marathon running in NI to a new level.”

Congratulations to all of the nominated Performance Pathway Coaches, the Sport Makers Awards provide the perfect opportunity to recognise their hard work and dedication to their athletes.

Club Performance Coach of the Year

For the Club Performance Coach of the Year, there were two nominated athletics coaches. This is a great achievement for coaches who do so much to support the development and performance of their athletes.

Michael Roberts: “Michael is an extremely progressive coach and is as concerned with the psycho-social development and academic progression of his athletes, as he is with their physical performances. He makes a big impact at North Down AC, Queens University AC, Northern Ireland Masters Association and Youth Academy”.

Mark Haynes: “Commitment, focus and being a holistically aware coach”.

Congratulations to all of the above named Club Performance Coaches, whose dedication and hard work help to create an environment where athletes can thrive within a club setting.

Children’s Coach of the Year

Athletics had three nominated coaches in the Children’s Coach of the Year award, all of which have encouraged children and young people to join the sport of athletics and continue to support the development of younger athletes.

Emma Hutchinson: “With a dedicated, enthusiastic nature and eagerness to learn and develop her skills, Emma sets a great example for other young coaches.”

Pamela Vogan: “Pamela is an extremely dedicated coach who has worked incredibly hard to provide children and young people with the opportunity to participate and achieve success in the sport of athletics.”

Kieran McKeown: “Devoted, selfless, focused, driven and totally respected by our local running community.”

Congratulations to all the nominated coaches, and for all their efforts in making athletics fun and enjoyable for the children and young people.

Technical Official of the Year

The next category announced was the Technical Official of the Year, with Athletics having two of our officials nominated.

David Seaton: “With over 45 years officiating experience, David Seaton MBE, is one of our highest qualified and most popular officials. He crosses the boundaries between being an Endurance and Technical Track Official and is able to combine these with administration and remaining a highly competitive Masters athletes.”

Stanley Hall: “Stanley is a true champion for athletics with a tireless commitment to serving our sport. His warm, friendly attitude makes him popular with athletes, coaches and his fellow officials, and his calm, fair approach to officiating has earned him well-deserved respect from the whole athletics community.”

Congratulations to all the nominated Technical Officials. The individuals named above support athletics events throughout the year and in all weathers to ensure that the sport continues to grow.

Volunteer of the Year

In the next category, Volunteer of the Year, Athletics NI XC & RR committee member and event volunteer, Raymond Black made the list of nominees.

Raymond Black: “Raymond is part of the furniture in the local athletics scene. He is always there, loves the sport, goes the extra mile and is generous with his time and advice.”

Congratulations to Raymond and thank you for all of his efforts in supporting the various athletics events.

Project of the Year

We are also delighted that the Athletics NI Coach Development Zoom Series has been nominated for the Sport Makers Project of the Year.

Athletics NI Coach Development Zoom Series: “This webinar series aims to blend the science and art of coaching by bringing together unique and diverse speakers for the benefit of coaches in Northern Ireland.”

We are delighted to see so many of our athletics community being recognised in the Sport NI SportMakers Awards for 2020 and we wish them the best of luck.